By Stephen Smoot
At its quarterly meeting last week, the Board of the Hardy County Emergency Ambulance Authority settled in for a lengthy meeting with an ambitious agenda. It started with a presentation by Jamie Weller from the West Virginia EMS Council, covered elsewhere in this week’s edition.
After Board President Steve Schetrom thanked Weller for his “very informative” presentation, the Board went into committee reports. He stated with appreciation that “a lot of work has been completed by the bylaws committee.”
Board member Jean Flanigan provided the report and opened by saying “the bylaws were last revised in 2019.” The committee submitted some suggestions on what should be changed, with Flanigan pointing out that a number merely adjusted for correct wording.
She noted that they made the most significant changes to bylaws governing the public comment period. Previously, those wishing to make a public comment had to sign up three days prior to the meeting. Now they only need to show up prior to the meeting to sign up.
Schetrom added that “they added language to not exceed three minutes total.”
Board member Fran Welton raised the point that in her experience, bylaws allowed up to five minutes for public comment. Her point encountered no opposition. Later in the meeting, she voiced disagreement with holding the public comment period at the close of the meeting, but the Board did not assent to change that. Both Schetrom and Flanigan expressed their preference to keep it at the conclusion of the meeting.
Typically the President of such a body during a meeting can exercise discretion to move public comment and other agenda items around when appropriate.
Next, the Board held an extensive discussion concerning the section referencing the formation of an executive committee. The Board chose to add more detailed information about that body to the bylaws.
Executive Director Derek Alt gave the report of the planning committee, stating that “we’ve been trying to have monthly agency meetings.” He also shared that “West Hardy was kind enough to give me a ride-along.” One of the “most productive” actions lay in holding an information summit and discussed using data to “track changes in the market” show the numbers, “and what story they’re telling.”
The exploratory committee under the direction of Roger Vacovsky, an administrative liaison, examined the question over whether efforts should go into supporting an expanded ambulance fee, a levy, or both. That is covered elsewhere in this week’s edition.
Toward the end of the meeting, discussion turned to issues of staffing and dropped calls. Alt gave financial reports, including that of repair costs for an ambulance fuel system that added up to about $10,000. Although this would consume about 50 percent of that agency’s vehicle maintenance budget, Vacovsky noted “it’s got to get fixed.”
Other issues included the cost of insurance with the Public Employees Insurance Agency, a State of West Virginia administered entity. To cover a number of shortfalls that came from a perfect storm of converging factors in state, federal and marketplace arenas last year, they raised premiums up to 16 percent. “That was a monster,” mused Alt.
While Alt deemed the numbers “all in all . . . not terrible,” he related that urgent priorities needed to be addressed, calling fixing staffing issues at Baker a “primary mission.” Budget constraints continue to place limits on personnel, Alt stated Also, Nathan Kesner from HCEAA explained that “we have a plan in the next six months” to expand crews in Wardensville “But we cannot do it immediately.”
During the new business section of the agenda, Vacovsky related that “in agency visits it became pretty clear that we need a committee made up of the agencies’ experts. “Nobody with the Board is really an expert,” he admitted, then suggested that each agency provide two representatives to review issues,make recommendations, and even have the authority to call emergency Board meetings when needed.
In response to statements that all involved “are stretched thin,” it was agreed that a monthly conference call made more sense than an in person meeting.
After a public comment period with a vibrant discussion of staffing and the relative merits of a levy and a fee, the Board entered executive session.
