County Isn't Providing Prompt Medical Emergency Assistance to Tybee,
Says Tybee Council
Earl Schafer called 911 when his neighbor fell off his roof. To Schafer's
surprise and dismay, it took an ambulance 25-30 minutes to show up, he said
at a recent meeting of Tybee's city council. Schafer also asked why it takes
10 to 15 rings for someone to pick up when he calls 911.
"Do we, the people of Tybee, not deserve good ambulance service?"
asked Schafer.
Schafer's concern was echoed by Tybee's city council and City Manager
Bob Thomson. Councilman Whitley Reynolds said 911 is just as bad in Savannah
and that he has called from there and waited through 45 rings to get
results.
Thomson said the incident reported by Schafer is not unique. He
looked at recent ambulance response times and found they ranged from 15-22
minutes. Thomson said he believes state law requires a response time of
under 12 minutes in 90 % of calls.
"Obviously they don't have enough units," said Tybee Mayor Walter
Parker.
Councilman Walter Crawford said cited the "deep and profound problem
with the response time of MedStar to our emergencies."
"We've got some deaths on Tybee Island from this lack of coverage,"
he said.
At a subsequent council meeting, Crawford went on to say: "Our real
beef is with the
Chatham County Commissioners" (who hire ambulance
services for Tybee). "I was assured . . . that Tybee would always have
an ambulance stationed . . . to Tybee. That has not been the case."
Representing MedStar, which provides medical emergency transportation
to Tybee, Amy Hughes said MedStar's resources were divided between two
calls, one on Tybee and the other on Wilmington. Both calls came in around
the same time. That's why the response time was not faster, she indicated.
Hughes suggested the island relaunch its first response initiative.
MedStar will provide supplies and emergency management training for this
program, she said.
Greenway Committee appointed
After several delays, Tybee's council has appointed Arnie Seyden, Leo
Sheehan, Jimmy Carter, and Jim Boyle to the newly-formed Greenway Linear
Park Committee.
The members were appointed by a quorum composed of Councilmen Jack
Youmans, Walter
Crawford, and Whitley Reynolds. No discussion of the
qualifications of those appointed took place. Councilmen Jason Buelterman,
Jimmy Burke, and Richard Barrow were absent when the vote was taken.
Councilman Jason Buelterman, who called for the formation of the
committee several weeks ago, was appointed to the committee to represent
council.
Though council showed faith in Buelterman to serve on the committee,
Buelterman's picks for the committee were largely disregarded. Buelterman's
first picks for the committee, presented several weeks earlier, were Realtor
Bonnie Gaster, Land Developer Paul Wolff, and former City Councilman Mallory
Pearce. Pearce and Wolff have a track record of environmental advocacy.
When Councilmen Jimmy Burke and Jack Youmans objected to those
appointments, Buelterman came back with a new list‹Jim Boyle, Marcy Cherau,
and Paul Wolff. Boyle has worked on a linear park that uses electric company
rights of way; Cherau serves on the island's garden club, and Wolff has
developed an island-wide bike path plan, Buelterman noted in a memo to
council. Buelterman was not at the meeting to discuss his candidates further
and, out of that list, only Boyle was appointed.
Mayor Walter Parker suggested that all seven candidates be appointed
to the committee. "There are usually some that drop off," he said.
But Crawford said that was an unwieldy number and that the committee
should have only four members with a council representative.
Electronic parking to replace meters on some streets
On behalf of the city's Parking Committee, Mary Ellen presented a
proposal to replace parking meters with decal parking on 6th through 13th
Streets from Butler Avenue to the beach.
Ann Shriver spoke passionately about traffic problems she sees on
Twelfth Street where she lives. Shriver said visitors to the beach are
"speeding up and down the street" and that she is a witness to the "anger
and frustration of people who can't find a parking space."
At the same time, north beach parking is full only three days of the
year, she said, adding, "If we could just let people know."
Parker did not support the change, citing loss of income to the city.
Reynolds said that council didn't know what the consequences would be. He
also pointed out that having decal parking won't stop people from parking in
front of a house where there is public parking. They just have to buy a
decal.
Buelterman suggested deferring the decision until council gets a
statement from the Corps of Engineers on how the change would affect Tybee's
eligibility for beach renourishment funds.
(Editor's note: Federal beach
renourishment programs require participating beaches to demonstrate a
certain degree of public beach access which is measured in terms of access
paths and proximate available parking.) But the mayor said the city would
still have enough parking to satisfy public beach access requirements.
Crawford said that council needs to give parking priority to
residents and that decal parking accomplishes that. He also indicated that
decal parking would be safer. "We need to act on this and see how it pans
out."
Barrow asked for a grace period in which to advise people of the
change rather than towing violating cars immediately. The mayor said the
city would need to install signs on the streets notifying drivers that
parking was available only be decal.
Despite reservations, council voted five to one for the change to
decal parking. Youmans dissented, saying that decal parking should be
extended to the other side of Butler and not confined to the beach side.
Civic groups more controversial than you thought
Council voted on whether to fund three island civic groups. The decision
was unanimous to extend $8,700 to Tybee Beautification Association which
conducts beach sweeps. However, Youmans voted against granting the $3000
requested by the Tybee Arts Association which offers art classes for
children and hosts several visual arts events each year.
Burke, Youmans, and Crawford voted against granting the Yeepies the
$3000 requested by that group. With Buelterman, Barrow, and Reynolds voting
to grant the requested funds, the vote was three to three, and the mayor
broke the tie in favor of the Yeepies. The Yeepies bring in guest speakers
to Tybee every month and provide low-cost shuttle services for residents who
need to go shopping.
There was no discussion as to the merits of the Yeepies or the Tybee
Arts Association.
City to outsource payroll
New Finance Director Jason Cowan recommended that the city hire ADP to
manage its payroll. Cowan said he
cannot achieve his goals with his current staff. Outsourcing payroll will
free up man hours for city staff to do other things. Payroll is "a very
labor-intensive process," Cowan said.
ADP will provide this service for a little over $13,000/year. To
cover that cost, Cowan recommended that council reallocate the $31,000
budgeted for a Cronos fingerprint time management system. Council had
previously voted to implement the Cronos system to monitor the comings and
goings of city employees.
Cowan said that ADP will provide, as part of the service it proposes,
a similar time management system that reads a hand print. It's a better
system and one that prevents "buddy punching," Cowan said.
Cowan pointed out that the city would be obliged to maintain the
Cronos system whereas ADP will maintain its own time management equipment.
And ADP offers its services on a subscription basis. If the city is not
satisfied with the service, the city can discontinue it at any time.
Council meetings make TV
Buelterman called for US Cable to televise Tybee's city council meetings.
Important decisions are often made by council after 9 PM, when most
residents have left, Buelterman indicated. A US Cable representative said
the company would purchase the equipment needed to tape the meetings and
also agreed to broadcast them.
Though council approved the measure unanimously, it was the source of
some humor.
If we televise meetings, "we'll never get Crawford to shut up," said
the mayor.
Reynolds said council would need a budget for wardrobe and a make-up
artist.
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