Despite not currently having any employees certified as Emergency Medical Technicians, the Boscobel Common Council voted Monday to allow such individuals to respond to rescue squad calls when the Boscobel Rescue Squad is paged out.
“With some of the issues they’ve had with people not being able to respond to calls in the daytime, this seems like a reasonable response,” said Mayor Steve Wetter. “Years ago you didn’t have this problem, but times have changed.”
“We’re hoping that other businesses will follow our lead. My recommendation is that we allow our people to leave,” added City Administrator Arlie Harris.
In an August letter to human resource departments in the city of Boscobel, Rescue Squad Chief Margaret Gebhard outlined the problem, saying, “Boscobel Rescue Squad and other area EMS services are having staffing issues especially during the daytime hours since most members work daytime hours. We have been looking at ways in which we can continue to cover our community as we have been. One way we came up with is asking our local employers for help. We are asking all the area employers to allow any EMS providers in their employ to respond to rescue squad calls when the Boscobel Rescue Squad is paged out.”
Floodplain Zoning
The Council approved a new Floodplain Zoning ordinance to comply with state and federal regulations in order to “…regulate floodplain development to protect life, health and property; minimize expenditures of public funds for flood control purposes; minimize rescue and relief efforts undertaken at the expense of taxpayers…”
Wetter said there were some minor changes and updates to the previous map, but nothing major.
“It has been an issue for some property owners,” said City Engineer Mike Reynolds. “It’s different from the 1998 map that we really liked, but it’s something we can live with.”
Library project
The Council heard an update on the ongoing library HVAC project that is installing three new furnaces/air conditioners at a cost of approximately $200,000.
“So far, so good,” said Library Director Robin Orlandi. “Progress is going well and they’re moving right along.”
Last week the work involved demolition of some walls and floors, while this week the old radiators were removed and holes were dilled in the floor for the forced air vents.
In other action, the Council:
• Approved a contract for audit and accounting services for the year ending Dec. 31, 2015 with Johnson Block and Company of Mineral Point;
• Approved extending the contract with Town & Country Sanitation for garbage, refuse and recyclable material collection for 10 years. Prices will remain at 2015 levels for the first five years, and can be increased a maximum of 3 percent for the final five years;
• Approved requesting bids for City/Utility purchase of gasoline and diesel fuel. “We haven’t done that for awhile and one of the stations that doesn’t have a contract asked for it. It’s time,” said Harris.;
• Approved the following bartenders licenses: Kevin Lyle Wright, Kim’s Silver Dollar; Heather Walsh, Central House; Nancy Bessel, personal.
