VALPARAISO — Momentum is building among county officials to explore alternatives to the ambulance service contract the Porter County Board of Commissioners renewed for another four years with Porter Regional Hospital.
Porter County Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st, said among his concerns is the county no longer provides ambulance coverage for the town of Chesterton and yet he does not feel that reduction in service is reflected in the price of the contract renewal.
He also feels the County Council should have more input now that paying for the contract from the proceeds of the 2007 county hospital sale has been altered. The bulk of that money is now placed in a newly formed foundation.
"There's time to seek out other viable options and review those options and make a decision," he said, referring to a clause in the renewal agreement that allows the county to back out during the first 90 days of each of the four years.
The Porter County Board of Commissioners renewed the ambulance contract in November 2014, more than two years before the current contract expires and a month before then-newly elected Commissioner Jeff Good took office.
The renewal is for four years beginning Jan. 1, 2017, at a price of $750,000 for each of the years at a total cost of $3 million, according to Porter County Auditor Vicki Urbanik.
The current five-year contract had a price of $650,000 for years 2012 and 2013 and $750,000 for years 2014, 2015 and 2016 for a total cost of $3.55 million, she said.
Commissioner President John Evans, R-North, said at the time of the renewal the county is not required to seek competitive bids for services.
He further defended the arrangement by saying Porter Regional Hospital agreed to hold its annual cost to $750,000 next year rather than escalating it to $1 million as is called for in the contract.
The hospital issued the following comment Friday at the request of The Times: "Porter Health Care System has proudly served as the county’s ambulance provider for many years. We are aware the Porter County Council is looking at several ambulance providers for a new contract at this time and are confident they will do their due diligence and make what they feel is the best decision for the residents of Porter County."
Biggs challenged the commissioners' decision in 2011 to enter into the current escalating contract with the hospital without first exploring other options. He said at the time of renewal in 2014 that alternatives should have been explored considering the county's financial challenges.
Concerns over the renewal resurfaced during last month's meeting of the County Council when member Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, asked about the status of the arrangement.
Council President Dan Whitten, D-at-large, shared in those concerns and said this past week that other alternatives should be explored, such as existing fire departments picking up some of the service in their areas.
It seems to make more sense for the Lakes of the Four Seasons department to respond to a heart attack in their area, he said.
"To me, it wasn't just about money," he said. "It's response time."
Chesterton Deputy Fire Chief Nate Williams said his department entered into a three-year contract with another private emergency medical services company that ended in May.
The contract was renewed for an additional year of coverage in the town alone, he said.
Whitten said he would also like to explore alternatives to continuing to pay for the ambulance service out of the hospital principal money. The council and commissioners invested $148 million from those proceeds into a new foundation earlier this year to generate more interest and held back $10 million to be invested in its buildings, the new south county park and a new animal shelter.
"We have to rethink how we plan to fund it," he said.
Good said the county should be exploring alternatives to the ambulance contract and all other large contracts considering it is operating through deficit spending.
"I think we owe it to taxpayers to work through this and see what the market really is," he said.
Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, said she too is open to alternatives.
"I'm always up for making sure the county is getting the best deal possible," she said.
