Geary County Commissioners have approved a five-year agreement with the City of Junction City on EMS services. A mediator provided assistance on the matter in the long running dispute over fees charged by the city and paid by the county. City Atorney Britain Stites also told the county that the proposed agreement will go to the Junction City Commission on May 20 with a staff recommendation for approval.
County Commissioner Trish Giordano said, "I appreciate all the hard work on both sides."She also added that she thought "a joint agreement was the best thing for the community."
Commisssioner Kathy Tremont noted that she was glad to hear that there would be good communication along the way so the issue doesn't come up again.
County Chairman Keith Ascher apologized to the public that it took this long to get to get where they're at. He considers it a good agreement for the entire county.
Ascher confirmed the agreement includes $72,500 per year for capital improvement equipment from the county, the city will charge the county a flat fee of $157,000 per month and share information with the county on the financial documentation.
The proposed agreement ( still pending city consideration ) supersedes all previous EMS agreements dating back to 1967.