Following nearly one hour in executive session, Iola City Council members appointed Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Sell as the Allen County EMS Director Tuesday evening.
“It was a surprise to me,” Sell said as he was offered congratulatory handshakes following the meeting. Administrator Carl Slaugh said there was “a general agreement to hire in-house with Ryan Sell.” Therefore, the city avoided advertising the open position, which is not required by the personnel policy. He said it made sense to hire someone who already knows the system as well as Sell does.
“It’s going to be a big enough challenge as it is,” Slaugh said.
Current EMS Director for the City of Iola, Ron Conaway, expressed that he did not want to pursue the Allen County EMS director position following the merger, Slaugh said.
Allen County Commissioners had attached a pay plan for current county employees affected by the EMS merger as well. While the city did not accept the pay plan per se, council member Steve French made a motion for Director Sell to meet one-on-one with specific county employees to revise the plan accordingly.
“We are complying in intent,” Slaugh said. “In principle we are OK with the pay plan, just not the specifics.”
He said there is not a concrete pay plan in the county, and it is important for the pay scales to match accurately in the merger with “not just EMS, but the city as a whole.”’
As far as the merger as a whole, Slaugh said the “contract is signed” and the two entities need to work out the specifics on a smaller level.
“My only goal is that our people are treated fairly,” County Commissioner Tom Williams said today.
The merger between Allen County EMS and Iola Fire Department employees was approved and signed by the City of Iola on Sept. 23, and then approved by county commissioners on Oct. 1.
