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ORDINANCE: <br />YELLOW AMBULANCE <br />RATE INCREASE <br />REQUEST <br /> <br />PRESENTATION: <br />CHARLOTTESVILLE <br />GAS ASSISTANCE <br />PROGRAM <br /> <br />that 80% of the individual's costs were reimbursed with their Class E <br />status. He further stated they did not want emergency work. <br /> <br /> Mrs. Gleason added that this service was available through the rescue <br /> squad. <br /> <br /> Mr. Buck asked what the reaction would be to deregulating the ambulance <br /> service and opening up the market. <br /> <br /> Mr. Graves responded that his gross receipts per year for the Ambulance <br /> Service were only $40,000 and he didn't believe the market would support <br /> another similar service. <br /> <br /> Mr. Buck questioned whether Council should continue to regulate this <br /> business since it had deregulated taxi cabs. <br /> <br /> Mr. Hendrix responded that primarily there had been no request for a <br /> change. He further stated that there were many taxi cabs competing and that <br /> deregulation of fares had basically kept the price the same. <br /> <br /> Mr. Wiley stated that a funeral home operator had been taking part of <br /> the ambulance business a few years back, but that because he had been outside <br /> the City the City had stopped him because he would have forced the Yellow <br /> Ambulance Service out of buSiness. <br /> <br /> Mr. Conover asked Mr. Graves the cost of entering the business today <br /> <br /> and Mr. Graves responded that one piece of new equipment alone would cost <br /> <br /> $20,000. <br /> <br /> Mr. Wiley stated that another operator would not have to operate 24 hours <br /> a day to cut into Mr. Graves' business. <br /> <br /> Mr. Graves gave a breakdown of service provided as follows: 65% of <br /> their business is hospital to hospital, 25% is home to hospital, and 10% is <br /> home to nursing home. He again stressed that deregulation would probably <br /> force him out of business. <br /> <br /> Mrs. Gleason said she felt it was a necessary service for the handicapped <br /> and elderly. <br /> <br /> Mr. Graves said his service had served 13S6 patients in 1982 which was <br /> <br />a small number for this area, adding that transportation services were <br />offered by some of the hospitals and nursing homes, supposedly without charge. <br /> <br /> Mr. Conover said he felt the staff should look at deregulation versus a <br />rate increase and give Council a report on the matter by the next meeting <br />because he did not feel he had enough information to support deregulation at <br />the present time. <br /> <br /> Mr. Buck stated that if the City decided to deregulate ambulance fares <br />it would require a public hearing and suggested Council pass the ordinance <br />on the first reading and have any questions answered and hold the public <br />hearing before the second reading. <br /> <br /> On motion by Mr. Conover, seconded by Mrs. G!eason, the ordinance <br />entitled "AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND REORDAIN SECTION 3 OF THE CONTRACT AND <br />PERMIT PORTION OF THE ORDINANCE ADOPTED FEBRUARY 19, 1980, WHICH GRANTED AN <br />EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE TO YELLOW AMBULANCE COMPANY TO OPERATE A NON-EMERGENCY <br />AMBULANCE SERVICE, SUCH AMENDED SECTION TO INCREASE THE RATE CHARGED FOR <br />SUCH SERVICE" was offered on first reading. <br /> <br /> Robert Sheets, Director of Finance, summarized the proposed gas assis- <br />tance program which has been the work of a committee composed of staff-from <br />the Finance Department and the Social Services Department. He said it would <br /> <br /> <br />