05-12-1994 - Regular Meeting - MinutesM I N U T E S
SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE
WEST COVINA CITY COUNCIL
May 12, 1994
The special meeting of the West Covina City Council was called to order
by Mayor McFadden at 5:50 pm in the City Hall's Management Resource
Center, 1444 W. Garvey Avenue.
ROLL CALL Mayor McFadden, Mayor Pro Tem Herfert, Council -
members Manners, Touhey, Wong
Others Present: Starbird, Thomas, Meier, Greene, Janis, Wylie, Nagel,
Keating, Holler, Koniarsky, Miller, Brewer, Geurtz,
Culhane, Harvey, Sher, Stowe, Mitchell, Johnson,
Slicker, Smith, Hamm, Delia, Sams, Salazar, Berry
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA No comments offered.
FIRE MEDIC SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM
Fire Chief Greene presented the Fire Department's
proposed voluntary paramedic subscription program
that allows for collection of voluntary subscriptions
and cost recovery from non -subscribers and non-
residents. He first discussed the current service
levels provided by the Fire Department, related
costs, and the increasing budgetary constraints
facing the City.
As part of the City's long range financial plan, it
has been proposed that the Fire Department administer
an emergency medical services program that would
receive revenues from two sources. He detailed the
two -point program.
First, the "User Fee" program which would help to
recover the cost of responding to and providing
emergency care for basic life support (BLS) at $150
and for responding to and providing emergency care
for advanced life support (ALS) at $250.
Second, City residents may subscribe to the Fire
Medics Program at a fee of perhaps $40/year per
household, which would alleviate the BLS and ALS
costs if a member of the subscribing household
without insurance required those services. Insurance
companies would still be billed for subscribers with
insurance. The subscription would help with any
deductibles.
Council discussed the different facets of the
proposed program, including:
* If the annual subscription fee was lower, the
anticipated revenues may be higher due to more house-
holds participating in the program.
* Transporting users is an area for further review
and possible future implementation.
* Implementing a non-residential fee schedule for
BLS and ALS was favorably received by Council.
* Response time and quality of service could be
Council Minutes of 5/12/94
enhanced if Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) were
installed in the fire engines.
Council concurred on directing staff to move forward
with the program with a report back to Council
regarding a more defined subscription fee, the
ramifications of entering the transport business,
and installing MDTs.
ADJOURNMENT Moion by Wong, seconded by Manners, and unanimously
carried to adjourn the meeting at 7:37 pm to
Saturday, May 14, 1994, at 9:00 am in the MRC.
Attest:
City Clerk Janet rry
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Mayor5tadley McFadden
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