Plains partners with ambulance for new rig

The community will be getting a brand new ambulance, thanks to the Plains Town Council.

All six council members were present for last Monday's City Hall meeting, which included only two pieces of old business, both that were tabled, and two new items on the agenda. The meeting lasted only 33 minutes, which Councilman Chad Cantrell said might be a record. However, the council's work began 30 minutes earlier for a public hearing on House Bill 355 state grant, which involved enlarging the fire hall.

At the regular meeting, the council unanimously voted in favor of partnering with the Plains Ambulance Service in order to get them a 2024 Ford Transit at a cost of $185,062. As a nonprofit organization, Plains Ambulance Service is unable to get a Montana Intercap Loan. The plan is for the service to enter into a contract with the town to purchase the ambulance with a loan term of seven years at 5.75% interest. Plains Ambulance Service would then make monthly payments of $2,707 to the town, according to the contract drawn up by Seth Gibbs of the Plains Ambulance Service.

Larry Neilson of Plains Ambulance Service personally made the request to the council at City Hall last Monday at the March monthly meeting. It was accompanied by a letter from Gibbs and a packet about the particular ambulance they'd like to get. Plains Mayor Joel Banham believes the town should get the loan approval this month. He said the ambulance loan is a good opportunity and that the ambulance service is a busy and significant part of the town's community health structure. "It is the necessary connection between our smaller county hospital and advanced care in the larger city hospitals," said Banham.

The ambulance service has successfully purchased vehicles in this manner twice - in 1998 and 2007 - according to Neilson, an EMT who's been with the service since October 2010. He is a service board member and is the maintenance officer. Plains Ambulance Service had four operating ambulances from 2007 to 2019, but Neilson said the mileage on them is getting high. He said one of the older buses might be decommissioned or it might be used as a dedicated vehicle for wildland fires.

Neilson hopes to get the new ambulance this summer if the financing successfully goes through. He said it comes without any of the internal equipment. They have some of the gear in stock, but other pieces will be taken from another ambulance.

The Plains Ambulance Service responded to 538 calls of assistance last year. Fifty percent of their runs are transporting patients to hospitals, mostly to Missoula and Kalispell, but they go as far away as Billings, Helena and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Neilson said that Plains Ambulance Service has around 20 EMTs and is presently conducting a basic training class with seven students training to finish at the end of March or mid-April. Neilson said they are always looking for additional volunteers.

The council gathered before the regular meeting for a public hearing with regards to a House Bill 355 state grant that would be used to add space to the Plains Volunteer Fire Department fire hall. No motions were made and no votes were taken, said Banham. The town is looking to get an $87,000 grant to pay for the project, but the town would have to come up with 25% - $21,750 - for the total of $108,750.

"It was an opportunity for citizens to weigh in on the plans to add on some space to the city fire hall," said Banham, but no one from the general public attended the 30-minute hearing. Fire Chief Anthony Young was on hand to answer any questions and to provide input.

"It's desperately needed," said Young, who said they need the space so firefighters can don their gear without having to breathe the exhaust fumes from fire trucks. The renovation project would give firefighters a separate space to dress for a fire.

The mayor said they should know about the success of the grant by the end of April. "The Plains Volunteer Fire Department needs the room. If we have enough funds we'd like to stretch the addition out to give another bay to Public Works, as it would provide an option for inexpensive space given the structural dynamics," said Banham. Young provided the mayor and the council an update on the plans for the renovation of the building.

"We did discuss the project and the bidding process," said Banham. This was the first hearing, but the mayor said it's been on the council's agenda for months and will be held again, which will give the public the opportunity for comment.

Cantrell made a motion to table the issue of the road tax once again. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Lana Dicken and unanimously passed. The Road Tax was voted down by residents at the polls last year, but it was defeated by less than a handful of votes. It was reported late last year that ballots failed to go to all bonafide voters, who would have probably voted in favor of the tax, according to then Mayor Chris Allen.

The council has been considering taking on the issue itself, but it might go before the voters again in June. Banham had asked council members to talk with people in their wards to find out where they stand on the subject, but when he asked council Monday if they had done so, none spoke up. Dicken said she believes the tax would be $52.52 on a $100,000 home and $111.25 on a $200,000 home based on 2018-2019 tax table. "The road district could be imposed by vote of the council, but I think it's better to let the people of the town decide on the ballot. It's their town," said Banham.

"The road district tax, if passed, would provide $50,000 annually for the next five years to help in road repair and construction," said Banham. "We get a lot of complaints about the condition of the roads in Plains, but without the funds for materials and labor we are limited in what we can do for improvements," he said.