News

Millage in Durand would fund emergency services

By MICHAEL PETERSON Argus-Press Staff Writer

Thursday, July 24, 2008 11:01 AM EDT

DURAND - On Aug. 5, residents will vote to fund the city's third ambulance provider in less than two years. Legal disputes between DVA Ambulance, Inc. the ambulance provider used by the city for over 30 years, and the city forced Durand to seek other services.

The city will ask residents to approve a millage of 0.8 for 2008-11 to financially assist Mobile Medical Response, the current ambulance provider for the city.

If approved, a resident whose home was worth $75,000 would be charged $60 a year, according to Interim City Manager and Clerk Amy Roddy.

It is estimated the city would collect $61,170 the first year.

Pending litigation with DVA has left the city's ambulance service in limbo since last year.

Since its inception in the 1960s, DVA was the city's ambulance provider, but DVA canceled its contract with the city in September 2005.

Bob Christenson, president of the DVA Board of Directors, said his organization last received a payment from the city in July 2004 for services provided in the 2003-04 fiscal year. He said DVA received no payment or response to a bill sent in July 2005 for 2004-05 services, prompting the cancellation of the contract.

Christenson said, however, DVA continued to provide service to Durand without a contract only “in anticipation of a new contract.” The DVA manned its ambulances in the city until the end of 2007.

“We negotiated for a contract and just could not arrive at a contract. By the fall of 2006 we were still trying to hammer out a contract. But we couldn't do it and the city became suspicious the DVA was attempting to possibly leave the city,” city attorney Charles McKone said. “The reason (the city) were concerned about it was because the DVA was holding its annual meetings at different locations.”

Christenson said those were not the reasons for holding meetings in different locations.

“Many of the board members have never visited the locations were the (DVA employees) work. We thought it was important for them to get out and see the locations and see the people who work there. So, we started scheduling meetings at different locations,” Christenson said. “That is what it was for. Why would they object to that? School boards have different meetings in different locations.” The question of how much Durand owes DVA also became a problem during negotiations, Christenson said.

“We were providing service in anticipation of a contract that would pay us of all the service we were providing, including the service from the ‘03-04 year and forward,” Christenson said. “They then said, ‘No, we are not going to give you money for anything that you are doing right now.'”

Christenson said when the city told him DVA would not get any money until July 2008, DVA quit staffing their ambulances in Durand.

McKone also claimed DVA scheduled the meeting at the same time as Durand's city council meeting.

“They were making it clear they didn't want anybody from the city council to be there,” McKone said. “They were just trying desperately to keep the city completely out of their businesses.”

The city filed a civil lawsuit against DVA in January 2007 in Shiawassee County Circuit Court, claiming the non-profit corporation refused to grant membership rights and voting rights for city residents. According to court documents, the denial is a measure to eliminate residents' rights by preventing them from participating in the corporation.

“The DVA, even though its bylaws provided for the purchase, refused to sell the memberships to the city,” McKone said. “They moved its annual meeting, which for 30 years had been in the city of Durand, to the northeast side of Flint.”

Christenson disagrees with the allegations.

“They are saying we didn't let members come in and buy memberships, but we did,” Christenson said. “(Former City Manager) Lynn Markland bought a membership. There were other members of the city council, including the mayor, there who bought memberships...We didn't deny citizens or anybody else the opportunity to buy membership.

“We found out that the city of Durand was trying to take a portion of the (special assessment) money that the citizens had voted for the ambulance service...and use that to buy some of the citizens memberships in DVA,” Christenson said. “That is misappropriation of funds. You can't take money that was earmarked for one purpose and use it for something else.”

The trial will be held on Jan. 13, 2009 at the Shiawassee Circuit Court, according to Roddy. “Without additional millage, an ambulance service that is strictly serving the residents of Durand, they are not going to have the call volume to be able to support themselves,” Roddy said. “Therefore, this is a subsidy to assist in ensuring they will be ready and available to respond to any emergency that a resident may need them for.”

Each ambulance for MMR is staffed with Emergency Medical Technicians and at least one licensed paramedic.

“I haven't had any complaints with the services that (MMR) is providing,” Roddy said. “They seem to be very professional and capable of handling any situation that arises. They're doing a great job for us.”

Nonprofit MMR operates in 10 counties throughout Michigan. MMR also serves Rush and Owosso townships, as well as a portion of Bennington Township.

Roddy said MMR was chosen as Durand's ambulance provider after a committee of council members and residents recommended MMR be used after interviewing several ambulance agencies.

MMR Director of Operations Jason MacDonald said they will charge Durand $48,000 a year for their services. The city has been utilizing MMR services since April 1, according to Roddy. Prior to that they had a contract with the Corunna Area Ambulance Service to provide service to the residents temporarily. The city paid $4,500 to use CAAS for three months.

“It's been a very good relationship with Durand,” MMR Director of Operations Jason MacDonald said. “We are very excited to be there and we think it is going to be really successful in the future.”

- Contact Michael Peterson at 725-5136 extension 223 or mpetersonarguspress@gmail.com.

Comment on this Story

Just another thing they do wrote on Aug 1, 2008 10:24 AM:

" This is just one more reason Durand is a terrible place to live. And they wonder why people move away to surrounding areas. Between the schools, the police who act like they won the city and the way the city schemes and lies to people, its no wonder people leave. The people who run that city should be replaced! "

What about Corunna wrote on Jul 31, 2008 2:28 AM:

" Sandy I agree with you. Corunna would be a better choice. I is clear that the City of Durand, not be people are trying to run DVA out of business, and has for several years. This story here is wrong. Corunna worked the City of Durand for 6 months not 3 months. The City of Durand only paid them for half of the work they did. The City of Durand did to corunna what they have been doing to DVA for years. Well at least corunna got half of the money they had coming. But isn't that just like the City of Durand. Steal from other communities and from businesses and even the local non-profits.

Durand, pay Corunna Ambulance and Durand Ambualnce there Money.

The money is not yours it belongs to the People and we want it given to whom we were served by. "

I Wonder wrote on Jul 30, 2008 9:19 PM:

" I wonder if the Durand city council will demand that MMR place a member of Durand's
council on their board of directors?

????????? "

Sandy wrote on Jul 29, 2008 3:27 AM:

" If the City of Durand, win's this fight with DVA in Open Court, Then I want to know if they are going to refund everyone in Durand who has paid all of this money to The City of Durand. Or are they going to screw us, like they do on many other things. The people in Durand, & Bancroft need to step up together, and a group go into the city hall, and under the freedom of information act, read everything that has transpired between the City of Durand and DVA, And Also, How come we are not going with Corunna, since Corunna covered us at the beginning with this fight with the City and DVA. Also I would like to Know, the Court date on this fight, and go and sit and listen to what really went on. I am tired of paying money, just so Durand can ask for more and more. 400 house for sale in Durand is no sneeze. Are they taxing the people who own these empty houses as well?? The good people of Durand deserve better, and they need to start saying NO NO NO. Everytime the City wants more money. I have some cheese to go with that wine of their's. I will be voting no in August on everything the City want's. They need to answer many many questions, and start accounting for some of this MONEY!!! We need to make them accountable, and force their hand for a change. The answer is NO. I have lived in Durand for over 23 years, and if I have not learned nothing else, I have learned how to say NO to the City. Come on people buck up. "

Annoyed wrote on Jul 28, 2008 3:14 PM:

" For many years DVA has been a part of this community and served us well. DVA was started by this community and for the community, but as someone said times are changing, it was essential for DVA to grow and expand. DVA has always served other communities other than Durand. It covered parts of Genesee County soon after it was established, and yet today DVA has been criticized for being in Flint. I for one am impressed and support a corporation that is willing to help others no matter where they live. Which by the way is no different than MMR, which covers a number of counties- same thing DVA is criticized for. Shame on all those who criticized DVA.

It is true that DVA has not received any money from the City of Durand since 2004, but Vernon Township also refused to pay DVA any money a couple of years back. How can you expect a company to stay in business without our help? Obviously MMR can’t either; otherwise they would be here for free.

Bob C. is only one person. There were many people from the community, who served on the Board when DVA made the decision to put more ambulances in Flint. One of the City of Durand's councilman serves on the Board. Which if you hadn’t noticed is suing DVA? Perhaps someone should dig deeper for those answers.

How can a municipality sue a private non-profit ambulance company and sleep well at night? That’s unethical in my opinion.

Has anyone bother to ask DVA if they would be willing to come back to Durand and continue to serve our community? Probably not since the City has even more of our Tax money tied up in legal fees suing over something that should have been worked out with a contract… makes you wonder what our City Council is doing for us. "

Sandy wrote on Jul 27, 2008 1:53 AM:

" I want more answer's before we vote to have MMR to become our Ambulance Service. I want to know why we are going to give MMR much more money then any other Ambulance Service we have had. I personal would rather go with Corunna Ambulance Service. They are very very well trained, And They served my household very well. I am going to look into this more, and get back with the good people of Durand. And by the way if Durand owe's DVA money then they should pay it in good faith. "

Concerns wrote on Jul 26, 2008 9:05 AM:

" This is all BS. The city and DVA could have and should have worked this out a long time ago. The city is definitely wrong sitting on money that should be paid to DVA but there are things that DVA did that put the city's back up. In my opinion, B.C. is full of BS and there is a plan afoot to take over DVA. As well as other people exploited the situation - (Vernon Twnshp). Why does no one in Durand stand up and fight for a service that was started there? I guess it is just easier to have someone else come in an provide ambulance service. And to the person who says the surrounding areas only pay $45 a household - how long do you think that is going to last? Plus I think DVA was not even getting that from anybody prior to them pulling out of Durand. You have to pay for services and everything is getting more expensive - this is not 1984 anymore. "

Know where your money goes wrote on Jul 25, 2008 5:23 PM:

" There was never a millage passed. Any money collected via special assessment is currently sitting untouched in escrow or has been paid to the replacement ambulance services. As for all the people in the community who paid $45 to DVA, I hope you know it went to pay Bob Christenson and the rest of his family huge salaries while underpaying all the hardworking EMS techs. Bob is also the Fire Battalion Chief in Flint. When he gained control of DVA, Durand suspected he might move the company to Flint and Durand tried to prevent it from happening. Durand did not want to hand the residents money over to Bob just so it could be used for moving expenses. DVA is now in Flint. Do you think that is coincident? Each household could have paid $500 and it would not have been enough; Bob was going to take this ambulance service into Flint. Bob's philosophy...Why build an ambulance service when you can plunder an existing ambulance service. Bob now has a nice little family business built on the backs of hardworking, generous Durand/Vernon citizens.

Dig Deep. Ask Questions. All is not what it seems. Find out what you received when you paid Bob $45. What did he do with your money??? You could go to Flint and ask him yourselves.

As for the current millage, the community needs MMR and MMR is worth funding. "

look deeper for the truth wrote on Jul 25, 2008 2:38 PM:

" I think that we, as neighbors in this city, should all band together and demand our money back from the city that they collected on our taxes. We can then go give it to the true owners of all that money-DVA. If theyre gonna have a tax assessment, they better give the money to the right place. I will miss DVA and I hope they come back. They were a big part of the city of Durand and we will all miss seeing them here. Its too bad because they provided wonderful care to our community for many, many years. "

Debbie wrote on Jul 25, 2008 8:07 AM:

" We already voted on and pay for ambulance service, and just like the school millage I will be voting no again, all these families without jobs, and losing homes at an alarming rate and you want to raise taxes again? and for the same things we are already paying for (isn't that double dipping)? Are you trying to drive everyone out of this community? "

I am no fool wrote on Jul 24, 2008 11:28 PM:

" DVA is a good company, it has served this community well and has been loyal for the past 40 years. Why is the City not paying them for the services they provided? It looks like the City of Durand was trying to rip them off for the past three or more years. What is that about? DVA kept providing service even though the City of Durand was not paying them; Kudos to DVA for trying to do the right thing. I hear the City is sitting on the money they collected from us in the past, nearly $100,000.00. That is money owed to DVA, pay DVA their money. We voted to give it to them, so let them have it, they earned it and the money is theirs.
Now the City wants more money in addition to the nearly $100,000.00 they are sitting on and this time they don’t want to tell us what it is for. If a contract for ambulance service costs $48,000.00 a year, what does the city plan on doing with the remainder of the, “estimated…$61,170.”
When we are asked to pay money for something, use it for the stated reason.
As for me I do not support the current ballot issue. As usual the City is hiding something, I am tired of paying money only to have it sit in the bank and not have it paid to the good people who deserve it. If I did not pay my taxes for three years what could I expect…?

As for me...

I am no fool "

Concerned Citizen wrote on Jul 24, 2008 8:21 PM:

" Isn't it amazing that everyone all the way around the city of Durand receives the same service for $45 per household??!!!! "

shiataxpayer wrote on Jul 24, 2008 6:47 PM:

" So...millage voted on and approved, money collected via millage...DVA didn't get paid...WHERE'S THE MONEY NOW? "