By Ryan Whisner
In conjunction with the Fort Atkinson Fire Department becoming the area’s primary EMS provider as of Jan. 1, 2023, the Fort Atkinson City Council approved a $55,600 contract with LifeQuest Services to handle EMS billing services.
City Manager Rebecca Houseman LeMire noted that ambulance billing and revenue collection will be a significant part of the fire department’s budget.
LifeQuest has been charging 17% due to the lack of full volume of billing under the current contract with the city.
“When you increase the number of bills, that decreases the service charge, so we were being charged 17%,” LeMire said. “We did attempt to negotiate directly with LifeQuest, but we didn’t get to where we wanted to be.”
Requests for proposal were sent out to five companies and only LifeQuest responded, seeking a continuation of the city’s current contract structure with a service fee of 8% of collected revenues.
The city manager explained that the 8% was calculated based on the estimated 1,400 EMS calls with 1,100 transports. That service charge is locked in until the contract is altered.
Council members had a few questions about the proposal which ties directly to the approval of the public safety referendum approved in April.
Funding approved with the referendum allows for hiring six firefighters/paramedics and six firefighter/advanced EMTs to the fire department and two additional police officers.
Call volume for the fire department has increased by 108% since 2010. LeMire has previously stated that having full-time EMS and fire staff on-site at the fire station will decrease response times to just 90 seconds.
The city manager said the 2023 budget for EMS estimated $695,000 in revenue from ambulance run charges for services and transports. Based on similarly sized communities the billing service fee was estimated at 8 to 9%
She said $57,000 was budgeted and the actual contract was approved at $55,600.
Humane Society contract renewed
Also Tuesday the council approved the 2023 small animal collection contract with the Humane Society of Jefferson County for a total of $31,977.
Fort Atkinson City Clerk Michelle Ebbert explained that the contract is set on a per capita basis. For a population of 12,583, the rate comes to about $2.58 per resident for a total of $32,464. That is a 7.2% reduction from the $2.78 rate in 2022.
Over the years, the Humane Society has offered a discount should the city pay the entire cost in January, of which the city has taken advantage. Ebbert said the discount comes to 1.5% for a total of $31,977 and a savings of $486.
“They also have felt some tight strings lately with some expenses rising,” Ebbert said. “They’re trying to do the best they can to keep their costs down.”
Costs at the shelter for staffing and medical care have risen dramatically in the last 12 months. Reportedly even the cost of litter has gone up by 70%. Despite the increases, she said the Humane Society can offer a reduced price for service.
LeMire noted that the contract does represent a reduction in service which is linked to the reduction in cost. Per the contract, the Humane Society will not be providing overnight pickup of animals any longer.
“They’ve been unable to staff that service,” the city manager said.
In addition, based on a security assessment, no staff member is to go out alone at night or always involve law enforcement in any pickup. The cost of maintaining that liability requirement would increase the organization’s budget by 15% in 2023.
According to the Humane Society, the overnight service does not see a lot of activity. In 2021, the busiest municipality saw 15 calls all year and the smaller municipalities had only 1.
LeMire noted that the Humane Society consulted with all their law enforcement partners in Jefferson County who supported the change and would amend their operations to accommodate any animals collected overnight. Animals collected overnight will still be able to be dropped off at the shelter during regular business hours.
Kayak launch receives final approval
In other business, the council approved the installation of a kayak launch alongside the Rock River municipal boat ramp at the end of Mechanic Street.
Dakota Friend, a member of Boy Scout Troop 147, plans to undertake the work as his Eagle Scout project. He will raise $1,500 for the launch and install it initially.
As presented, the city will be responsible for installing and removing it, along with other public docks, each spring, and fall. The city also will store it in winter.
The kayak launch will be located between the river wall and the east-west municipal pier. Its one-piece construction, integrated paddle notches, and V-shaped entry should make launching and docking safe, easy, and dry, even as water levels change.
As he previously had done before the Fort Atkinson Plan Commission, Friend presented the basics of his project plan to the council.
“I think it’s such a great project and I think you made a great presentation” council member Mason Becker said before making the motion that was unanimously approved.
St. Paul’s gym survey map approved
As part of the development of plans for a new gymnasium at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran School, the council approved the preliminary certified survey map allowing the three separate parcels on which the school and church parsonage are located to be combined into a single lot.
Previously the Fort Atkinson Plan Commission had approved a site plan for the construction of a 12,140-square-foot gymnasium on the Bluff Street school’s southeast side.
The project — which St. Paul’s representative Gary Strom said will carry an estimated price tag of $3.5 million to $4 million — will take up 0.7 acres of the 3.89-acre property. The gym will encompass 47% of the disturbed area, along with 1,168 square feet of pavement and 12,344 square feet of landscaping and open space. The existing south fence will remain, with the driveway repaved.
The Fort Atkinson Municipal Building, file photo/Kim McDarison.
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