The COVID-19 health crisis is presenting financial challenges to a lot of businesses and services, and the Wayland Area Emergency Services (WAEMS) is not immune.
Sarah Lynema, who is Martin Township’s representative on the Ambulance Service Board, told Township Board members Wednesday evening that WAEMS has been taking in a lot less revenue over the past five months.
“A lot of the revenue from the ambulance service is based o0n the number of calls, which right now is down because of Covid,” she said. “We’re looking at potential new sources of revenue, such as charging for lift assistance, but we don’t want to deter people who need lift services from using them.”
The WAEMS handles ambulance calls from the townships of Salem, Dorr, Leighton, Monterey, Hopkins, Wayland, Watson, Orangeville, Yankee Springs and the city of Wayland. It also services the Gun Lake Casino and tribal lands that have been put into trust.
WAEMS is funded through patient billings, memberships, and local government subsidies, along with donations.
In other business Wednesday night, the Martin Township Board:
- Learned that health issues may force Sexton Cody Visser to retire. In his absence, Supervisor Glenn Leep has been filling in, but that is only temporary.
- Was told by Fire Chief Kurt Knight that Marin Fire & Rescue accepted resignations from Aaron Myers and Ryan Jager because they have other pressing commitments. Knight indicated the department now is down to 17 full-time volunteers and three Cadets. He said the department would like to have as many as 25 firefighters.
- Learned from Clark Rachelle Smit that nearly 600 people voted in the Aug. 4 primary election, with nearly half of them of done by mail-in absentee ballots. She asked for and received approval to spend $260, matched by a state grant, to fund new tabulator for the three-member absentee ballot counting panel.
Smit said she expects even higher numbers of mail-in votes in the Nov. 3 general election.
“The election laws are changing so rapidly,” she told the board.