03-07-84 Finance Comm MinutesCONFEEOTCE ROOM FINANCE COVUTTEE MEETING 4:00 P. M. MARCH 7, 1984
Present: Councilmen Ruiz, Palmer, Nystul, Manning; Fire Chief Doty, City Attorney
Neier, FD Bill Swanson, Ambulance Clerk Kathy Kola; City Clerk Giemmann.
DELINQDEITT AMBULANCE BILLS
Discussion on the large amount of delinquent ambulance bills presented to the Council
for charge -off. Past amounts per year have been approximately $5,000.00, this year
it is $15,000.00.
The following questions were posed:
Why are. bills for deceased not collected through the estate?
Why is City Attorney Neier not helping with collections?
Why are there so many old billson the list?
Why are we using the collection agencies?
Since Ambulance Clerk Kola has only worked a month and there have been 5 previous
clerks in as many years, most questions could not be answered. Medicare, Medicaid
and a combination of the two all have different methods of being billed and collected.
City Attorney Neier stated that the ambulance billing and collecting, if done
thoroughly, would require one full time person. The present clerk is paid one-half
from ambulance fund and one-half from the water fund and works at both.
Councilman Palmer and Councilman Ruiz would like the list reviewed by Clerk Kola
and a new list provided of just the medicaid hauls.
Councilman Palmer suggested that we start a new and better system of ambulance
bookkeeping today and keep current cases current. Work on the old bills as time
permits. Palmer felt that quite a few were collectible.
Problem referred to City Attorney Neier, Fire Chief Doty and Clerk Kola for solution.
Councilman Ruiz referred to past suggestions to confine our ambulance runs to within
city limits or ask the County to supplement our ambulance fund.
CENTRAL GARAGE
Discussion on the $60,000.00 deficit in the Central Garage Fund. Several reasons were
given - inaccurate accounting - personnel - too much accountability - Shop Foreman and
Street Foreman being the same person and not able to do both well, etc.
DPW Hammer agreed that all these things have a bearing, but the problem is to correct
them. Hammer is presently working on next years budget to make it workable.
The $60,000.00 deficit and a solution will be discussed at the next finance committee
meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 5:20 P. M.