Iola’s contract to provide emergency medical services to the county is likely to be extended a year under the terms of the current pact.
City Council members agreed to extend the contract after Interim City Administrator Corey Schinstock reported the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has essentially prevented any hopes of renegotiating the pact before it expires.
The contract ends Dec. 31, but the terms stipulate the city or county must give a six-month notice if they plan to not extend the agreement.
“I don’t think we can get a full negotiation done in the next month,” Mayor Jon Wells said.
Wells encouraged Council members to approve the extension “for the interests of public health.”
“We are doing a great job,” Wells said, while acknowledging the terms “are not ideal. I think the county will be willing to listen to some changes from an operations standpoint.”
Council members voted, 7-0, to extend the contract through 2021, with Ron Ballard absent.
Schinstock said Allen County commissioners were expected to vote to extend the contract at their regular weekly meeting today.
JILL HARTMAN, executive director of the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce, gave a “state of the Chamber” synopsis for the Council.
Hartman, who took the helm a year ago, has overseen several improvements, most notably the addition of 40 new Chamber business members, on top of the 80 existing members.
She also has redesigned the Chambers’ website — www.iolachamber.org — and developed a phone app to allow members to post job opportunities.
The Chamber also has taken a leading role in communicating with businesses regarding information related to the COVID-19 pandemic; opened a Chamber intern program for high-schoolers, including development of the Chamber of Commerce Young Ambassadors program; and continued special public events, from the Trunk or Treat and Santa House events at Halloween and Christmas.
Hartman also is working on a new visitors guide for the Iola area to highlight places to “shop, play, live and stay.”
Council members were impressed.
“I’ve been extremely pleased with what I’ve seen over the past year,” Councilwoman Nancy Ford said.
