Maries-Osage Ambulance District (MOAD) board at their November meeting decided to delay for at least one year paying off the balance owed on the Freeburg Base. At this time the district owes $22,974.45 on the Freeburg Base, with an annual loan payment of $9,000, and board members talked about paying it off to save on paying interest.

Administrator Brian Opoka detailed several large upcoming expenses including the new ambulance truck, expected to be ready Dec. 9, which will cost about $90,000. The plan is to use $63,000 from the ambulance fund and take $30,000 out of savings to pay for the new ambulance. Also, the district will have a payment of $30,000 in March for the Zoll cardiac monitors and ventilators.

After some discussion, board member Victor Stratman made a motion to make the regular payment of $9,000 this year on the Freeburg Base, with which colleagues agreed.

In other business , the board approved using tier levels based on years of service to choose items gathered for the employees for Christmas. The tier levels are $100 for five or more years, $60 for two to five years, and $30 for new employees to two years.

* Opoka told the board he has found a medical director through Mercy who will not charge anything. It will require the district to attend monthly QA meetings in Washington. Mercy’s attorneys are looking over the contract and he hopes to have it returned by the December board meeting.

* Opoka said the district received the annual workers’ comp membership renewal in the amount of $200, the same rate as last year.

* The CPR class at State Technical College went well, Opoka noted. There were 62 students participating and they had a class in the morning and one in the afternoon. There were four instructors to help with the class. Opoka said he found out they thought the class was for two years but the type of CPR these students needed is only good for one year. He said he’ll reach out to the instructor and explain that to him.

* Opoka said CMS released a list of ambulance districts to do the cost reporting. The list represented about 25% of ambulances services from all over the United States and MOAD was on the list. CMS is supposed to be sending out more information on the program. Opoka will come down and work with Office Manager Carla Butler to gather the information the district will need to report.

* Opoka reported the Vienna crew attended the health fair for about 25 minutes due to emergency calls that day. Francy Runge said they brought in some equipment and showed attendees how it worked.

* Victor Stratman asked why the lawn care bill was for $175 and the check was for $100. Butler said they already paid him the $75 after last month’s meeting and it was sent to him later because of the meeting not being held n September. The board approved payment of the bills.

* In the financial statement, total income for October was $34,998.77 and total expenses were $43,826.35 for a net loss of $8,827.58. Of the income, $211.55 was Maries County taxes, $29.61 was Osage County taxes, $18,594.39 was from service fees, $1,033. 01 was other, $97.98 was collection agency, $14,968.99 was sales tax, and $74.24 was from interest.

* In the third quarter financial review, Opoka said year-to-date budgeted revenue is $496,875 and actual year-to-date revenue is $517,565 for revenue gain of $20,689. Year-to-date budgeted expenses are $496,875 and actual year-to-date expenses are $553,101 for a expense loss of $56,226. Year-to-date budgeted revenue over expense is down $7,000.

* Filing for the April election opens Dec. 17 and closes Jan. 21 for seats currently held by President Don Lanning in sub-district 2, Brinktown, and by Vice President Steve Maxwell in sub-district 5, Freeburg. Persons interested in serving on the board for a three-year term can file at the Vienna Base.

* Opoka said the remainder of the people who made a donation toward the helipad have been invited for a meal at the December board meeting. Lanning asked the board if they would like to have a meal every quarter at the board meeting and they agreed to this.

* MOAD had a total of 57 responses during October, including 40 were in the Vienna zone and 17 were in the Freeburg zone.

Of the Vienna responses, one was a life threat emergency, 24 were urgent emergencies, 14 were dry runs, and one was a routine non-emergency. Of the Freeburg responses, six were urgent emergencies, five were dry runs, and six were routine non-emergencies.