City staff recommended the City of Lennox stop providing emergency medical services (EMS) outside the municipal boundary effective January 2027 and pursue formation of a dedicated ambulance district to stabilize funding and governance.

Staff said the recommendation follows consultant work and a white paper on creating a district; the proposed approach would create a locally governed entity with authority to levy for EMS. Staff noted Lincoln County is also studying EMS and that the county has tabled a committee formation to allow that separate study to proceed. The city intends to draft a resolution directing staff to continue work on the district proposal and to share consultant materials publicly.

During discussion councilors raised practical and financial questions. Staff said a draft levy estimate of roughly $0.30 (thirty cents) was used in the planning materials, but the levy could change depending on which properties are included in the district and taxable values. An estimated operating shortfall cited in materials was about $133,000 under the current arrangement and the proposed district footprint would cover roughly 189 square miles of service area used in the analysis. Council discussed options for transferring city-owned ambulance assets to a new board, including staged buyouts tied to a capital levy, and noted under state law a governmental unit may transfer property to another governmental unit or a nonprofit.

Multiple council members expressed support for pursuing a sustainable EMS solution while emphasizing the need to keep coverage intact. Staff said final levy and staffing decisions would be the responsibility of a newly elected or appointed district board and acknowledged additional coordination would be needed with neighboring municipalities, townships and the county. Staff will prepare a resolution and expand public information about the plan on the city's website.

Next steps: staff to prepare a resolution for council consideration, publish consultant materials online, and engage neighboring jurisdictions and the public on the district design and levy assumptions.