City purchases new police vehicle
By Jason Arndt
Editor
The City of Burlington formally terminated an EMS billing contract with Lifeline Billing Company under a motion endorsed by the Common Council on Tuesday.
City officials on March 4 recommended the change citing ownership changes within Lifeline Billing Company causing a decline in customer service while considering revenue rates.
Lifeline Billing initially signed a contract in 2019, and as part of the agreement, would renew every three years with a caveat requiring a 90-day notice of termination.
“Lifeline Billing Company was originally chosen as the billing company for the City of Burlington Fire Department, as they were a reputable billing company with an unmatched customer service department,” city officials said.
However, since then, EMS/MS bought Lifeline Billing and has not offered adequate training in a reasonable timeframe amid the transition, according to city officials.
Meanwhile, the new company charges a rate of 6% of all revenue from EMS billing, which is a stark contrast compared to a proposal presented by city officials for a new company, Paramedic Billing Services.
Paramedic Billing Services, of Elmhurst, Illinois, plans to charge a rate of 4.4% of all revenue collected from EMS billing for a term of three years.
City officials estimate an increase of $8,992.14 in revenue under a new contract set for consideration by the Council on April 2.
If approved, the contract with Paramedic Billing Services would begin on June 10, one day after an agreement with Lifeline Billing Services would expire, according to City Administrator Carina Walters.
Amended agreement
The Common Council also approved an amendment to the Development Agreement for the Schaefer Farms residential project near the Burlington bypass.
The massive residential project, initially approved by the Council last July, features nearly 300 housing units of various styles and sizes.
The amendment focuses solely on 52 duplex condo units calling for better flexibility to meet market demand.
Bear Development, which is facilitating the project, received endorsement from the Plan Commission for a preliminary plat earlier this year and discovered the need for the amendment while preparing the final plat.
“As part of the preparation of the final plat, Bear Development group has been exploring the market and would like to have the option of allowing for two-story townhomes or ranch-style duplexes on pads 1-12 to allow for flexibility to evolve with the market,” Walters wrote in a memorandum.
However, the rest of the development will not change as the group works toward the final plat, Walters added.
Other business
In another Common Council business, officials moved forward with purchasing a new patrol vehicle for the police department at a cost of $44,310.40 from Miller Motors.
Miller Motors, of Burlington, presented the lowest proposal compared to bids from two other firms.
Other proposals included Napleton Ford Columbus ($44,987), and Ewald Automotive Group ($45,169).
The 2025 Ford interceptor AW Utility Vehicle will replace a 2019 model, which has exceeded 100,000 miles and continues to experience mechanical issues.
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