a taxpayer’s opinion

“Be careful about reading health books.  You may die of a misprint.”

Mark Twain

Mayor Dan Haeder, opened the October 5, 2020,  meeting of the Alcester City Council at 6:00 p.m. with council members Darla Reppe, Melissa Kay, Marcus Ireland, David Larsen, Vickie Larsen and City Attorney Sam Nelson present with Council person Linda Talbott absent.

Agenda Item #3 – Approve the agenda.

Agenda Item #4 – Mayor’s Statement  (00:03:06.67)

Agenda Item #5b – Public Input – Vickie Larsen had brief input remarks. Fire Chief Pat Kast and Ambulance President Jon Serck had remarks:

(00:06:17.83) Pat Kast, Fire Chief(?) “to Mrs. Larsen…Letter sent…what is your plan for the ambulance…?”

(00:07:02.57) Vickie Larsen answer according to South Dakota BLS Patient – Care Guidelines…patient management page #12 “…Key Considerations…1) An adult or emancipated minor who has demonstrated, possessing sufficient mental capacity for making decisions has the right to determine the course of his/her medical care, including the refusal of care…”  https:EMS.sd.gov

(00:07:46.00) “Volunteer’s time?”

(00:08:01.90)  “Volunteers don’t want”

 (00:08:22.60) “…Doesn’t matter where the patient wants to go…”

 (00:08:27.23) “…Medicare and Medicaid won’t pay…”

 (00:09:20.27) “You’re not involved…(in the ambulance)”

(00:10:07.97)  “…The ambulance was “broke”…

 (00:13:00.47)  “…clearly wrote in SD law, we (the ambulance)can do this…”

The above are video markers for people to see and hear the “ambulance opinions and attitude”.  I would identify the two ‘ambulance speakers’ in public input are Pat Kast, Fire Chief – Alcester Fire Department and Jon Serck, President – Alcester Emergency Medical Services per the annual SD Secretary of State statement. Folks these two want your input, voice to voice. Call them let them know. They are asking for your opinion, let them know. Pat Kast 605-934-6250 and Jon Serck 605-360-7255 tell them what you want.

Fire Chief Kast took special pains to point out I was not involved in the Alcester Ambulance anymore.  Wrong Chief Kast! I was brought into this Mongolian Goat Rodeo recently by a company’s accounts payable department looking for payment on a past due bill owed by the ambulance.  I was contacted because I was listed as the Treasurer of the Alcester Emergency Medical Service (Ambulance) and which position I held until 2012.  I paid the bills of the ambulance in full and on time.  I contacted Mr. Serck and Chief Kast with regard to this dunning telephone call and President Serck promised payment had been made in one call, in a second call a week later I was promised payment would be made and in the third call I was told, “the check is in the mail” and I warned it was my name on the block and I did not appreciate my reputation dragged through the muck.  It took another week or so before the payment was received and cleared. 

Then I was called by residents whose medical insurance carrier contacted them asking for bill for their ambulance service which was some two months after service was rendered and the insurance company wanted to clear this item.  The insured called the ambulance and received no response. 

If these folks could not get a response from the ambulance then, why should they believe the ambulance related powers-that-be are going to respond any better now.  When I was on the ambulance, I along with the rest of the crew at that time  gave our time and talents without reservation and without whizzing and moaning about time.  We missed the concerts of our kids, we missed holiday dinners, we got out of our warm beds to go out in snow storms and the wee hours of the morning because we cared for our neighbors and our families.

So yeah, I am not involved with the ambulance anymore!  Now I represent the good people of Alcester and their voiced medical provider choices. 

 I would ask the question, Is it accurate the ambulance’s medical director is employed by the Hawarden Hospital and now all of a sudden the ambulance is ‘dictating’ all patients are to go to his employer?  Conflict?

 So tell me boys, if I am transported to hospital A by ambulance A. Hospital A takes one look at me, after one hours delay decides, “we cannot handle that” and has me transported to hospital B by ambulance B, HOW MANY BILLS WILL I RECIEVE AND HOW MANY WILL MEDICARE PAY?  H-m-m?

Folks let’s work together so our healthcare wishes are met to our satisfaction and our healthcare bills and co-pays do not bankrupt us. 

Agenda #6 – Street Updates

Agenda #7 – Water-Wastewater –  We have some pump issues which has necessitated a special meeting to provide funding to head off a catastrophe.  The meeting is set for 6:00 p.m.  Wednesday, October 7, 2020, at the council room (500 Dakota Street) and public is welcome.  It will be a short meeting to make the vote on the funding of wastewater pumps there should be an opportunity to be heard through public input because we are voting on monetary expenditure.

Agenda #8 – Discussion on after-the-fact payment to Tim Renken for his coverage of Dale Pearson’s duties.

Agenda #9 – Police Department-Updates software purchase to aid in reporting on the run so-to-speak.

Agenda #10 – Pleasant Hill- Parker Dooley not present

Agenda #11 – Golf Course Update

Agenda #12 – Legal Updates Sam covered the special emergency meeting.

Agenda #13 & #14 Plat maps for sale of railroad property with regard to FCS and Union County.

Agenda #15 – Executive Session – Not needed

Agenda #16 – Finance Office

Updates, Warrants

Health Compensation Resolution Full time Employee Health Insurance   down to Yes the FT employee wants to participate or NO the FT employee does not want to participate and there will be no cash payouts.

Reminders and Updates

New Voting site, since the sale of the auditorium make it no long a    polling place, the new polling place will be located at the city offices on         Dakota Street.

Agenda #17 – HRC  Meeting to be announced

Agenda #18 – Alcester Community Center Update

Agenda #19 – EMS

(01:20:36.77)  “…Ambulance is running with FD on their calls…”

(01:22:54.17)   “…Ambulance responded with Beresford to a grass fire…”

Help me understand here–the ambulance could not crew because of length of times on medical calls, but now the ambulance is crewing for all fire calls and grass fires?  What is the response time for being on a grass fire call compared to the medical call time?  I am confused ’cause during public input it was all about time, so now what is it?

Agenda #20 – Update volunteer roster.  None

Agenda #21 – Executive session – not needed

Agenda #22 – Adjourn  Meeting Adjourned at 7:22 p.m.

Check out your patients rights!