Following regular business Tuesday, the Pella City Council discussed how to address service outside of the city limits for Pella Community Ambulance.

The challenge presented included how to have residents living in townships and communities outside of Pella ultimately help offset the cost of serving those areas, according to City Administrator Mike Nardini. In fiscal year 2022, out of 1,966 total calls, 265 were made to the townships adjacent to Pella and to the City of Leighton, and 162 were non-billable and another 61 were for Medicare/Medicaid patients, which have much lower rates of reimbursement than those with private insurance.

Residents living in both Lake Prairie Township and Summit Township — including those in leadership positions of both areas, cited several concerns of their own, namely that they can’t levy separately for EMS services under current Iowa law, and thus, may have to tap into funds used for the rural resources they provide in the jointly operated Pella Fire Department. In a presentation shared at Tuesday’s meeting, Nardini highlighted that the Lake Prairie and Summit Townships combined levied just over $175,000 for fire services in the most recent fiscal year. Those in attendance expressed some frustration with how the transition from the non-profit service has gone toward the city-operated organization, and were worried that if negotiations turned south, they may be left without ambulance coverage.

Members of the Pella City Council and Mayor Don DeWaard expressed they’d like to find a balance between the needs of residents both in and immediately outside of Pella, and negotiations will hopefully lead to the right balance between the entities.

Ultimately, no action was taken Tuesday, and current Pella Ambulance coverage will continue unless a new agreement can’t be reached with all parties.

FULL AUDIO FROM THE AMBULANCE DISCUSSION: