Effingham County Council is due to consider again on Tuesday whether to switch from Abbott EMS to RuralMed as the 911 ambulance provider.

At its December meeting, the board considered a six-month extension to Abbott’s contract, but did not act. It is now a matter of deciding which RuralMed would have 60 days to fulfill the obligations required by the county to take over.

County Board Chairman Jim Niemann said he would ask Effingham County State’s Attorney Bryan Kibler to contact the Abbott EMS Legal Department for an extension if RuralMed n is not approved on Tuesday.

RuralMed was recommended by the Ambulance Oversight Committee, chaired by Rob Arnold.

“I don’t know how you can offer a contract to someone (RuralMed) who is not licensed to operate in Region 6 (Illinois Department of Public Health),” said John Perry, member of the board, at a meeting this week of the Legislative Assembly/staff. of the full committee. “They haven’t applied to operate in Region 6.”

“Isn’t that the next step?” asked board member Norbert Soltwedel.

“The (RFP) says they must operate in Region 6 or a region as strict or stricter than Region 6,” Niemann said. “The RFP also states that they have 60 days after award to enter Region 6 and must post a bond to ensure they can operate in Region 6.”

The committee voted 5-2 to advance the vote on RuralMed to the full board. Niemann, Arnold, Joe Thoele, Norbert Soltwedel and Heather Mumma voted for; Perry and Doug McCain voted no.

Elizabeth Huston abstained from voting. Huston and her husband, Adam Huston, and a group of Altamont investors, co-own a new ambulance service known as A-1 Emergency Medical Services, which has a mutual aid contract with Abbott EMS and provides ambulance services in the Altamont area.

In another committee action, members approved the presentation to the full board of a proclamation recognizing Effingham County School Choice Week.

They also approved an amendment to the ordinance setting the per diem rate for county council members by adding an underlined and overlined sentence that reads “All per diem and mileage times must be submitted within 60 days”.

Two Items Child Care Committee Specifications and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Workplace COVID Regulations were discussed and then added to the full agenda of the county council without committee recommendation to allow time to clarify the actual wording of each item.

Niemann presented the committee with a list of potential childcare committee members created by Soltwedel who should serve on the new committee.

Niemann said Soltwedel suggested there should be at least two county council members on the committee, a representative from the library, a representative from the Effingham County Regional Growth Alliance, a representative from Project Child, the director or representative of a daycare center, a representative of Crisis Nursery, a business owner, a family support, and one to two parent representatives. Niemann said the Project Child and daycare director should not be a voting member of the new committee due to a potential conflict of interest.

“For example, if we gave money to Crisis Nursery, they would have to be an ad hoc member of the committee,” Niemann said.

“What is the mission or purpose of this committee? Perry asked Niemann.

“The new committee would basically research the shortage of child care we have here in Effingham County,” Niemann replied.

“A number of families who cannot find childcare,” Soltwedel added. “The biggest question is probably its availability, but the quality is also an issue. This is designed to provide the board with expertise on the subject.

Arnold suggested adding representatives from all communities in Effingham County.

Niemann said the committee shouldn’t be too big. Niemann said he would work more on the composition of the committee and then present it to the full board without a recommendation.

“I would like this committee to be appointed as soon as possible so that we can move forward,” Soltwedel said.

The committee advanced by majority vote of the full board the nomination of Norma Lansing to the Economic Development Council for a term from January 18 to September 30, 2023. Lansing currently serves on the Economic Development Council after being nominated by the full board to serve on May 17, 2021 after stepping down as longtime president and CEO of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce on April 30, 2021.