HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 3296 CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON
RESOLUTION NO. 3296
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON,
EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE SUBMISSION BY KING COUNTY OF
A LEVY PROPOSAL TO THE VOTERS ON FEBRUARY 3, 1998, TO
FUND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
WHEREAS, the King County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is
among the best in the nation and saves may lives; and
WHEREAS, EMS includes Advanced Life Support (ALS) medic one
paramedic services and basic life support (BLS) services provided
county-wide by cities and various fire protection districts; and
WHEREAS, the City supports EMS as a regional service that
requires a continuing leadership role for the county; and
WHEREAS, the King County Council on September 8, 1997, as a
companion to the ordinance authorizing the November 4, 1997
election on EMS, passed Ordinance No . 12489, the Preamble of
which states "The current, near total reliance on a six-year
voter-approved levy puts the (emergency medical services)
program' s funding in regular jeopardy and connotes that the
county considers it an optional program. . . . Th'e county council is
committed to researching more secure, permanent funding sources
for this important program"; and
WHEREAS, the City supports the foregoing statement in county
Ordinance No . 12849, and agrees that a voter-approved property
tax is an inappropriate funding mechanism, and is committed to
RESOLUTION NO. 3296
finding a new, permanent funding source for the EMS system in
partnership with the county; and
WHEREAS, the City supports the proposed three-year, 29
cent/$1, 000 assessed value EMS levy and other actions described
herein as a bridge to a new financing structure for the EMS
system that is more secure and more pelrmanent, and which
establishes an immediate departure from "business as usual" in
the funding of the EMS system;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RENTON,
WASHINGTON, DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I . The above recitals are found to be true and
correct in all respects .
SECTION II . The City supports the levy with the
understanding that the County agrees to create the EMS Financial
Planning Task Force called for by Ordinance INo. 12849 no later
than February 15, 1998; provided, however, that :
a. City representatives on the task force shall be
appointed directly by each jurisdiction so represented (in the
case of Seattle, Bellevue, Federal Way, Kent and Shoreline) and
the Suburban Cities Association in the case of the two smaller
city representatives .
b. In preparing its "analysis of long-term funding
alternatives that would allow the county to reduce its reliance
on property tax levies to support emergency medical services" as
required by ordinance No. 12849, the Task Force shall (1) explore
2
RESOLUTION NO. 3296
all reasonable operational models for financing and delivering
EMS service; (2) identify and recommend possible efficiencies and
operational models that could reduce or otherwise contain long-
term as well as interim costs of the EMS system; and (3) focus
its long-term recommendations on alternatives to financing EMS
through means other than periodically voter-approved property tax
levies .
c. The membership of the EMS Financial Planning Task Force
called for by Ordinance No. 12849 shall be amended to consist of
the King County Executive, two representatives from the county
council, one representative from each city within the county with
a population over 50, 000, two representatives from small cities
appointed by the Suburban Cities Association, two fire district
commissioners and two citizens-at-large from the unincorporated
area. The Task Force shall be supported by an
interjurisdictional staff team.
SECTION III . The City supports the levy with the
understanding that the county will direct the EMS Advisory
Committee recommended by the 1998-2003 Emergency Medical Services
Strategic Plan dated June, 1997, to work in (cooperation with the
EMS Financial Planning Task Force, and that the EMS Advisory
Committee place its highest priority on implementing cost
containment strategies identified in said Strategic Plan that can
reduce the cost of the EMS system as soon as possible .
3
RESOLUTION NO. 3296
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 8th day of December ,
1997 .
Marilyn J. Petersen, City Clerk
APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this 8th day of December
1997 .
cp1061064^—.00/
Jes Tanner, Mayor
Approv as to form:
rtAdv-v•aAA.e...479:74.14..rsAja
Lawrence J. Warren, City Attorney
RES . 622 : 12/08/97 :as .
4