Commissioners approve ambulance specifications

The Kimball County Commissioners approved a lengthy set of specifications for the potential purchase of an ambulance at last week’s meeting.

The specifications approved number more than 80 pages and may be viewed by contacting the county clerk’s office.

The specifications are so long because of the amount of detail in them, according to county ambulance director Carla Goranson.

“Of course these are down to the measurement of how many inches from here to this cabinet,” she said.

“It tells you exactly where each flashing light is going to be, it tells you the braking system, and of course the engine,” Goranson added.

The specifications for the ambulance include the new safety guidelines that went into effect in July.

The specifications called for only a newly built ambulance, but commissioner Tim Nolting asked if they could be changed to include used and demonstrations units as well.

“I agree with the specs, but a cover page saying new, used or demo vehicle that meets these specifications,” Nolting said.

“I don’t think these specifications can be met (by a used or demo ambulance),” Goranson said. “They can go through...but anything used is not going to meet the new safety standards that went into effect July 1.”

Nolting said a used or demo ambulance may have been updated to meet those specifications, and should be included in case they have been.

The commissioners voted to approve the specifications for bid, but added in the motion that any variance from the specifications must be listed in the bid. Bids are due in by 4 p.m. Oct. 30 and will be opened at 10 a.m. on Nov. 3.

The commissioners also approved two resolutions presented by Diana Quicke, county treasurer, regarding delinquent taxes on real estate.

They first approved a resolution to direct Quicke to place tax sales certificates on all delinquent real estate taxes and special assessments for 2013 and years prior. The motion also called for her to purchase all subsequent taxes on those properties.

Quicke said the county would purchase the taxes on those properties, but no money would be spend on them. She said they would go on certificate to start the process to purchase them three years from the day they are written.

For example, Quicke said if she wrote the certificates Sept. 29, they would expire Sept. 29, 2018. At that time she would ask the county attorney to foreclose the property. She said the property owner is notified each year during the process.

The second resolution presented by Quicke authorized the foreclosure of outstanding tax sale certificates held by the county and requests the county attorney to proceed on the foreclosure of each property.

She said this would be “only those certificates that were written three years ago are the ones on foreclosure. That would be the ones written in 2012.”

After the resolution is approved, she sends the list to David Wilson, county attorney, to see if there are any that he can foreclose.

“I will send David a list of those foreclosures that are maturing,” Quicke said. “His time on it, I would hope within a time of six months that he would be addressing the foreclosures.”

The commissioners also:

- Approved a continuing service agreement between TRANE and the county. The agreement is to run Oct. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2016, at a cost of $3,230.

- Approved a change in the guardian ad litem contract from $2,300 per month to $2,000 per month.

- Heard Goranson report that there were 44 ambulance service calls in August, although 11 of those calls were standby calls. Saturday had the highest traffic, with 12 calls. Monday and Thursday had the fewest calls, with three each. “We went from one of our busiest months to one of our very slowest months,” Goranson said.

- Met briefly with Brian Hulbert, the new sales representative for Murphy Tractor & Equipment.