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NEW WATERFORD -- New Waterford Council used its first meeting of 2024 to address rumors concerning ambulance service in the village.
Council and Mayor Shane Patrone clarified that while staffing and limited funds continues to be an issue with failure of two EMS levies in the past, New Waterford still has an EMS service and the recent decision to eliminate the EMS Chief was to help insure that service continues.
"I think that people assumed by eliminating the EMS chief position we were eliminating EMS. We didn't eliminate EMS. We eliminated a full-time position so we have more money for ambulance crews to come to your house," Patrone said. "But with that said, that's not 24/7 protection. We tried to pass that tax twice and we can't provide that without additional money. With this case we will basically be able to offer 40-hours a week coverage."
EMS staffing issues are not unique to New Waterford. Other municipalities are experiencing the same difficulties. Patrone explained that the village is looking to schedule five eight-hour shifts a week with the hope of covering weekend afternoons specifically that are low-manned throughout the county.
"We are looking to cover the best we can for weekend daylight shifts because a lot of municipalities do not have that weekend daylight shift. Our hope is to staff Saturday and Sunday through the day to fill that void. There's a lot of calls at those times that we have to rely on volunteers," Patrone said. "The other two days we are looking at are Tuesday and Wednesday. That's what we are starting with and we'll see where we can go from there."
Patrone said the staffing struggles are one of the main reasons the area municipalities are looking at forming an EMS district. An EMS district would help alleviate the EMS shortage that is not unique to New Waterford. Patrone and representatives of the village attended a meeting in Columbiana in November along with representatives from East Palestine, Negley, Leetonia, and Fairfield Township to consider collaborating to cover major parts of the county. Last month Patrone said in order to create an EMS district a lot of plans need to be made, details ironed out and logistics considered. He also said it would take a year and half to two years to get the project off the ground as each township and municipality within the proposed EMS district would have to place the issue on the ballot for the voters and an increase in property tax would fund the districts. Funding the project with a tax would eliminate ambulance bills for residents transported to area hospitals through the service (the average cost for an ambulance ride is $1,100 or more). Several counties in Ohio have already created EMS districts to solve money and personnel issues.
In other matters, Council passed several pieces of legislation, including two concerning the village's acquisition of the New Waterford Cemetery operations. Council passed to adopt new rules and regulations for the cemetery and an ordinance setting plot and burial rates. A double 8-foot-by-12-foot plot with a deed to the burial rights is set at $500.
Also in legislation, council passed resolutions accepting appropriations for fiscal year 2024, authorizing the mayor and fiscal officer to enter into fire contracts with both Fairfield and Unity Townships and the appointment of Jeff Kreffer of East Liverpool to serve on the county's 911 review committee.
The final reading to allow the Ohio Department Transportation to perform winter maintenance and snow and ice removal on state highways within the village also passed.
New Waterford also held its annual reorganization meeting prior to January's regular council meeting and approved three legislation items pertaining to the new year. A resolution to set one meeting per month on the second Tuesday of the month was passed as was a resolution setting salaries and hourly rates for village employees. An ordinance to appoint Walter Newton Jr. as the village solicitor was also approved.
Chris Kline was selected as Council President Pro Tempore and committees appointed. Those committees were finance/legal (Patti Finch, Cindy Doran and Kline), safety/service (Tom Cresanto, Patricia Wilson and Candie Dickinson), park/recreational/historical (Cresanto, Finch and Doran), public records (Patrone, Dave Slagel, Newton and Jason Gorby), planning and zoning (Kline, Greg Van Pelt, High Phillips), audit (Wilson, Finch and Dickinson) water and sewage (Doran, Kline and Dickinson), source water protection (Gorby, Patrone and Chad Hess) and zoning board of appeals (Marlene Van Pelt, Jessica Hoyt and Ron Myers).
selverd@mojonews.com