By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
During the Williams County Commissioners’ meeting, the discussion about housing an EMS unit in the City of Bryan continued.
On Tuesday, Commissioner Terry Rummel proposed that he ask Williams County EMS officials to present a proposal for a partnership between the county and the City of Bryan.
“I talked with Kyle and Jesse yesterday and it sounds like they’re moving forward with trying to work out a deal with the City of Bryan and putting a squad out there,” stated Rummel.
Rummel still believes that time should be dedicated to visiting Parkview to understand how they transfer calls and how the entire process works.
He is still worried about how 911 calls from cell phones are managed in Williams County based on the origin of the call.
An agreement on operating hours has not been established, as EMS would prefer the city to operate during nighttime hours, while the City of Bryan would prefer daytime hours, per the commissioners’ discussion.
Concerns were raised and addressed during the commissioners’ meeting with EMS employees on Thursday morning.
One major concern was the potential for the county to transfer EMS operations to an outside entity. Commissioner Rummel reassured them that this was not the intent behind the proposed changes. This worry arises from the failure of two separate levies aimed at funding EMS operations in the county.
“We are fortunate to have a large group of very passionate, skilled, and dedicated people,” said Commissioner Bart Westfall.
Other Business
-Commissioner Scott Lirot is asking for another week to come up with a final plan for the North Annex building.
-Bryan Senior Center AC Unit specifications are in stages of final form.
-They discussed the possibility of holding public virtual meetings. There is a new law taking effect April 9th that allows commissioners to attend meetings virtually while out of the office and to participate in votes. Previously, commissioners could participate but were not allowed to vote while attending virtually.
-Approved a courthouse permit for the Williams County Farmers Market beginning May 17 through October 25.