Commissioner: 'I didn't see it coming'

Don Brown talks about his reaction to the recent EMS decision by the Lewiston City Council.

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Story Published: Oct 2, 2008 at 10:34 AM PST

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 2:11 AM PST

By Matt Loveless

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LEWISTON – On Monday, the Lewiston City Council voted unanimously to terminate ambulance service contracts with five area entities.

Asotin County Commissioner Don Brown is on the county's EMS committee. He said Wednesday he was surprised by the council decision.

"I didn't really see that coming," said Brown. "I really felt that we were going to have some at-the-table discussions coming, but I really didn't think it would just be, ‘cancel the contract.’"

Brown referred to a 16 percent surcharge he says the county's paid since the service began in the early 90's.

"Apparently that surcharge wasn't enough," said Brown. "...or the basic ambulance fees have not been enough. Costs go up, and you've got to keep in line."

The City of Lewiston says discussions will be ongoing over the next year, geared at reimbursement of uncollected funds.

Brown said it's too early to know which direction his county will go, either re-upping with Lewiston for a fee, or creating their own service.

"We're going to be very cooperative and hopefully everybody will and it'll be a win-win situation," said Brown. "It's just a service that we have to have in this Valley. It makes more sense to me being Valley-wide, than it does being Clarkston and Asotin County and Lewiston, etc.”

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