CLEARWATER – Acting as the Emergency Medical Services Authority, Pinellas County Commissioners continued the debate Dec. 6 on the best course of action to solve the many issues surrounding emergency medical services.
Three items were on the agenda to be heard by the authority. Commissioners also took time to discuss possible next steps following the Nov. 30 public hearing by the Pinellas County Legislative Delegation.
The delegation voted to take no action on local bills to change the Special Act that created the authority until a study was done to determine the economic feasibility of a proposal set forth by the county’s consultant and one presented by local firefighters that advocates fire-based transport.
Commissioners unanimously approved the first item on the agenda - approval of an agreement with the city of St. Petersburg for first responder service, retroactive to Oct. 1 when agreements with the other 17 providers were approved.
According to staff notes, St. Petersburg wanted more specific language in its $12.4 million contract to provide first responder (advanced life support) services for fiscal year 2011-2012.
County administrator Bob LaSala described the changes as “wordsmithing” and said the contract contained no program or legal changes that the contracts with other providers.
Second up, commissioners unanimously approved advertising a public hearing on Dec. 20 to “amend the definition of ‘prudent net worth’ as it pertains to EMS reserves. In other words, staff has determined that the commission can downsize its required reserve amount from 33 percent to 25 percent of the EMS operating budget and still have enough money to respond to catastrophic emergencies, such as a hurricane.
Staff says reducing the amount required for reserves lessens the need to increase ambulance fees and the EMS millage rate.
The third item, which Commissioner Ken Welch said was being termed as the “nuclear option” was deferred to Dec. 20. Staff asked commissioners to approve a resolution creating EMS Districts as taxing units. If passed, the county would have the ability to set EMS millage rates per district instead of setting one countywide rate, as has been the practice to date.
Welch is adamantly opposed to the idea.
“We can count on going to court,” he said.
He said he was committed to keeping a uniform millage and asked staff how millage rates would be calculated.
“Will there be one EMS rate countywide and a second for those who don’t comply (with changes in the funding formula to reimburse providers of first responder services),” he asked.
Dennis Long with the county attorney’s office said that was one option the commission could use.
“Or we could continue the existence of one countywide special district and repeal the sub-districts,” Long said.
He said the Special Act allows the EMS Authority to create districts within the countywide taxing district and to levy ad valorem taxes not exceeding a maximum of 1.5 mils within the designated districts based upon the needs of such districts.
The district boundaries would be established by resolution, as would the designation of the districts as taxing units.
“By establishing designated districts, individual district level EMS ad valorem millage rates could be utilized to compensate individual cities or fire districts if their cost of advance life support fire responder deployment methods exceed countywide standards,” a staff report said. “This approach will maintain fairness and equity for taxpayers in districts within the county that have adopted the countywide EMS allowable cost and deployment standards.”
Welch said the plan was just another tactic to shift costs from the county to the municipalities.
“I’m disappointed this is on our agenda,” he said.
He questioned why a plan to set separate taxing districts was in the works since it was not something requested by the commission. He also asked why the change couldn’t wait until next year and said it was something the public should have an opportunity to weigh in on.
“This is a potential big change in how we charge millage,” he said.
Commissioner Nancy Bostock said the resolution would give the commission maximum flexibility. She said it would allow different rates to be charged to districts depending on their needs and costs.
She also agreed it was something the public should get a say on; however, she said the time for that would be if the commission ever decided to implement different millage rates.
“But all this does is give us options,” she said.
Welch said the timing of the proposal was bad considering the recent meeting with the Pinellas County Legislative Delegation and their instructions to the county and cities to work it out.
“This is massing the troops at the borders and arming the rockets,” he said.
“I don’t know if there is a way to stop that,” Commission Chair Susan Latvala commented.
Commissioner Neil Brickfield said he would like to maximize the options. Commissioner Karen Seel compared the action to a chess game and said the resolution would allow commissioners to “preserve movements.”
“It is not one side winning over another,” she said. “This would be a new system.”
At the time of the Dec. 6 meeting, staff was still working with the property appraiser’s office to identify and establish taxing districts. Some properties served by Pinellas Suncoast Fire & Rescue District, as well as other parcels located in unincorporated Pinellas currently pay EMS taxes but are not located within a fire district or municipality. Those properties would have to be included within an appropriate sub-district.
Long said the sub-districts and resolutions had to be approved by Jan. 1 to allow commissioners the option of setting different millage rates next year. He asked that the matter be deferred until Dec. 20 to give staff time to finish work toward establishing the districts.
Commissioners also discussed the outcome of the Legislative Delegation’s public hearing and the vote to have the county pay for an accountant to review the finances included in the county consultant’s proposal and the one from local firefighters to determine the economic feasibility.
Latvala suggested a delay in the hiring of an accounting firm until after studies to operationalize both proposals were completed.
“I’m not opposed to having a financial review, but would like us to wait until operational studies are complete,” she said. “I can’t imagine making a decision without knowing cost of operations.”
Brickfield wasn’t sure a delay would be welcome by the Legislative Delegation, which gave the county until Jan. 1 to pick a committee to find an accounting firm and July 1 to complete the financial review.
Roche then asked why the commission had to do what the delegation wanted.
“Who’s running this ship,” he asked.
Brickfield said if the commission did not do as asked, the delegation could decide not to be involved with changing the Special Act that some say is the reason the EMS system can’t be changed to make it more affordable.
“It’s always a balance in Pinellas,” he said.
After continuing discussion, Brickfield said it was time to formalize future plans. He made a motion that said the commission would continue to work with the Legislative Delegation, complete an operationalized study for both proposals on the table and then hire the accounting firm to study the economic feasibility.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Welch asked about pilot studies on fire-based transport.
“Who is setting the course for this ship,” he asked. “Accountant or not, I want to know if fire-based transport will work and what it will cost.”
Roche said he was not in favor of pilots.
“That’s just walking into another lawsuit,” he said. “It (fire-based transport) will work. If we’re going there, let’s just go there with our eyes wide open. Once it is up and running (as a pilot) there is no going back.”
