EMS agreement approved by county

After five months of negotiations, an emergency medical service agreement has been reached between the City of Socorro and Socorro County.

In February, the city requested funding for three EMS firefighter positions from the county, and the county counter offered to fund two. Socorro City Council agreed to form a committee of two city councilors and met with two county commissioners to negotiate funding for emergency services.

At the Socorro County Commissioners meeting on July 22 the board unanimously approved the agreement of funding three positions with the changes requested by the City of Socorro.

Adren Nance, county lawyer said the changes requested included a termination clause requiring 90 days’ notice before the end of the term, rather than any time if the county decided to terminate. He also said the agreement would automatically renew for four years unless notice is given.

Removed from the agreement was a provision that would have required EMT personnel to help at the detention facility for medication. Nance also told the commissioner that the payment under the agreement is monthly and reimbursable. The city will provide payroll or expense documentation, and the county will reimburse that amount.

During the meeting Sammy Vega Finch, finance director, presented the final budget presentation. She said the only changes made from the preliminary budget to the current budget was $300,000 for the agreement with the city on funding EMS staff.

“I’d like to commend Sammy and the finance team for working on this one. Over the last week and a half, we’ve been looking at ways in which we could make this be long term and sustainable, which is why it’s not in the general fund, but out of the LCTRF,” County Manager Andy Lotrich said of the EMS agreement funding. “I think going this direction, we’ll definitely be able to go for the duration of the contract and then reopen it at that point to look at the continuation, to see where the funds will be available.”

Other items approved included the second quarter Mill Levy funds for Socorro General Hospital, Alamo student request for clean-up and food services for the detention center.

Commissioners tabled the donation of the water truck to Ruidoso requesting more information and also tabled the request to have two meetings a month to discuss when commissioner Secatero can attend in person.

The next meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Socorro County Annex on September 9.