Nome Volunteer Ambulance Department responders addressed their concerns about the department’s relationship with the Norton Sound Health Corporation during a lengthy City Council meeting last night.
Before their citizens’ comments could begin, however, four members of the Nome Police Department took their oaths of office.
Police Chief Papasadora read these words as the officers echoed: “I honestly and faithfully discharge the duties of my office as a City of Nome police officer, without fear, favor, or partiality, and there-in do every justice to all persons and to the City, so help me God (applause).”
Casey Johnson, Cordell Murray, Crystal Toolie, and Tomas Paniataaq took their oaths before Papasadora and a full room of supporters.
Most of the crowd dispersed after the oaths were finished, but more than 10 Nome ambulance volunteers stayed for citizens’ comments.
Charlie Lean, retired Chief and former President of the ambulance department, spoke first.
“Emergency services in Nome are excellent considering the limited candidate pool that we have to run this thing, and I’m dismayed with the morale that’s happening now in the service,” Lean said.
Councilman Tom Sparks asked Lean what could be done to help improve morale for the ambulance volunteers. Lean suggested offering more trainings for the crew, but Tom Vaden had another recommendation.
“Number one, I think that all emergency services in the City of Nome should be run by the City of Nome; Anchorage does that. So NJUS, Nome Police Department, Nome Ambulance Department, and Nome Fire Department would handle all emergent calls, period,” Vaden stated.
As Vaden was leaving the podium, Councilman Stan Anderson proposed that he and other ambulance volunteers come to a Norton Sound Health Corporation Board meeting.
“Yeah, I’ve been on the Board for four years, and on rare occasions, someone might come up and present something.” Anderson addressed Vaden directly: “I think the Board would love to hear from people like you and everyone else.”
According to Anderson, the next NSHC Board meeting is scheduled for late April but will be held in Spokane, Washington. The Council requested that Anderson set up a meeting in town between the Corporation Board and the City Council to discuss Nome’s volunteer ambulance department in the near future.
In other business, an ordinance to adopt Port of Nome Tariff number 13 and replace all existing tariffs was passed. Among other things, this includes designating the handling of used oil and sets a film license fee at $300.
After some discussion, Councilman Mark Johnson recused himself from voting due to a conflict of interest on an ordinance to exempt pull-tabs from the seasonal sales tax. However, Mayor Richard Beneville requested that Johnson participate in the vote, which resulted in a tie of 3 to 3.
“Well it’s always so contentious, but it’s important to so many entities,” said Beneville, “I am going to …(pause)…. Vote Yay.”
With the Mayor’s tie-breaking vote, the ordinance passed on to the second reading phase.
One of the last resolutions in front of the Council involved rescinding taxi cab licenses from two companies in town, Nome Checker Cab and Peters LLC, also known as Mr. Kab. Now that the motion has passed, there are eleven total taxi cab licenses in Nome: six of them belong to Nome Checker Cab, and Mr. Kab holds five.
The Nome City Council will meet for its next regularly scheduled meeting at 7pm on April 10th in City Hall.
