SALEM - Council approved modifications to the rules regulating the ambulance rotation system in the city on Tuesday.
The new ordinance, introduced by Councilman Brian Whitehill, establishes a three-member Ambulance Review Board to inspect and verify compliance by the three companies that are on the roster.
The board includes the fire and police chiefs and the service safety director.
Along with limiting the roster to three companies, each company must maintain a physical building in the city no later than 30 days from the effective date of the ordinance.
Each company is also required to call the Salem Fire Department immediately after receiving a direct call in which the response time will exceed five minutes.
In order to participate each company must have a paramedic staff and advanced life support equipped emergency unit capable or responding to calls within nine minutes of receipt of the call.
The ARB will meet and adopt rules for their meetings and for the administration of the ordinance. The board will have the authority to demand response times or other relevant information to determine that the companies are in compliance with the ordinance.
The board also has the authority to remove a company from the rotation.
In other business, council heard the second reading on the bed and breakfast ordinance which will now proceed to the planning commission for further review.
Sponsored by Councilman John Berlin, the ordinance sets up a purpose, definition, conditional use permit requirements and development standards for bed and breakfasts while authorizing the fire department to make annual inspections "based on the business aspect of the bed and breakfast home."
Guest rooms are limited to four with a maximum of 16 people within a single-family dwelling and shall have no less that 100 square feet of living space for two people.
Guests may not stay for more than 14 consecutive nights as any single visit or more than 60 nights in any calendar year.
Also, in other business, Treasurer Robert A. Tullis said income tax receipts were up 5.52 percent over the same year-to-date period ending on Aug. 31.
Tullis said, "You have to remember 2009 was a low year."
He said tax receipts were "fairly consistent the past few months." As of the end of August $2,740,474 was collected which is $143,266 more than last year.
Also, Service Safety Director Steve Andres said a fuel pump reader was installed at the service department garage on Aug. 16; improvements to the four-car garage are complete; and he has received "several calls" regarding
dirt bike noise coming from private properties.
Andres asked for a finance committee meeting to discuss improvements to the "Quonset hut" building at the service garage.
"I'd like to do something with that," he said, adding he would like to look at infrastructure upgrades too.
"We need to get after infrastructure," he said.
A finance committee meeting was set for 5 p.m., Sept. 23 with Chairman Bret Apple saying health department issues will be discussed along with the service department requests.
Parks Director Steve Faber said the Centennial Park swimming pool closed on Monday while the Salem Lake remains open until the last Sunday of this month.
He said the pool had a "successful season" and park commissioners were still discussing whether to keep it open until Labor Day next year.
Mayor Jerry Wolford noted Tuesday was the 42d wedding anniversary for he and his wife, Betty.
In other business, guest Michael Tyson said the city should bring back all the laid-off safety employees "because we need all the help we can get."
Also, guest Aveyah Cline said people should support the proposed half-percent income tax issue on the Nov. 2 ballot, noting new light poles, road equipment and road maintenance was needed.
She said the community knowing this "should vote 'yes.'"
Another guest, Dr. Michael Traina said he had great empathy for city employees in "tough jobs" and didn't want a confrontation, while asking for the percentage of money city employees paid into their retirement program and for their health contribution, along with the city share.
He said he wanted it "so we can determine how much the city is spending" and who it went to.
Council President Mickey Cope Weaver directed him to Auditor Jim Armeni's office and Traina asked Berlin to join him.
Cope Weaver said Armeni may have to research it."
"I would like to have all the data," Traina said.
Also, Doug Pfouts, speaking for a newly organized group called "Restore Our City of Salem," said the group was trying to get information out regarding the half-percent income tax on the November ballot.
He said their effort is aimed at educating people so they can cast a "wise vote."
The group will meet at 7 p.m. today in a pavilion at Waterworth Memorial Park.
"I think this information going out will help," Pfouts said, adding he is working to arrange a forum for later in the month.
Also, council also passed resolutions commending Ron J. "Beef" Maniscalco for 35 years and Russell W. Snyder for 20 years of "dedicated service" to the city. Both worked in the service department.
Larry Shields can be reached at lshields@salemnews.net
