Supervisors to consider property purchase in Keokuk

LEE COUNTY - A move to purchase a new building for the Lee County Ambulance service in Keokuk will be in front of Lee County Supervisors Monday morning.

At Monday's regular meeting of supervisors in Fort Madison, supervisors could be voting on spending up to $300,000 to buy and renovate a building on Main Street on the north side of Keokuk across from Arby's.

The facilities will include a new bay to hold two ambulances as well as renovations to create living quarters out of office spaces in the residential building on the property. There is already a two-car garage but that structure isn't large enough to house the ambulances and will have to be taken down in lieu of a larger structure.

County officials looked at at least  four different properties in the  city after Blessing Health System announced the closure of the Blessing Keokuk Hospital and Emergency Room effective Sept. 30.

Supervisors have also approved the hiring of up to nine additional EMS staff to handle the anticipated increase in emergency calls and transports that is likely to occur with the closure of the ER.

A rapid-reponse vehicle was also approved to be purchased last week to allow paramedics to be more mobile for higher level emergency and trauma calls. That vehicle is anticipated to cost about $58,000.

The current facility under consideration has a $200,000 price tag and proposed renovations and the new two-bay garage will cost at least an additional $100,000.

Funding to pay for the additional staff, equipment and facilities is still being investigated, but could come from the county's remaining ARPA funding, or from private, local, state or even federal resources.

Also on the agenda is a request to waive property taxes on the Lee County Career Advancement Center housed in the Lee County Economic Development Group building in Montrose.

Southeast Iowa Regional and Economic Port Authority applied for the tax abatement in January, but has been paying the taxes in 2021 aand 2022 from considerations from the seller in in August of 2021.

The board will also consider purchasing four new trucks for the Lee County Engineer's Department at about $185,000 combined.