Ambulance votes to seek assistance on disband

Bigfork Ambulance members voted Tuesday, May 11, to draft a letter to a local attorney to find out how they need to proceed with two end goals in mind: dissolving the organization and transferring its responsibilities and assets to the Bigfork Volunteer Fire Department.

The organization has been in discussions for about a week about the possibility of disbanding and merging with the fire department as a result of concerns about members not responding to calls or not signing up for call times. Problems with a lack of leadership structure and discipline as well as political conflicts have also been cited as issues.

Members had been weighing a vote to disband the Bigfork Ambulance 501(c)3 for the Tuesday meeting, but found that in order to do so an informational meeting followed by at least 10 days written notice to members must take place.

There were concerns that the non-profit organization's current 501(c)3 charter dictates assets can be donated exclusively to charitable, scientific or educational purposes. The fire department is not a non-profit, and therefore, unless that charter is changed, may not be able to receive the assets.

Instead, members discussed the possibility of changing the mission and bylaws of the non-profit to allow a board to gift its assets to the fire department. Members agreed a lawyer should advise them on the best way to proceed.

Some members discussed keeping the non-profit entity as a fundraising group for the department and retaining certain earmarked assets such as funds that have been donated for a possible building. Friends of the Bigfork Fire Department serves in that capacity now and was not in favor of that option.

"We feel very strongly that to have another 501(c)3 would be in direct conflict of what we're doing and would be very confusing to the public," foundation president Jim Sticka said.

Sticka recommended working to dissolve the organization and gifting the earmarked funds to Friends of Bigfork Fire, which could maintain them in a similar account set aside for the same purposes.

Ambulance training coordinator Robin Sticka pointed out that the organization is currently not legal, because its board and bylaws are not valid.

"The best way to move forward is to contact an attorney," Sticka said.

The non-profit's charter, which supersedes its bylaws, requires a minimum of five members on an executive board. Members voted a few years ago to change the bylaws for a three-member board.

At the meeting, members reverted back to the bylaws from 2007, and voted two more members to the executive board.

With Tuesday's vote, members also agreed the organization and its carter and bylaws need to be restructured to allow for its dissolution. The attorney will also look at that.

The executive board of the ambulance will work with the attorney and will hope to bring back answers and materials to the membership next month for a vote.

Until the next steps can be taken, Tracy Norred, who previously was the ambulance's administrator and manager, has been rehired part time on a temporary basis to help with the transition.

Bigfork Fire Chief Wayne Loeffler said the fire department would work on a contract basis with the ambulance to fill in the gaps in coverage as needed.

FIRE BOARD

The Bigfork Rural Fire District Board will also have to agree to accept Bigfork Ambulance, if it goes forward with disbanding and wanting to merge with the fire department. A special meeting of the board was held Monday, May 10, to discuss the issue.

Board members expressed individual support for the potential merge, but said they wanted more information, such as business and transition plans, before they will be prepared to vote. Loeffler said he would prepare that information for the board's regular May meeting next week.

"I'm supportive, but we kind of need to make sure we have a plan going into this," board member Zachery Anderson said.

The ambulance runs on charges from calls and transports as well as donations, while the fire district operates on tax dollars. Those would remain separate budgets that way both will still be eligible for grants, Loeffler said.

The ambulance does currently have three paid employees. Budgets would need to be looked at, and fire board members requested Loeffler present them with a plan for what he would like to do.

Bigfork Ambulance President John Beaubien said an ambulance vote won't take place until the fire board has agreed to take over services.

Beaubien said he's already seen changes in attitudes since the May 5 special meeting to brainstorm ideas about what to do with the organization. Members are regaining hope for the future for emergency services in Bigfork.

"In the last week, I can see attitudes changing in everybody for the better," Beaubien said. "People know we're trying."