Ambulance board approves stipends, increase for capped wages

The Nodaway County Ambulance District Board of Directors reviewed stipends, capped wages and paid time off during its regular April 13 meeting.

Director of Operations Bill Florea suggested a stipend for third crew call-ins and all-calls. The board approved a $100 stipend for crew members that are paged or called in for third crew and $150 for an all-call situation.

Florea also asked the board about ending the cap on wages which the district currently has in place. There are five employees that have been capped for over 15 years and at least one for seven years. These employees currently receive a performance incentive and a longevity pay but Florea suggested the board consider giving a 1.5 percent increase to all those who are capped out. Following discussion, the board approved the 1.5 percent pay increase.

PTO was also discussed including implementation and possible liability with data presented to the board. Several employees were present and gave their ideas and examples as well. The board decided more information is needed and staff will gather that to be presented a later time.

The board approved the following items: the March minutes; bills to be paid; annual review of the conflict-of-interest policy; Medicaid/Medicare adjustments in the amount of $9,976.38; invoices to be sent to collections for $18,443.42.

Florea told board members the 2017 transportation ordinance needs to be re-evaluated. He has adjusted the mileage radius from 135 to 110 miles and that only one ambulance is to be out of the county at a time. The board approved to adopt the ordinance as presented and to amend as needed.

Board members Pat Giesken and MaryBeth Shipps read and signed the oath of office.

Training Manager Pat Greife announced he will resign as training manager effective July 1 but will continue to work as a full-time paramedic and instructor. He requested the board change the wording of the training manager’s job description to allow part-time employees to become the training manager as long as they have been an instructor for two years. The board approved.

Reports

Treasurer: a $500,000 payment was submitted to LAGERS to pay down the liability account; there will be a payment due for the new rescue truck and a check was written for the new ambulance; the next CDs due will be in October.

Director of operations: the sales tax payment for the month was $114,301.57 which is an increase of 7.7 percent from 2021; network security has been upgraded with all county emails able to be encrypted and the firewall was updated; unit 132 was picked up and is now in service.

Business manager: the accounts receivable report between ESO and Peachtree is now $48.47; there was a second payment from the Fourth Stimulus process for $36,301.22.

Training manager: the Northwest Missouri State EMR class has started and runs through April 28 with some instructors from the district helping; the EMR RN class was held and six of the seven students were new EMRs.

Maryville Rescue Squad: there will be a training on April 29 and 30 at Sheridan with the class portion from 6 to 10 pm on Friday and the hands-on portion beginning at 8 am on Saturday.

Under employee concerns, Morgan Wheeler presented information on the splints she would like the district to purchase. She found some at a cost of $338.99 per kit and would like to order 11 kits for a total of $3,728.89. The board approved the purchase.

Wheeler also stated she and Bryan Williams have submitted a request to the county commissioners for funding for the LUCAS devices for the rescue squads. The cost without maintenance is $74,810.

The board approved to enter closed session for the purpose of personnel. They re-entered open session and approved to grant John Maxwell a performance incentive of $937.50 and a longevity of $74, Brittany Drummond a performance incentive of $587.50 and a merit raise of 17¢ per hour and Julie Schmitz a performance incentive of $875 and a merit raise of 19¢ per hour.

The next regular meeting will be May 11.