Time to comment on an EMS plan

Geoff West

When the idea of developing a program to charge residents of Costa

Mesa a fee to offset the cost of providing emergency medical service

was first put forward as one of the methods to supplement the city

budget, it seemed like an idea worth pursuing, particularly since

Costa Mesa is apparently the only city in Orange County that does not

charge such a fee in one form or another.

I watched the tape of the City Council study session in which this

program was first presented by officials of the Fire and Finance

departments and, while the foundation of the plan seemed sound, I

came away feeling like much more work needed to be done before the

council could seriously consider that proposal.

I also watched the subsequent council meeting. What I thought

would be a more finely-tuned plan was presented to the council,

including a proposed ordinance, which was presented for a “first

reading.”

I was disappointed.

It was clear that very few of the concerns expressed by the

council members at the study session had been addressed. Several

members of the council had many questions, as did members of the

public who spoke on this issue. Accordingly, the council sent the

staff back to the old drawing board, with instructions to tighten up

the plan and address the issues discussed by the council and public

and return the end of February with a new proposal.

I had the impression that, since all the other cities in the

county already have a plan, the staff may have taken shortcuts to

avoid reinventing the wheel -- not necessarily a bad idea. The

result, though, was a woefully incomplete presentation. It seemed

like an old axiom -- “The devil is in the details” -- had somehow

managed to slip their minds.

This plan had more loose ends than a Rastafarian’s hairdo.

Concerns expressed by observers and the council were numerous and

included questions about eligibility, the equitability of the fee

structure, whether any or all of it would be covered by insurance and

the simple process of billing, for example. Of course, the specter of

providing coverage to illegal immigrants came up, too.

The list went on and on. Conceptually, this seems to be a

reasonable attempt to generate additional income for the city, but

only if it’s equitable, affordable and crafted so most of the dollars

actually make it to the city coffers and are not swallowed up by

administrative costs. It seems clear that the council will probably

pass some kind of an ordinance to permit the assessment of a fee for

emergency medical service.

If they continue down the road they appear to be on, you and I

will be required to either pay a little each year or a lot at the

time the service is provided. That is, unless we meet some kind of

test as a hardship case. Then we would be required to pay less or,

perhaps, nothing at all.

The funds generated from these fees would not be earmarked

specifically for emergency medical service personnel and equipment.

It will simply be dumped into the general fund pot.

As I cogitate about this plan, I find myself wondering why at

least a portion of these dollars couldn’t be specifically directed to

public safety uses -- more fire fighters, emergency medical

personnel, police officers and related equipment. At first blush, it

seems likely that more residents would participate in such a plan if

they could see the tangible results patrolling our streets. It seems

to me that it would be much easier to market this kind of a program

to the residents of this city if the results of this new fee were

more evident.

It’s just a thought.

Because the staff was unable to complete the research and analysis

of the questions posed in the previous meeting, it came to the

council meeting on Feb. 22 with a request to continue this item to

the meeting on March 15. That’s where it stands now.

The ball is rolling, so now is the time to let our city officials

know how you feel about such a plan before they cast it in concrete

and pass the ordinance.

* GEOFF WEST is a Costa Mesa resident.