CLARKS GREEN — The future of EMS services is in limbo — at least until a meeting later this month.
During March’s Council meeting, council president Bill Egan mentioned that there will be a public work session on April 16 to meet with Clarks Summit about the EMS services contract, which will expire at the end of the year. Mayor Joe Barrasse explained that Clarks Green has EMS services through the Clarks Summit Fire Company. He said that the fire company had a campaign asking for $50 from Clarks Summit residents and Clarks Green residents.
“They’ll waive the extra payment you have to make in the event if they have to take you by ambulance to the hospital,” Barrasse said. “It’s a little bit of an advantage if someone does use their service.”
Barrasse said the issue is that Clarks Summit has expanded its territory with a limited number of ambulances available. He said that if Clarks Summit won’t be able to pick up someone from Dalton or Factoryville, the fire companies from Chinchilla or Justus can pick them up.
“If you made that contribution to Clarks Summit ambulance, now you’re expecting your ambulance services to be covered, but that’s not right for some of the other services to have to need that deductible,” he said.
Barrasse said that Council pays Clarks Summit but needs to reevaluate how revenue is being distributed to be fair to other ambulance services.
The work session will be at the Clarks Green municipal building.
In his financial report, Egan read the following account balances: general fund checking, $435,900.74; sewer fund checking, $389,277.34; state funds, $264,863.56. Council voted to approve the budget and pay the bills.
At the meeting, council also:
• Voted to approve Solicitor Al Weinschenk to draw up a resolution for authorizing execution of the Comcast Renewal Franchise Agreement.
• Voted to appoint Mary Moore and Keith Williams to the planning commission.
