City commission worksession is Thursday at 5:30, at city hall. All meetings are open to the public.
As Ive said before, the workesssions are usually more interesting than the regular meetings. The worksession is where issues are talked about, and sometimes things are talked about that never get to a meeting.
Here is what is on the agenda:
1. Resolution adopting beautification advisory board policy on plaque donations on city property.
2. Changing the date or time of the next worksession, which would fall on Dec. 31.
3. Resolution renewing cereal malt beverage (beer) licenses.
4. Consider renewing the agreement with Reaching Out Consulting Services.
5. Review bids and consider a contract for replacing roofs on Senior Center and waste water building.
6. Consider using equipment reserve fund to purchase a new ambulance.
7. Renewal of three year chamber partnership contract for helping the chamber in its efforts to improve the downtown.
8. Loan agreement between the city and KDHE for construction of a redundant water line to the Bryant standpipe and water mains to Patterson park Subdivision.
9. Mayors appointments.
Ark City woman victim of robbery, 500 block South Second. John Harris, Winfield, arrested.
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I am glad this guy finally got arrested for something he is a loose cannon. I hope the county attorny doesn't go soft on him.
A new Ambulance? Didn't they just get a big oversized new ambulance? What is the typical service life of an ambulance, and how many do they have now? Seems to me this town is shrinking, but the government keeps growing and growing.
ReplyDeleteThe oversized ambulance was 3-4 years ago i think?
ReplyDeleteIts still in use of course.
The one being replaced is 20 years old.
One thing that might be consusing is that this one was approved in last year's budget, and they decided to put it off a year.
Well, if they really need it, I can't complain, but if it's like the PD who gets new cars when they don't really need them, they need to put that off awhile.
ReplyDelete'it was approved in last years budget' For most of us that was a lifetime away.
ReplyDeleteThe state has to delay payments to our school systems. As a time where everyone across this nation is trying to survive loss of jobs and no money. except here in our community
our leaders are rewarding department heads with anything and everything.
wasn't it just last year that we bought a new copier because the one they had was breaking down 3-4 times a week, (we don't say to th4e company fix this or rebuild it we say new.... new .... new) wasn't it just recently that we got the firedept new ride around trucks because it was in the budget from last year
didn't we just and so on and so on
do we have a department that hasn't gotten new because well gosh darn they need it.
So wha't another new thing heck we here in the land of oz are fine we can get it for them it they need it.
james could you find out how many calls (miles0 the fire dept does per week. i bet it's a lot more than people know. i listen to my scanner and at times it seems they are called 7 or 8 times per day or more.seems a lot to the same address. just wondering. i would bet the units have a lot of miles on them. they don't last forever. wouldn't want to have one break down in a emergency situation.d. i do agree the spending has to stop. we (thepeople) ain't made of money. oh i forgot the powers that be think so.
ReplyDeleteIf you check out the miles per week, you will have to deduct the miles they put on the vehicles running to walmart for snacks and such. With proper maintainence a good vehicle could last for several hundred thousand miles, just ask jordan about his toyota. I can sense a DEFINITE lean towards approving everything the city comm. does by mr. jordan
ReplyDeleteI have not said anything positive or negative about the purchase of an ambulance.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot that goes in to it.
Not so much the mileage but hours of use.
If you want to do something, go to the worksession tonight at 5:30, and to the regular meeting next tuesday at 7.
and tell the commission why it should not approve it.
I dare ya. :)
They must need at least 2 and maybe 3. I hear on the scanner where they have to transport people to Winfield and Wichita. There has to be another one available here while they are out. Even in a car accident there could be several people hurt at once requiring 2 or more ambulances. And if one goes in for repair there has to be another one available. Even if just for an oil change. I wouldn't want to wait 15 minutes in an emergency just to finish an oil change. I would guess that they probably need at least 3 for all the different possibilities.
ReplyDeleteAs far as cost, someone said last year that the Ark City fire department and ambulance together cost only about 2/3 of what Winfield's does. If that is true I don't have any complaints. Maybe James can find out if that is true. It would be nice to know as a fact that the city is watching our dollars. How about it James? Can you find out for us?
One thing that does save money is having fire and ems together. All firemen are EMS people and vice versa. They do get paid more because they can do both jobs.
ReplyDeleteIt would cost a lot more to have separate fire and EMS sevices, which Winfield does.
The fire dept is pretty good about watching pennies. They do a lot of their own work on vehicles and other things.
11:58 I could not believe your statement about the cost between winfield and ark city. Here are some interesting facts I found on winfields and ark citys web sites. 2009 budget for Ark City fire was 1,951,000.00 Winfield Fire 2009 was 1, 909,248.00 Winfield EMS was just under 1 million. Ark City has 23 people in the department for both ems and fire. Winfield fire has 20 people and ems has 11 fulltime and 10 part-time.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct about a million dollars less operation costs and almost half the people in Ark City to cover fires and ems calls. Winfield has four anbulances and Ark City has four ambulances.
As same as some of the others, I, too, listen to a scanner. It hasn't been mentioned that several times a week, Ark City requests back-up from Winfield fire and EMS when an accident occurs or two ambulances are out on medical runs. Several times a day the ambulance is called for a run to assist an elderly person from a fall, an overdose, a well fair check, the nursing homes, transfer of patient, and the list would go on and on. I don't think we should worry about furture expenditures of the fire and ambulance departments. The equipment is well used and maintained. The other areas of our local government are the ones that need a tight thumb placed on them.
ReplyDeleteCAB, I agree recently took a cpr class at the fire station, nothing fancy about the station at all. I did however notice equipment that was clean and appears to be well taken care of.
ReplyDeleteP.S. they did a nice job of teach the class!
SKH
Leave the ACFD alone, they have suffered the same as any other city dept. When it came time to buy a new spotted Dalmation, there wasn't enough money. They had to buy a factory second dog that was white and sorta splotchy...
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to read everyone's thoughts and opinions on getting a new ambulance. You can't exactly put a number of miles or a number of hours on an ambulance before it needs replaced. EMS vehicles are driven harder than the average Joe Shmoe's car around town. They must have a good reason for getting rid of an old ambulance for a new one. I wouldn't want to have a loved one or myself riding in an ambulance that has been known to break down on calls that could waste precious time getting to a hospital.
ReplyDeleteAs far as "snack runs" to Wal-Mart, how many times do you think they go out to get food and end up having to go on a call? Do you think they complain about having to save someone's life instead of picking up a bag of Cheetos?
Everyone jumps at the chance to badger and complain against the Fire and Police Departments over new equipment that is needed to better serve the community, but the moment you need them your singing a different tune!
your being sold on fear!! there equiment is better than you could ever emagine, and they have more nifty little toys than most metroploitan cities,, you have no idea how wasteful they are here
ReplyDeleteSold on fear! Thank God they have the tools and nifty litle toys to do their jobs! I lived in a town of similar size and lost a dear friend because the ambulance was volunteer and the rescue squad did not have the "nifty toys" to get them out of the crashed car in time. I am very gratefull to live here in a town that "wastes" money on our fire and ems. departments.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I know, they work 24hrs. on and 24hrs. off. They have a fully furnished kithchen on site. If they need 'snacks', then let them buy groceries on their own time like everyone else. The fact that they get 'called out' while on a run to the store does not make up for the exposure of such an intergral piece of equipment to the potential hazards of everyday traffic accidents. Our firefighters and EMS people are extremely professional, many are county residents, not city, and are well compensated for the work they do.
ReplyDeleteThinking maybe negative people need to be taxed at a higher rate. Might help with the deficit.
ReplyDelete"Thinking maybe negative people need to be taxed at a higher rate. Might help with the deficit."
ReplyDeleteAmen!
Glad they are well compensated, dont want the d student and the low bid equipment to be the factor in caring for my family! Everyone wants to bitch and moan until you need them.
Do you get a lunch at your job? Do you drive through and pick something up? Oh same concept except they drive a vehicle with lights and sirens. Hope you don't choke on a chicken bone and need a broken down ambulance to come pick your butt up.
ReplyDeleteI get twenty minutes for lunch, I cannot leave the property, you could buy 8 or 10 of my vehicles for the cost of one ambulance, and I do not use it for hire hauling people who are in medical emergencies !
ReplyDeleteYour 'choke on a chicken bone' comment is nothing short of pure genious.
A 20 year old ambulance. They makes me feel really safe and comfy. Especially when the hospital moves north of town. Big deal if they stop for food. Its not like they drive to timbucktu to get it. They are working 24 hour shifts.
ReplyDeleteoh and why can't they keep the work session on news years eve. Alot of other people have to work that evening or night.
I can understand them having to buy groceries since they have to live at the fire department. If you are there 24 hours a day, you're living there! And I definitely want them to take the ambulance when they have to go shopping. I would not want to have to wait for them to drive back to the station to get the ambulance before they make the call. Maybe we should start a second rate service for people who don't want to pay for the quality? Your choice when you call 911: our fire department or the economy care guys in the minivan. Ooops! Too late!! You made your choice when you hire the people and bought the equipment. Do it right the first time. Get them the equipment they need and WE want!
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I am ashamed of some of the comments we have posted about our firefighters and EMS crews. They have helped my family many times, all hours of the day and night. They asked for nothing other than what they could do to help.
ReplyDeleteYes they are paid well, and they should be that’s how you get good people! Yes I am familiar with several of the firemen because they have been to my house many times. I also know that many of them have suffered great personal losses this year. One lost their father, one lost their child, and one recently lost their wife. Through all their tragedy they manage to show up when ever we call, willing to help with whatever we need. It’s not like the new ambulance is some sort of personal gain for them! The equipment they have is used to better provide for us.
What have we done for them?
10:47 You are correct we each deal with our own problems but they deal with everybody that calls problems. So if the perks of the job is to pick up their food in an ambulance, and that helps keep them sane, then god bless them!
ReplyDeleteThank your troops and firemen and police, or fill out an application!
WOW ! Opinions are polar opposites on almost every issue anymore. A person cannot temp fate by stepping in front of a train, but when 'your time comes' there is nothing you can do to stop it whether you are riding in a new ambulance or an old one!
ReplyDeleteYour right if its time to go, then its time. But take in the case of a stroke victim. There is a 3 hour time frame to avoid the more serious consequences. A person may not realize whats going on until the last hour, so what if the ambulance was to break down enroute and the person dies because they couldn't get to the hospital in time. I don't think that would qualify as time to go.
ReplyDeleteAn even greater concern than a breakdown, is the failure of electronic equipment inside the ambulance.
ReplyDeleteThank You ACFD , incase you are reading this , You do a great job , You should get whatever you need to do your job, SAVING LIVES, I appreciate everything you do.
ReplyDeletei pray it isn't your (time) when your house is on fire or you need an emt and the equment does not work right due to age. some one once wondered why we needed such a big ladder truck in ac. l counted at least 7 buildings where it would be needed and i am not a firefighter so i could be very low on my figure. ac also backs up winfield when the have a fire.d.
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