CEDAR CITY — At Wednesday’s council meeting, the Cedar City Council voted to send a letter expressing its desire of no involvement in any change of the Iron County ambulance service that has been proposed by the county commissioners over the course of the past few months.
Due to $2.1 million in debt accrued over the past 10 years, a change in ambulance service within Iron County is being considered. The three Iron County commissioners and all the mayors within the county have met over the course of the past four months to decide on the best option.
Each city or town council within Iron County were asked to give their vote on the three new ambulance service options which have been considered by the county commissioners in previous meetings.
Read more: Commission presents new options for future of county ambulance service
The first option would include providing ambulance service management by an ambulance board comprised of individuals within the areas that the ambulance serves. The second option would allow municipalities to take ownership of the ambulance service. The third option would be turning the service over to private enterprise.
City Manager Rick Holman brought the issue for discussion and said one main option would include the city monitoring the ambulance service as well as contributing funding for an ambulance board.
Holman said he and Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson were considering the service stay as it currently stands. His concern with a private ambulance service is that it would need public safety responders as well, he said.
“If public safety are anticipated to assist in medical service we don’t have the staff and medical equipment to provide an ambulance service,” he said.
Wilson said the ambulance service options would be moved to a board of mayors for monitoring rather than the current monitoring by the Iron County Sheriff’s Office.
City Councilman Fred Rowley said he talked with Parowan Mayor Don Landes, who suggested the current service should be monitored for a year to evaluate if a change is really needed.
Rowley said he and Councilman Paul Cozzens talked with Commissioner Dave Miller, and received no sense of compromise from him.
“This thing is so complex and so thwart with booby traps,” Rowley said. “I would like to see us say ‘here you go commissioners we want nothing to do with any of this because it is a mess.’”
Councilman Don Marchant made a motion to offer no form of resolution and no participation monetarily. The motion was passed unanimously by the council.
New Sports and Recreation Director
Jennifer Weaver was announced as the newly hired sports and recreation director for Cedar City Corporation.(see ed. note)
Weaver, a stay-at-home mother and long-time resident of Cedar City, said she has volunteered in the community activities for years and she looks forward to working with the city.
“I hope I can make you proud,” she said.
Ed. note: Jennifer Weaver is not replacing Dan Rodgerson. Sports and recreation director and Leisure Services Director are two separate positions.
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- City Council evaluates airport fee proposal; New Cedar City Fire Chief sworn in
- Commission considers bids for Iron County ambulance service
- Iron County mayors create petition to ‘Save the Iron County Ambulance Service’
- Commission hears final 2 groups seeking to take over ambulance service
- Commission, Classic Lifeguard discuss possible future of Iron County Ambulance
- Mayors, commission discuss future of Iron County Ambulance
- Commission discusses bid proposals, concerns for the ambulance service
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