All the Mackinac Island ambulance crew wanted was a batterypowered hydraulic cot, but the request has led to the city's Finance Committee scrutinizing the expenses Allied EMS Systems charges back to the city.

The power cot is used to raise a patient up to the ambulance by use of an hydraulic lift, which takes the strain off of emergency workers.

The committee told the ambulance crew it will recommend $4,000, which is the estimated price for a regular cot, but Allied should seek a grant elsewhere for the remaining $7,346.95 needed to buy the powered version.

Finance Committee member Jason St. Onge questioned why the city should purchase the power cot, anyway, instead of Allied, which operates the ambulance service on the Island. He said during the committee meeting Wednesday, August 18, that the city wants what is best for the ambulance crew, but it contracts with Allied, then subsidizes the company for any losses, and he believes the company, not the city, should buy the power cot.

“Last year they wanted us to help pay for training, and now they want us to pay for a cot,” he said. “To me, why are we contracting if we have to buy these things. I hate to make the comparison, but if Carriage Tours came in and said we need a new water tank for the sweeping machine, we would say, 'We pay you to sweep the streets, you took the contract, you get your own water tank.'”

Paramedic Rick Linn said Allied does not pay for capital costs and the cot would be the city's property. Allied, he said, covers labor and supply costs.

“We're the only area under Allied's umbrella that doesn't have one,” said Mr. Linn.

The Fire Department would like to purchase a fire hose drying rack, observed Mr. St. Onge, who is a member of the squad, but each time it is discussed, the department agrees it cannot justify spending money on a nonessential item, he told committee members.

Mr. St. Onge also asked if other communities had to cover any Allied operational losses, like the Island does, but no one knew the answer.

While he was at it, Mr. St. Onge said he is concerned about the bad debt the company is charging to the city. Through July 31, Allied recorded $11,355.27 in uncollected charges for ambulance service.

“Bad debt is really their responsibility to go after, not ours,” he said. “Generally when you write off bad debt, it is uncollectible bad debt,” implying Allied shouldn't expect to collect it from the city.

Still another concern that arose over the power cot request is the employee benefits expense, which, to date, is $12,319.27. The account statement lacks detailed information, said Kelly Bean, assistant to Mayor Margaret Doud, and she told the committee she would get a breakdown of all expenses for the ambulance service.

As for the cot, the committee agreed that a power lift is not a lifesaving item and such equipment was not budgeted for. It agreed to the cost of a regular cot, but rejected the $11,346.95 needed to buy a power cart.

“I served five years on the ambulance here and never once did I feel the need for a power lift just to raise the cot up,” said committee member Armin Porter. He suggested Allied seek a grant for the equipment.

The stairs in Community Hall are rotting and the committee set a priority to replace them. It will recommend to the city council the purchase of treated rough-saw beams to replace rotting outside steps on the front, side, and back of the building.

The building was constructed in 1810 as the Astor Fur Company warehouse. It was restored in 1996 and is a contributing structure to the Island's National Historic Landmark status.

The cost for the lumber is not budgeted, but it would come out of the capital project fund.

The work would be done by city employees.

Also rotting are window sashes at the Mackinac Island Public Library. Replacement for material would be about $3,800, and the committee agreed to table the project until the city's fall work scheduled can be reviewed.

The Finance Committee also will recommend to the city council the replacement of the two jail doors at a cost of $1,632 each.

The money is not budgeted, but Police Chief Jim Marks said he will look through his budget to see what cuts can be made to cover the expense.

The city will only have to pay for one of the doors. The original doors had an opening for food service and the opening was supposed to have a locked door on it, but never did, said Chief Marks. The city installed bars over the opening after an inmate tried to crawl through the opening and got stuck. This month, an agitated inmate used the bars as a leveraged handle to bend and damage the cell door, which he has agreed to replace.