HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-30-1996 Minutes
MINUTES
MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO
SPECIAL MEETING
JANUARY 30, 1996
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Mayor and Common Council of
the City of San Bernardino have called a special meeting of the
Mayor and Common Council for 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 30, 1996,
in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 300 North "D" Street, San
Bernardino, California.
The purpose for which this meeting has been called is to
consider the adoption of a resolution approving a first amendment
to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Courtesy Services of
San Bernardino, Inc., which would extend the current MOU until July
31, 1996, at which time it may be continued on a month-to-month
basis.
The special meeting of the Mayor and Common Council was called
to order by Mayor Minor at 4:01 p.m., Tuesday, January 30, 1996, in
the Council Chambers of City Hall, 300 North "D" Street, San
Bernardino, California.
ROLL CALL
Roll call was taken by City Clerk Rachel Clark with the
following being present: Mayor Minor; Council Members Hernandez,
Oberhelman, Devlin, Miller; City Attorney Penman, City Clerk Rachel
Clark, Assistant City Administrator Wilson. Absent: Council
Members Negrete, Curlin, Pope-Ludlam.
ANNOUNCEMENT - CITY ATTORNEY PENMAN
City Attorney Penman announced that in the election contest
between Council Member Pope-Ludlam and Councilwoman-elect Betty
Dean Anderson, Judge Krug had taken the matter under submission and
would have a decision by February 9, 1996.
RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SAN BERNARDINO APPROVING A FIRST AMENDMENT TO MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING (AMBULANCE TRANSPORT SERVICES). (1)
City Clerk Rachel Clark read the title of the resolution.
Steven Kaufmann, Richards, Watson & Gershon, 333 S. Hope
Street, 38th Floor, Los Angeles, CA, spoke on behalf of Courtesy
Services of San Bernardino, Inc. (Courtesy Ambulance). Attorney
Kaufmann questioned whether the proposed action was permissible
under the existing agreement, stated that the agreement had been
good for the City, and that Courtesy had not received one complaint
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from the City. He added that the proposed amendment was not
acceptable to Courtesy; that it would preclude any capital planning
if the agreement was on a month-to-month basis.
Richard Lewis, 5328 Park Lane, San Bernardino, CA, Vice
President, San Bernardino Fire Fighters Association, stated it did
not seem appropriate to him that the City should allow this
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to rollover for another year at
a time when the City could be looking at other possibilities, such
as City-provided ambulance services, a possible change in vendor,
or even continuation with Courtesy under the same agreement or a
revised agreement. He noted that by allowing the contract to roll
over, it virtually closes all other options for at least another
year.
Mayor Minor explained that when the MOU between the City and
Courtesy was signed in 1995 it contained a clause that the
agreement would rollover automatically unless action was taken 90
days prior to the roll-over date, and that February 1, 1996 was the
90-day deadline. He noted that many things have changed since the
agreement was signed, and now would be the time to re-examine the
feasibility of the Fire Department providing ambulance services,
continuing with Courtesy, or any other option.
Council Member Oberhelman made a motion, seconded by Council
Member Devlin, that full reading of the resolution be waived; and
that said resolution be adopted.
City Attorney Penman pointed out that even if Council adopted
the proposed resolution and first amendment to the MOU, if Courtesy
refused to sign, the agreement would automatically rollover for
another year unless Council also authorized the Mayor to serve
Courtesy a 90-day notice of intent to discontinue the agreement.
Council Member Oberhelman amended his motion, seconded by
Council Member Devlin, that full reading of the resolution be
waived; that said resolution be adopted; and that the Mayor be
authorized to serve written notice of election not to renew the
Memorandum of Understanding with Courtesy Services of San
Bernardino, Inc. (Note: The vote was taken following discussion.)
Discussion ensued regarding whether anyone has been monitoring
Courtesy as to their compliance with the terms of the present
agreement, whether the City has the funds to go into the ambulance
business, and whether City officials and Fire Department staff have
met with Courtesy relative to response times.
City Administrator Shauna Clark, speaking
stated that protocols were established through
gave the Fire Department authority to determine
made.
from the podium,
the courts which
how responses are
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Chief Wright, Fire Department, stated that to date nothing out
of the ordinary has occurred since the City entered into an
agreement with Courtesy for ambulance services; that it is almost
as though they are still operating under the County. He stated
that the Fire Department is working on priority dispatching, which
should be in full operation by March. Chief Wright stated that
there are a number of things that need to be added to the agreement
as it now stands.
The motion failed by the following vote: Ayes: Council
Members Oberhelman, Devlin, Miller. Nays: Council Member
Hernandez. Absent: Council Members Negrete, Curlin, Pope-Ludlam.
ADJOURNMENT (2)
At 4 :41 p.m. the meeting was adjourned. The next regular
meeting is scheduled to be held at 8:00 a.m., Monday, February 5,
1996, in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 300 North "D" Street,
San Bernardino, California.
By
RACHEL CLARK
City Clerk
l~i!::!iJ
Deputy City Clerk
No. of Items: 2
No. of Hours: .75
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