The Wayland Area Emergency Services ambulance operations are the busiest ever and personnel are scrambling to keep up with costs and demands.
Penny Post, who represents Dorr Township on the WAEMS Board, said Thursday evening that the service made a record high 4,452 runs in 2019, up from the previous high of 4,043 in 2018.
Board members and officers are working on proposals for funding adjustments, she said.
“Right now we are restructuring for the next five years,” she told Township Board members. “And we want to have three trucks up and running 24/7.”
Post said the service has been seeking state grants to upgrade equipment, but there doesn’t appear to be much success in that area lately.
Dorr Township Fire Chief Gary Fordham also reported record activity for 2019 with 180 calls, but that was up only one over the record year of 2018.
“It was a busy year and we’re starting out busy in January,” the chief said.
In other business Thursday, the Township Board:
- Scheduled a 2020-21 fiscal year budget workshop for 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, an hour before the regular board meeting.
The township has done well fiscally thus far this year because of a slight uptick in state revenue sharing and as a result of coming in under budget on expenses.
“We’re running good in all of our departments,” said Supervisor Jeff Miling.
The estimated $1.3 million budget will be beside about $900,000 set aside for roads with a special millage.
The 2019-20 budget will expire March 31.
- Agreed to charge $25 for providing voter lists when requested to make the fee standardized for all of Allegan County.
- Was told by Clerk Debbie Sewers that she anticipates about 1,000 absentee ballot requests for this year’s primary and general elections. The state-wide ballot proposal approved in November 2018 has relaxed rules for voters to cast ballots without having to show up at the polls non Election Day.
- Was told by Treasurer Jim Martin that about 78% of all taxes has been collected by the township thus far, which is pretty much on target for this time of year.
What is not in this report is the fact of how much is written off by WAEMS. And with the City of Wayland knowing about this planned discussion there was no representative from there.