A special meeting of the City Council of the City of International Falls, Minnesota was held in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building on the 25th day of August 2025 at the hour of 5:30 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Dill and Councilors Buller, Holden, Kalar and Wegner
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
| NEW BUSINESS:
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Mayor Dill read a letter he received from the Minnesota Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in a response to a letter he had previously sent regarding the options the city would have to surrender ambulance service. The letter stated; Minnesota Statutes chapter 144E does not provide an avenue for a licensed ambulance service to surrender a license once granted. The service may, however, apply for a license to offer a new type of service under section 144E.11 or transfer ownership under section 144E.14. Otherwise, the licensed ambulance service must continue to provide the type of service for which it is licensed for the two-year life of the license. When it becomes time to renew the licenses, the service could choose not to renew one or both of the licenses at that time. Mayor Dill noted the letter was informational only.
Mayor Dill indicated the following people have been appointed to the Ambulance committee: · City of Ranier: Todd Coulombe and Dennis Wagner · Koochiching County: Ricky Roche and Jason Sjoblom · City of International Falls: Drake Dill and Mike Holden Mayor Dill shared St. Louis County verbally expressed interest in a taxing district for the Kabetogama and Ash River area.
Dill noted Commissioner Sjoblom stated they would be discussing the letter they received from the city at their next meeting on August 26, 2025. Also, that the county had drafted a letter to the City of Ranier to engage them in future discussions.
Fire Chief Mannausau asked if any other discussion had occurred with EMS as the information, he had received in 2021 was different than what was stated in the letter that Mayor Dill read. Mannausau stated he would like to know if something had changed since then or if there was misinformation in 2021 or misinformation now.
Councilor Kalar asked Chief Mannausau to reach out to EMS for clarification.
City Administrator Bergstrom noted the Koochiching County meeting would be held in Big Falls at the community center on August 26, 2025.
Mayor Dill felt the Koochiching County board understood the need and urgency of the city’s request to discuss options for the ambulance service. |
| ADJOURNMENT | Mayor Dill adjourned the meeting at 5:43 P.M. |
Drake Dill, Mayor
ATTEST:
Betty Bergstrom, City Administrator
