HomeMy WebLinkAbout1503RESOLUTION NO. / 5 D 3
A RESOLUTION authorizing, with conditions,
a county-wide ballot proposition for funding
emergency medical services pursuant to RCW
84.52.069, as amended; and encouraging
maintenance of funding of the EMS program.
WHEREAS, the City of Kent ("City") has a population of over 70,000 people and
cities in King County of greater than 50,000 in population must approve the Emergency Medical
Services ("EMS") levy being placed on a county-wide ballot; and
WHEREAS, the City supports EMS as a regional system that requires a continuing
leadership 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. 12849,
the Preamble of which states "[T]he 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. . . . [T]he 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 not the preferable funding mechanism and
is committed to finding a new, permanent funding source for the EMS system in partnership with
the County; and
WHEREAS, it has been to the benefit of the citizens of the City to support and
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participate in the county-wide partnership of delivering Advanced Life Support and Basic Life
Support services; and
WHEREAS, the delivery of emergency medical services is an essential function
of the fire and life safety responsibilities of the City's Fire Department; and
WHEREAS, the King County adopted EMS Strategic Plan has emphasized the need
for proactive methods aimed at controlling the future growth in the demand for services, thereby
making the initially proposed levy rate of twenty-nine cents ($.29) per thousand dollars ($1 ,000)
of assessed valuation viable; and
WHEREAS, the failure of the EMS levy on November 4, 1997 resulted in the
potential loss of strongly integrated Advanced Life Support/Basic Life Support services delivered
in conjunction with King County Fire Protection District #37 to the City's citizens; and NOW
THEREFORE,
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENT HEREBY RESOLVES AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: The Kent City Council authorizes King County to place the King County
EMS levy renewal before the voters at the February, 1998 special election, with a county-wide
property tax levy rate of up to twenty-nine cents ($.29) per thousand dollars ($1 ,000) of assessed
valuation for a period of three (3) years.
SECTION 2: The City of Kent supports the levy with the understanding that the County
agrees by appropriate amendment to County Ordinance No. 12849 to create the EMS Financial
Planning Task Force no later than February 15, 1998; provided, however that:
a. City representatives on the task force shall be appointed directly by each
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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 (2) 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
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 (2) representatives from the County Council, one (1) representative from each
city with the county with a population over 50,000, two (2) representatives from
small cities appointed by the Suburban Cities Association, two (2) fire district
Commissioners and two (2) citizens-at-large from the unincorporated area. The
Task Force shall be supported by an interjurisdictional staff team.
d. The County will direct the EMS Advisory Committee recommended by the 1998-
2003 Emergency Medical Services Strategic Action 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 that Strategic Plan that can reduce the cost of
the EMS system as soon as possible.
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Passed at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Kent, Washington this 3
day of ~UAM.)K;v , 1997.
Concurred in by the Mayor of the City of Kent, this ..:.1__ day of ~CQ_~, 1997.
ATTEST:
-, c .. ~·
APPROVED AS TO
NEY
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of Resolution No. 15 0 3 , passed by
the City Council of the City of Kent, Washington, the 3._ day of ~U.~, 1997.
P: \LA W\RESOLUTI\EMSRES#4. KFD
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