Ambulance, Career Academy and More Before County Board Tax and Finance Committee Thursday

An Abbott EMS spokesman Thursday told an Effingham County Board committee that they can't promise the same level of service to the county after April 30. That's when Abbott's contract with the County for 911 ambulance service ends.

The statement delivered to the County Board's Tax and Finance Committee comes after the County chose Rural Med to take over 911 service after April 30. There have been comments from some county officials that they would have Abbott continue past the deadline. The statement Thursday from Abbott seemed to contradict that thought.

The statement mentioned the addition of a fourth ambulance service in the county, which the statement said has diluted the pool of available employees. The statement also read that the "short-term extension" of providing service after the contract deadline "could have long-term implications for our business."

County board members have been asked at various committee meetings whether Rural Med will be ready to go by the deadline. One member said more information would be available at Thursday's meeting, while another said that question would be addressed at next week's full County Board meeting.

Also Thursday, the committee was approached by representatives of the Effingham Regional Career Academy. Academy Board Chairman Norma Lansing, Lake Land College President Josh Bullock and Effingham County Regional Growth Alliance President Courtney Yockey were on hand to request an allocation of $330,000 in the Federal ARPA funds being awarded to the County.

The Academy is being established to provide instruction to high school students as well as adult learners to make them ready for the local workforce. 

Plans are for Lake Land to construct a facility adjacent to the Kluthe Center to be known as the Rural Development Technology Center, with a portion of the building to be used for the Academy. Educators, businesspeople and Lake Land personnel plan to work together on what courses will be offered. Meanwhile, the ARPA funds requested from the County could cover the cost of those who attend the courses.

The committee voted to move the ARPA request to the full Board, and also voted to move to the full Board the contracts that govern the public transportation network in the county. 

The committee also discussed a plan advanced by the County Airport Commission to end the County's agreement with Tate's Flying Service as a fixed-base operator of the airport, and to instead hire Tate's owner-operator Jerry Tate as a fulltime County employee. County Board Chairman Jim Niemann said the move would mean more revenue for the County in fuel sales that now go to the Flying Service. Niemann said things have changed due to the airport's growth in business, and that the County could benefit from the accompanying growth in revenue. That proposal was also advanced to the full Board for consideration.

The committee also was briefed on the proposed purchase by the Effingham County Board of Health of four lots of property from Prompt Care, located to the east of the Health Department headquarters, for $240,000. It was explained that the Board of Health could have made the purchase independently, but that Health Department Administrator Jeff Workman wanted the County Board to be informed of the purchase before it occurred.