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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-26-1996 Minutes MINUTES MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 26, 1996 COUNCIL CHAMBERS This is the time and place set for an adjourned regular meeting of the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San Bernardino from the regular meeting held at 8: 01 a. m., Monday, August 19, 1996, in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 300 North "D" Street, San Bernardino, California. The City Clerk has caused to be posted the order of the adjournment of said meeting held on Monday, August 19, 1996, and has on file in the Office of the City Clerk an affidavit of said posting together with a copy of said order which was posted at 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 20, 1996, on the door of the place at which said meeting was held. The adjourned regular meeting of the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San Bernardino was called to order by Mayor Minor at 9:03 a.m., Monday, August 26, 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 Negrete, Curlin, Arias, Oberhelman, Devlin, Anderson, Miller; City Attorney Penman, City Clerk Rachel Clark, City Administrator Shauna Clark. Absent: None. WORKSHOP/DISCUSSION - TO AID FINALIZATION OF CONSULTANT'S FEASIBILITY STUDY CITY-PROVIDED (FIRE DEPARTMENT) EMERGENCY TRANSPORT SERVICES (AMBULANCE SERVICE) (1) Mayor Minor explained that this meeting would be a workshop regarding the feasibility of the City providing emergency transport services and outlined the order in which the various parties would be speaking. City Administrator Shauna Clark explained that this meeting had been scheduled to provide Emergency Care Information Center (ECIC) an opportunity to brief the Council on their findings regarding City-provided emergency transport services. She noted that ECIC was founded in 1974 and has conducted extensive studies on emergency medical services, explained the methodology of the study, and summarized the experience and qualifications of members of the ECIC organization. 1 8/26/1996 RECESS MEETING At 9:11 a.m., Mayor Minor declared a five-minute recess to allow staff time to make copies of back-up material for the Council. RECONVENE MEETING At 9:18 a.m., Mayor Minor reconvened meeting of the Mayor and Common Council Bernardino. the adjourned regular of the City of San ROLL CALL Roll call was taken by City Clerk Rachel Clark with the following being present: Mayor Minor; Council Members Negrete, Curlin, Arias, Oberhelman, Devlin, Anderson, Miller; City Attorney Penman, City Clerk Rachel Clark, City Administrator Shauna Clark. Absent: None. Jim Page, Director, Emergency Care Information Center, P.O. Box 2789, Carlsbad, CA, began his presentation by commenting on those items which were specifically outlined in the agreement between the City and ECIC, wherein ECIC agreed to conduct an operational and organization feasibility analysis relative to the San Bernardino Fire Department providing emergency medical transportation services. (A copy of the agreement dated March 21, 1996, was provided for the record.) Mr. Page addressed each of the subjects by explaining what criteria or information had been used to arrive at their conclusions and answered Council's questions regarding same. Said items included response-time performance; service demand; impact on fire suppression capability; apparatus, equipment, and facilities; dispatch and communications; education and training; quality management; staffing and supervision; deployment; work force issues; equal opportunity; turnover and burnout; and public information, education, and relations. Mr. Page also referenced the massive restructuring taking place within the health care industry, which involves a complete turnabout from consumption to conservation. Ty Mayfield, Emergency Care Information Center, P.O. Box 2789, Carlsbad, CA, gave an overhead presentation utilizing graphs to depict call volume, expenses, average bills with and without membership revenues, and a five-year financial summary. (Copies of the overheads were submitted into the record.) Many items were discussed and questioned by the Council including the City's maintenance program for Fire Department equipment, the duties to be performed by the proposed medical director position, the impact on response times if the City were forced to go from six to five paramedic units, the merits of the City's current dispatch system, whether the City should consider 2 8/26/1996 nonemergency transport services, and whether The Right to Vote on Taxes Act would prohibit the cost of establishing the program without first going to a vote of the people. Mayor Minor summarized the basics of the plan presented by Mr. Page as follows: An initial $1.7 million to start the program, which would be recouped within five years; 29 additional personnel, to include 21 paramedic fire fighters, seven administrative personnel, and one medical director (who would work one day per week); and the projection that the revenues generated would more than meet the costs of the program (based on a 58.1 percent collection rate) . City Attorney Penman inquired whether Mr. Page thought the existing lawsuit between the County of San Bernardino and the City of San Bernardino relative to emergency transport services should have any bearing on the timing of when the City initiates its emergency medical transport service plan. Mr. Penman also expressed concern regarding added liability to the City. Mr. Page used a little anecdote to indicate his thoughts that the City should proceed with their plans regardless of whether the lawsuit with the County of San Bernardino is settled. Additionally, he stated that the emergency care dispatch system has handled one-quarter of a billion cases without a single lawsuit. RECESS MEETING At 11:02 a.m., Mayor Minor declared a five-minute recess. RECONVENE MEETING At 11:10 a.m., Mayor Minor reconvened meeting of the Mayor and Common Council Bernardino. the adjourned regular of the City of San ROLL CALL Roll call was taken by City Clerk Rachel Clark with the following being present: Mayor Minor; Council Members Negrete, Curlin, Arias, Oberhelman, Devlin, Anderson, Miller; City Attorney Penman, City Clerk Rachel Clark, City Administrator Shauna Clark. Absent: None. Dennis Bolt, Executive Vice President, American Medical Response (AMR) (successor to Courtesy Ambulance), 338 West 7th Street, San Bernardino, CA, gave an overhead presentation regarding how managed care is changing the face of emergency medical services and suggested that the Council delay any decision on this matter for three years. (Copies of the overheads were submitted into the record. ) Mr. Bol t noted organizations (HMOs) number furnished by that more and are trying to the HMO rather more the heal th maintenance get their members to call a than 9-1-1 and discussed the 3 8/26/1996 current emergency medical service system versus the future system, which would involve screening by an emergency triage center after the call comes into the 9-1-1 answering point. He detailed for Council AMR's answer to the changes being initiated by managed care through the use of the Healthcare Pathway Management System. Discussion ensued regarding past actions of the Council relative to this matter, and it was noted that several of the existing Council members had voted twice in the past to approve a City-operated emergency medical transport service. Also discussed was whether the Council wanted to notify American Medical Response that the City does not intend to renew in May 1997 the exclusive operating agreement they have with AMR for ambulance service; and instead direct the City Administrator to begin development of an implementation plan for a City-operated ambulance service. City Administrator Shauna Clark explained that ECIC's report would not be finalized for approximately 30 days, and she had not anticipated that Council would take action on this item today. She recommended that the notification of AMR should be agendized separately, if that was the Council's desire. RECESS MEETING At 12:16 p.m., Mayor Minor declared a five-minute recess. RECONVENE MEETING At 12:25 p.m., Mayor Minor reconvened meeting of the Mayor and Common Council Bernardino. the adjourned regular of the City of San ROLL CALL Roll call was taken by City Clerk Rachel Clark with the following being present: Mayor Minor; Council Members Negrete, Curlin, Arias, Oberhelman, Devlin, Anderson, Miller; City Attorney Penman, City Clerk Rachel Clark, City Administrator Shauna Clark. Absent: None. Skip Kulikoff, President, San Bernardino/Rialto Fire Fighters Local 891, 371 W. 14th Street, San Bernardino, CA, spoke regarding the proposed San Bernardino City Fire Department Emergency Transport System, pointing out that it was very similar to what Mr. Page had presented. He noted that the Fire Department's plan is designed to work with two paramedics and would not be a risky business for the City. (A copy of the Fire Department's plan was provided for the record.) Richard Lewis, San Bernardino/Rialto Fire Fighters Local 891, 371 W. 14th Street, San Bernardino, CA, stated that in contrast to AMR, the Fire Department is not profit driven, but solely service driven; yet the potential is still there for them to generate revenue while providing the best possible service to the citizens of San Bernardino. 4 8/26/1996 Council suggested that Mr. Page meet with Fire Department staff to formulate a final report. Mayor Minor asked Chief Wright to meet with Mr. Page on this matter. Ruben Lopez, 631 W. 16th Street, San Bernardino, CA, expressed support for a City-operated emergency medical transport program. Mitch Wiley, P.O. Box 731, Rialto, CA, stated that the City of Rialto has had a successful Fire Department ambulance transportation program since the 70s, which is entirely self- sufficient and turning a profit. In closing, Mayor Minor stated that Council would not take any action this date, but would wait for Mr. Page and his group to submit their final report. At that time, the matter would be placed on the agenda for the Council to receive and file. There was no further action taken on this matter. ADJOURNMENT (2) At 1:25 p.m., the meeting was adjourned. The next scheduled regular meeting of the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San Bernardino will be held at 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 3, 1996, in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 300 North "D" Street, San Bernardino, California. RACHEL G. CLARK City Clerk By ~~nd&1i~J Deputy City Clerk No. of Items: 2 No. of Hours: 4.5 hours 5 8/26/1996