Council to Consider Increase in Ambulance Billing Rates

The Lamar City Council wll consider a proposal from Lamar Fire Chief Marshall Cook Monday evening, regarding ambulance billing increases to as to be current with Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates. The 3% hike will keep the door open for future increases, and will pertain to four areas of ambulance service.

The council will review a CDOT proposal during the work session, for the construction of a Transit center near the Welcome Center and Chamber of Commerce offices. The council discussed the cost to the city last year and found that it would be too expensive to construct and maintain. Cathy Garcia, president of Action 22 will brief the council on the latest activities of the organization which represents the interests of southeast Colorado communities in the state legislature.

A Memorandum of Agreement among the council, Department of Local Affairs, Downtown Colorado Inc and Lamar Partnership Inc. will be reviewed. The agreement allows the city to continue to take part in the Colorado Main Street Program. The council will consider removing $2 rental fees for DVD’s identified by the Lamar Library as non-fiction. The library will continue to charge for rental of entertainment DVD’s.

The council will consider a resolution urging Amtrak to continue to use the route of the Southwest Chief rail service. Because of cost considerations, Amtrak has considered altering the route to avoid Colorado altogether, re-routing the train south from Newton, Kansas through the Texas Panhandle and into New Mexico. Because of the number of annual passengers using the service, La Junta, more than Lamar, could be impacted by the new route. Other Colorado communities are urging that Amtrak maintain the current route.

by Russ Baldwin