An emergency medical services contract that has drawn criticism from some members of the Siloam Springs Board of Directors will be up for extension on Tuesday, during the second Board of Directors meeting of 2017.
If the contract is approved, Gentry will see a larger increase in the cost of emergency services provided by Siloam Springs. The city has provided emergency services to its northerly neighbor since 2012, when Siloam Springs EMS crews responded to 249 incidents, at a $15,000 cost to Gentry, according to the city staff report for the meeting.
The contract amount has steadily increased since 2013 in order to reflect the actual cost to Siloam Springs. Based on a new formula for determining cost, Gentry should pay the city $127,405.38 for coverage in 2017, according to the staff report. That number is nearly three times as much as the 2016 payment of $45,000.
In order to allow both cities to plan in the long term, and allow Gentry to plan a funding mechanism, the contract includes a built-in escalation method that will begin with Gentry paying 50 percent of costs in 2017 and steadily higher percentages before reaching 100 percent of costs in 2021.
The total proposed contract amount for 2017 is $63,702.69, which is an increase of $18,702.69 on last year's total. Gentry would pay half of that sum in January and the other half in July.
Siloam Springs' EMS contract with Gentry is joined on the agenda by two other items.
First is the second reading of a rezoning application for Northside Elementary from R-2 to G-I. The rezone is related to a significant development permit application that was approved by the Board of Directors Jan. 3.
The final item on the agenda is an airport ground lease agreement. The agreement is for 17,500 square feet for 25 years with a potential 10 year extension. The applicant, Dan Gryder, has been working to purchase Skydive Skyranch from its current owner, who is planning to retire this year, according to the staff report. The business will be relocated to a new location at Cecil Smith Airport, which will keep customers and visitors from needing to be in active taxiways, according to the report.
The new location will require a new hangar and a structure for classes and offices. It will also require a hangar ramp, which will cost between $150,000 and $175,000. The city had already been planning the extension, with help from a Federal Aviation Administration grant. The city would only pay for 10 percent of the ramp, according to the report.
General News on 01/15/2017