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City Council discussed foreclosures on the property and whether there would be a <br />potential liability to the City should that happen. Mr. McLiney explained that the bank would <br />more than likely put the property on the market and/or a tax sale. Mr. McLiney said it was a <br />straight business decision if the City Council wanted to do another PID. Ms. Harris said it was <br />too late for Belle Vue to get something on this agenda and the next meeting would be in <br />December. Mr. McLiney said they would not be able to complete a PID in December with the <br />deadlines. <br />4. Discuss EMS transports/staffing. <br />Ms. Beverly said she had been meeting with Chief McMonigle and Captain Dyess to <br />determine what could be done to retain paramedics. Fire Chief McMonigle said as paramedics <br />were leaving, the City was not getting applicants to fill those positions. He said this was because <br />of pay and many places were paying $15,000.00 to $30,000.00 more than Paris. He also said <br />the paramedics on staff were being run to death. He also mentioned that one paramedic making <br />$55,000.00 went to Life Net making $80,000.00 and Paris could not compete. <br />Mayor Pro -Tem Savage inquired of any suggestions. Mr. McMonigle said higher pay <br />and that there were three agencies in Paris taking calls. Council Member Norment asked who <br />was taking the Dallas transfers and Chief McMonigle said one of the agencies in Paris. He also <br />said last year Paris made over $800,000.00 on transfers. Mayor Pankaj said they needed to figure <br />out how to compensate paramedics and firefighters sooner and not later. Chief McMonigle said <br />this was not an overnight fix and was a nationwide problem. Council Member Norment said <br />they needed to do something drastic. Mayor Pro -Tem Savage inquired about the nursing <br />facilities and whether patients were getting to where they needed to go. Captain Dyess said <br />dispatch was giving out the numbers of the other companies to the nursing facilities and <br />explained the City EMS was temporarily out of service. Council Member Norment said City <br />Council should have known about this sooner. Ms. Beverly said it would cost approximately <br />$15,000.00 per person for Fire and EMS to help retain and attract employees, which would cost <br />the City about 1.2 million dollars. Council Member Moore inquired if Life Net and other <br />companies always paid that much more. Chief McMonigle said not until this year. <br />Mayor Pankaj said they needed to consider raising taxes to be able to fund emergency <br />services. Ms. Beverly said they could do the first year with a stipend and then a tax increase. <br />Ms. Beverly expressed concern about dipping into reserves for the next two years and then <br />having to go into the emergency fund. She also said Gene Anderson said doing so would affect <br />the City's bond rating. <br />Mayor Pro -Tem Savage said this would be hard for taxpayers because of the increases in <br />everyday life. He asked if the cost of services would be increased. Captain Dyess said yes, but <br />that Medicare would not pay, and most patients were on Medicare. <br />Council Member Norment said they had to raise taxes, as did Council Member Putnam. <br />Mayor Pro -Tem Savage said if that was the route they went that they needed to raise them to <br />enough to fund the other needed items. Council Member Norment inquired if the County was <br />