June 21, 2023 at 5:59 p.m.
Presque Isle board discusses Oneida County ambulance intercept contract
Board wants to meet with county, Aspirus
By By Trevor Greene-
Town supervisor Cathy Logan Weber said she signed the contract because she didn't know what else to do when Oneida County sheriff Grady Hartman called her the night before it expired.
Town supervisor Carl Wolter said he was fine with having the contract, but he also expressed hesitation about approving it before getting more information.
During the board's June 1 meeting, Weber said the advanced life support intercept isn't needed that often. Though, when it is needed, the town is charged $300.
The updated contract includes an additional $400 surcharge for a total of $700 each time it's needed.
"I got a call at about 8 o'clock at night ... and it was the Oneida County sherriff," Weber said, again explaining the situation to Wolter at the June 15 meeting. "And he said if you don't sign this contract by midnight tonight, you will not have an intercept available for your town."
Weber said there was no board approval when she signed the contract and she is now seeking approval "after the fact."
"It's been approved hasn't it?" Wolter asked. "I can't say I'm in favor of it because I did hear some comments from our personnel, so I was waiting to get more information."
Weber said she would still like to talk to the town's attorney, Steve Garbowicz, about the contract.
"I just felt like I had no choice but to sign the contract at this point," she said. "I couldn't get ahold of anybody (at the time), we couldn't have a meeting ... but, what other people have suggested is we talk to the attorney ... see what he thinks."
Weber indicated including representatives from Aspirus Health and Oneida County in the meeting.
Presque Isle emergency medical technician (EMT) Donna Jukich said she had issues with the contract's language.
"This is a county-wide effort on behalf of Oneida County for all of Vilas County," she said. "It's certainly not just Presque Isle. And we have discussed it at the chiefs meeting and didn't make a whole lot of progress with it."
Jukich said she was not in favor of the town signing the contract without more information.
She said she asked Hartman if the town could sign the contract later in June, after the June 1 deadline. She said Hartman told her he didn't know if that was possible.
Weber apologized for signing it, again noting she felt like there were no other options at the time.
"It's not your fault," Wolter said. "It was too soon and they (Oneida County) waited until the 11th hour."
Jukich pointed out the town still has a contract agreement for advanced life support intercepts with Aspirus Health.
"And I talked with the state and they said Oneida County cannot refuse us our intercept," she said. "Whether you sign an agreement or not, they cannot refuse you an intercept. And that's what the state told me."
That's why the town needs to still have Garbowicz review the contract, Jukich said, to make sure both contracts - one with Aspirus Health and one with Oneida County - are needed.
"So I'm looking for two things," Weber said to Wolter. "I'm looking for approval of this (the Oneida County contract) and to talk to our attorney ... and set up this meeting."
Wolter mentioned that intercepts are only needed for Presque Isle residents about four times each year, "so it's not once a week, once a month, it's seldom."
"I have no problem with you signing that," he said. "I don't feel I wanna agree to it."
Jukich stressed the importance of the intercepts to the roughly five percent of the town residents who will need it.
She said the advanced life support intercepts need to be provided in a way that's agreeable to all parties involved.
"They are providing us a service in which we're paying," Jukich said. "They are suppose to serve us. And if we have questions about our service, we should be able to get an answer."
She said contracts are all about collectively agreeing on something.
Oneida County should have been willing to work with Presque Isle, Jukich said, however, that's not what's been done.
"They didn't allow us, as the town, to do that," she said. "They sent the contract, said and done, sign it or you're not getting an intercept. I didn't like that."
Wolter reiterated that he's in favor of having the intercept service, but still wants to hold off approving it.
"Can't we just go off of just your signature for now?" he asked. "I would like to do that."
Weber told him she would like his support by way of motion.
"You have my support, you just don't have my signature," Wolter said.
Weber said a meeting will be set up with all involved parties. Most likely it will occur sometime in July, she said.
Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].
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