Petition for New EMS District in New Meadows Postponed
The Adams County Commissioners voted 2-1 this past week to postpone the petition to place a dissolution and redistricting of the Meadows Valley Ambulance District on the May ballot. The Commissioners held a public hearing in New Meadows on Tuesday, March 10 that continued into an additional session on Thursday, March 12.
The purpose of the public hearing was for the Adams County Commissioners to take public input on the petition submitted by Meadows Valley Rural Fire District (MVRFD) Commissioners to form a new ambulance service district and to dissolve the existing Meadows Valley Ambulance Service and call for an election. The MVRFD hoped to get the petition on the ballot for this May. Around 80 people attended Tuesday’s hearing and over 20 gave public comments. The Commissioners also received verbal and written comments outside of the meetings, which have been added to the official record.
An advertisement for the hearing created by the MVRFD described the new district as being for the northern portion of Adams County, saying it would create local control by appointing a new EMS district board that could focus on issues of growth, personnel, and equipment needs. The proposal would also remove Brundage from the district. The petition needed 50 signatures to be considered by County Commissioners and received 110.
The majority of public comment on Tuesday was in favor of the petition, however, the County Commissioners expressed concern at both meetings over questions surrounding potential tax and levy rate changes should it be voted through. Most neutral or opposing comments included concern over these same questions. Meadows Valley Cemetery Clerk Jess Mooney added Tuesday, that while he was neutral on the proposal, “people need to know the cost first.”
EMT and Fire Fighter Johnny Brown explained that the Adams County Commissioners became the Board of Commissioners for the Meadows Valley Ambulance District in 2015. The Meadows Valley ambulance service had “gone broke” and asked MV Fire to buy them out. Brown, who was a Fire Commissioner at the time, said the Fire Department then asked the County Commissioners to create an ambulance district and taxing district to provide funding. He said now, “Today we’ve got an ambulance service operated by an ambulance district that knows nothing about how to operate an ambulance service. All we’re asking for is local representation.”
County Commissioner Daren Ward said toward the end of Tuesday’s hearing, “we come to these meetings undecided and hope to get all of the information we can…I can tell you in the time that I’ve been here tonight, it’s pretty overwhelming people are for wanting the right to have this placed on a ballot to vote for it, because that’s what it really comes down to…it’s giving you, the voters in this district, the opportunity to vote.”
Ultimately, on Thursday, County Commissioner Joe Iveson made the motion to postpone the decision until the second Monday of August. County Commissioner Vicky Purdy quickly added her yes to pass the motion while Ward voted no.
When asked his reasons for the no vote, Ward said, “I’d like to have a bit more certainty that we’re working with them (Fire Commissioners)…I think they have put the good foot forward trying to educate the people…I don’t like kicking the can down the road.”
Iveson shared Ward’s sentiments saying he would recommend the County Commissioners have productive meetings with the MVRFD Commissioners and get more information and clarification. Ward also asked for a response from the Fire board, saying, “I’d like to know how this would impact if we push it to November. I’ll be very frank, I don’t disagree” that we need more clarification.
Fire Chief Doug Buys said the possible negative would be putting a new district back another billable year because of the way tax levy and election cycles are arranged. He said, “if that’s the only thing, I wouldn’t say that’s a make or break.” Adams County Clerk Sherry Ward said if the election occurs in November of this year, the first time a new EMS district could levy would be in September of 2027 and then the money would not arrive to them until December 2027.
Buys continued, “Just like Daren said we want to make sure it’s not just talk. How are we going to start this conversation? Should we put you on our next meeting agenda?”
Purdy added, “I’m more concerned about the public actually knowing the answers to these questions…There is going to be an automatic tax increase to everyone the way it stands now. So I’m struggling to support this at all.”
During Thursday’s meeting, a long discussion ensued about the possible levy tax increase with some saying forming a new EMS District would essentially double the current levy rate due to Idaho Code Title 31 relating to Ambulance Service Districts formed after July 1, 2020. The current Meadows Valley levy rate is .00027%. County Attorney Peter Donovan explained the two phrases he was focused on saying, ‘the levy is optional, but if a levy were to be pursued, the (language in state code) says it would be in the amount of .0004%. So its saying, if you do this levy, that .0004% is the amount that’s prescribed.’ Purdy said the automatic levy increase was a dealbreaker for her. Buys countered that was not the way it was explained to him by the Fire District lawyer and he would find clarification ahead of future meetings.
Iveson said, “This is another reason why I think we need to push this down the road and all of us get a little more educated on what exactly it entails. And I think we owe that to the taxpayers of New Meadows.” He then asked Buys if he was “out of line by saying we need to wait to get those figures”. Buys replied, “Personally I don’t think it’s necessarily out of line.”
Purdy said the other dealbreaker for her was anything that removed Brundage from the district as “they have not asked to be deannexed” and “we made it clear we wouldn’t do that without them requesting it.” She noted that with new developments on Brundage property, they are projected to contribute $32,000 to the county in property taxes next year.
She added, “Brundage has done what they said they would, they continue to pay taxes into this district, they set up their own EMS and Fire departments at their own expense…They’ve taken dilapidated old buildings and fixed them up for employee housing. I don’t see what more you could ask from them.” In Tuesday’s meeting, Brundage President and CEO Bob Looper detailed that their own EMS services have handled all but one transport the last two winters. Looper added he is “Supportive of whatever supports New Meadows” and “in favor of extending mutual aid with the best interest of all people.” MVRFD is in talks with Brundage for a mutual aid agreement.
Leading up to the hearing, the MVRFD released a notice addressing two common questions, “What are we doing?” and “Why are we doing it?” New District EMS Commissioners would be elected officials solely focused on EMS within the district. Fire Commissioner Tracy Peterson said, “I would like the ambulance district run by people involved with it.” Assistant Fire Chief Mark Peterson said Tuesday, “We want people that live here and represent the needs of the community. We are trying to control our own destiny and the people of the taxing district should have somebody locally to look right in the eye when it becomes election time…”
In follow up to Buys question of keeping the conversation going, the County Commissioners planned to discuss levy details and clarification on questions surrounding the proposal at their regular meeting on Monday, March 16. They also discussed coming to New Meadows for a meeting that evening or joining the Fire Commissioners next regular meeting on April 20 at 6:00 p.m..
When asked about hopes for next meeting outcomes, Chief Buys said the big questions they need to resolve right now are related to the tax levy rate and clarifying with the County Prosecutor. He said they hope to have something on the ballot in November. Buys told the County Commissioners, “We want to have a relationship with you, get rid of that animosity…and as more developments come in and our services get more and more thin, have all of us together locking arms and saying go ahead and build here, but this is what you’re going to do for us.”
Regarding the decision on Thursday, Buys said, “It wasn’t the answer they were looking for, but I think I can speak for the Fire Commissioners that I think a postponement is a win over a no.”
