Category: Press Release

During its regular meeting Tuesday, the Pettis County Ambulance District heard from City of Sedalia officials about a possible Tax Increment Financing District that is being considered for approval.

Attorney Joe Lauber, who acts as special council for Sedalia economic development, gave the board a broad overview of the potential TIF, which would be located on two blighted parcels of land on West Broadway Boulevard. The first would bring two commercial retail or restaurant businesses to an empty plot of land located in front of the Econo Lodge, the other would bring two retail or restaurant businesses to empty land located near the Galaxy Theater.

“The biggest thing to understand about a TIF district is that it does not increase taxes,” Lauber told the board. “It gives developers incentives to build on land that may not be ideal. For this TIF, these two parcels would require huge infrastructure and access issues to be fixed.”

Lauber explained the TIF – if approved by a special TIF commission and the Sedalia City Council – would take land not being used, and therefore not bringing in sales tax to PCAD, and put a business on it that would generate revenue.

“The developer, Star Development, is wanting to invest $11.1 million into Sedalia, while recouping about $2.6 million in incentives over the life of the TIF, which is 23 years,” he said. “That amounts to about $16.6 million in new sales tax revenue for Sedalia. For PCAD that would amount to an additional $650,000 over the life of the TIF.”

PCAD would be required to pay into the TIF, about $325,000 over 23 years, to help pay off its $2.6 million in incentives. Other taxing entities would also pay into the TIF.

During the meeting the board decided to verbally commit to approving being part of the TIF and will vote officially during its next meeting, August 18.

 

 

Thanks to a rainy June, work on the Pettis County Ambulance District’s first sub-station has been slightly delayed, though progress is being made. During a PCAD Board of Directors meeting July 21, board members heard a brief update on the site, which will serve eastern Pettis County.

Dirt work has begun and will continue for the rest of the month, as long as the weather holds out, said PCAD Chairman Greg Nehring. The proposed 4,900-square-foot station will feature living and sleeping quarters, storage space, laundry facilities and a bay capable of holding two ambulances.

PCAD Administrator Mike Gardener also told the board he was working with the Windsor High School athletic director to ensure a PCAD ambulance would be available at its three home varsity football games. The board previously discussed the matter when the Windsor Ambulance District shut down earlier this summer with all board members agreeing it was a good idea to offer emergency medical services.

“I have the schedule for the varsity games and right now we’re discussing whether we should extend our services for the junior varsity games too,” Gardner told the board. “I don’t think this is going to be a problem at all to cover; we’ll work it out with the shifts we have scheduled that day.”

Gardner told the board he and the athletic director would stay in contact to discuss final details.

During its regular meeting Tuesday the Pettis County Ambulance District Board of Directors heard an updated on the district’s new ventilators.

PCAD Administrator Mike Gardner told the board all PCAD staff were now trained on the vents and would participate in ongoing training as well. PCAD Medical Director Dr. David Gustafson said the ventilators were “well worth the investment.”

“Before (PCAD personnel) had to manually bag a patient while they were being transferred, and if you’re going a long distance, say to Columbia or Kansas City, that can be exhausting for the medic and a risk for the patient,” Gustafson said. “Now the ventilators can be connected right to the intubation tube, allowing the medic to focus on other patient care aspects.

Gustafson said Bothwell Regional Health Center employees were “very impressed” with the PCAD ventilators and that the district is now “leading the way in critical patient care. This will definitely make a big difference on our ability to safely transfer critical patients.”

Gardner told the board he plans to budget the district’s finances so eventually a ventilator would be in all six of the district’s ambulance fleet.

With only a few bumps in the road, the merger between the Pettis County Ambulance District and Sedalia Police Department dispatch systems is complete. After several months of planning, the merger went live at 8 a.m., Feb. 2 “without a hitch,” said PCAD Administrator Mike Gardner.

“The initial switch-over went well and since then we’ve had just a few glitches which I think is to be expected,” Gardner told the PCAD Board of Directors during their regular meeting Tuesday. “We knew there would be some trials and errors but all the (departments) are working well together.”

Continue reading “PCAD, SPD merger complete”

The proposed merger between the Pettis County Ambulance District and the Sedalia Police Department’s dispatched services is nearing completion, after the PCAD Board of Directors heard an update on the project during a January 20 work session.

SPD Cmdr. Matt Wirt told the board dispatchers would be ready go to live at 8 a.m., February 2. PCAD announced last fall that it would change to using SPD services from its current Morgan County dispatchers to help shorten response time and streamline emergency services in the area. Wirt, PCAD Administrator Mike Gardner, and other area emergency services personnel have been working extensively on the project to ensure a smooth transition.

Continue reading “PCAD, SPD merger nearly complete”