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City of Falcon Heights City Council Minutes September 1, 1999 The meeting was called to order at 8:03 P.M. by Acting Mayor Sam Jacobs. Present: Acting Mayor Sam Jacobs, Councihnembers Hustad, Gibson Talbot and Kuettel. Administrator Hoyt Absent: Mayor Gehrz Notes of August 18, 1999 and Minutes of August 25, 1999 The workshop notes of August 18, 1999 and the minutes of August 25, 1999 were approved. Consent Agenda: Councilmember Hustad moved approval of the consent agenda The motion passed unanimously. 1. General disbursements and payroll 2. Licenses Consideration of the future of the basic life support ambulance service. • Acting Mayor Jacobs opened the discussion on the future of the basic life support ambulance service by reading the following statement from Mayor Gehrz. (attachment 1) Following this statement, Acting Mayor Jacobs explained that he would vote against continuing the BLS ambulance service like the Mayor. Acting Mayor Jacobs explained that he had followed this issue for over two years as the chair of the original task force that recommended the dual response model of emergency medical services. He said it was understood that this model would continue only if the BLS service was self-supporting which it is not. Councilmember Gibson Talbot concurred with the opinion of Mayor Gehrz and Acting Mayor Jacobs by stating that it was fiscally sound to end the service even though it was a difficult decision to do. Councihnember Hustad explained that the BLS service was appreciated but as a councihnember he needed to make a decision that was fiscally sound as well as guaranteed the public health and safety. He believed that it was time to eliminate the BLS service because the public health and safety and fiscal prudence were served by this. Councihnember Kuettel stated that as a citizen, taxpayer and user of emergency medical services she felt it was time to end the BLS service even though it was a very difficult decision to do so. Acting Mayor Jacobs asked if there was anyone who wished to speak to the issue with new information that had not been provided at the prior two workshops on this subject. No one wished to speak. Councilmember Gibson Talbot moved resolution 99-19 calling for the termination of the Falcon Heights BLS ambulance license and service as of 12:01 AM on October 18, 1999. Acting Mayor Jacobs called on Fire Chief Clem Kurhajetz to make a statement. Chief Kurhajetz expressed • regret over the loss of the service but understood the reasons for the decision. He suggested that a September 1, 1999 end time for the service made more financial sense.