All entities agree to sign Interlocal Agreement

With the April 1 deadline for signing the 2024-2025 Emergency Medical Services Interlocal Agreement with Dry Ridge fast approaching, Corinth and Williamstown City Councils as well as the Crittenden Ambulance Taxing District met independently March 25. All made the decision to sign.

Williamstown and Crittenden Ambulance District opted to sign the agreement with some changes in wording. Corinth offered an alternative approach for their portion of the agreement.

One change is the agreement would end when/if the county institutes their EMS Taxing District.

Also, “parties to this agreement agree that they shall meet prior to Jan. 31, 2025” instead of “Dec. 31, 2024” in order that negotiations for the 2025 — 2026 agreement could begin earlier and members have more time to review plans and/or agreement.

Dry Ridge agreed to look into placing an ambulance in cities in the future for more timely responses.

For their part, Corinth countered with an additional caveat to the above changes with the city agreeing to pay an initial $12,000 with the remaining $10,000 to be billed to city residents. All monies collected from utility bills for EMS services will be forwarded to Dry Ridge quarterly.

All entities included in the agreement have been concerned with the increased costs. Dry Ridge attributed the increased costs to personnel, vehicles/maintenance and other supplies necessary for the proper running of the EMS.

Initially, the agreement included a 30% to 35% rise over the 2021-2024 Interlocal Agreement. After early discussions, costs were reduced by reversing the decision to staff an Advanced Life Support Ambulance.

The revised costs still rose roughly 20% across the board for each of the involved entities: Corinth, Crittenden, Williamstown, Dry Ridge and Grant County.