WHITLEY COUNTY — Two new ambulances purchased by Whitley County for Whitley EMS logged their first official miles Tuesday.

That’s because the ambulances passed state inspections, according to County Treasurer Jeffrey Gray.

During a special-called meeting of the budget/solid waste committee Tuesday, Gray, a member of that committee, was asked by fellow member Jamie Fuson about the progress getting those two new ambulances ready.

The ambulances were brought back to the county in January. They were purchased from Taylor Made Ambulances in Newport, Ark.

Committee member David Myers asked if “they had corrected the problem with the lettering.”

Gray explained that some of the letters bubbled.

“Most of those will go out on their own,” Gray said. “But (the ambulances) are functional as of today.”

Whitey EMS also is in process of readying a used ambulance also purchased.

Gray said Tuesday that the lowest bid to repaint the orange ambulance to the standard Whitley EMS blue and white was $800.

He added other than the paint, the used ambulance has already passed its state inspection.

“She ought to be in great shape,” Myers said of EMS Director Kelly Harrison, adding that they should do “an assessment of the other” ambulances in the fleet.

Gray said in January each new ambulance cost $94,316. Coal Severance monies covered $60,000 of the cost through a grant.

In other committee discussion and/or action Tuesday:

— Committee member Danny Moses explained in his solid waste director capacity, he took State Inspector Liz Anderson around to various dump sites in the county.

He said that the dump sites in question were not big, and did not require equipment for removal. “She approved seven today that the prison can clean,” Moses said Tuesday, adding the state would reimburse the dump fees accumulated through the clean up of the named sites.

Committee member Amber Owens said the annual illegal dump grant the county applies for has already been approved for the current year — so cleanup would not occur for another year or more.

“It’s just not feasible to bid it out,” Moses said, adding he did not know whether guards used for prison cleanup projects would be reimbursed for their time.

Fuson asked the time frame for cleanup.

“Most would take a day,” Moses answered. “(Maybe) a couple for some.”

— The annual PRIDE cleanup month will again have dumpsters set around Whitley County for removal of trash and solid waste.

Owens said that several places are either ready or being discussed as locations for the dumpsters, including in the areas of Emlyn, Patterson, Canadatown and Woodbine.

Owens added there would “be no infringement on business.”

— Also discussed Tuesday was the moving of Moses’ office to a different part of the building he is currently housed. This would open up the office space to accommodate an EOC, or Emergency Operations Center, for emergency management in Whitley County.

The building owners would increase the rent to $800. Committee members agreed but no official action was taken.

— The cap in medical spending at the Whitley County Detention Center has been exceeded by nearly $28,000, according to Gray.

Gray explained medical bills covering inmates’ various conditions continue to come in — some of those bills are coming six months after services were rendered.

And there’s still four months to go in the current fiscal year.

Fuson and Myers wondered if some inmates with no insurance and chronic medical conditions were getting themselves arrested and put in jail to receive medical treatment.

Fuson wondered if pushing for more home incarceration for various inmates with health issues could be pursued, but Gray said they did not have the authority to do that.

He added that if a suspect gets arrested and has a cardiac episode that night while in custody of the jail and needs a $200,000 open heart surgery, the county would be responsible.

“We have to do something about this,” Fuson said.

— Also discussed was a possible contract with Air Evac, a medical assistance helicopter company. This insurance would assist county employees if something medical required helicopter transportation for emergency assistance.

Myers, however, felt it may not be such a good plan for the county to participate in.

“How can we pay for this insurance benefit with tax dollars and know (that the taxpayers) didn’t have (this benefit)?” he said.

No action was taken on this subject.

— The first hurdle has been crossed concerning 911 fees from AT&T, according to Gray.

Several telephone land lines were not being charged 911 fees, and after a review, Gray said the county recently received a reimbursement check for about $48,000 for about 2,300 lines.

But there are about 7,500 still not being charged the 911 fee — which funds the dispatch office.

He added that federal buildings and schools and similar entities are exempt from the 911 fee on their telephone lines. Gray said where the county once received approximately $50,000-$55,000 in those 911 fees — they are now only getting about $17,000.

“It’s all AT&T,” Gray said. “And we’re not letting them off the hook.”