Car Pool on 899
Just over 13 percent of traffic are trucks like this which can be seen moving along Highway 13 near town. ©Provost News Photo. Full detailed story in April 6 edition of The Provost News. Want to Subscribe to The Provost News? Click here.
Town’s 911 Bill to be Paid Under Protest
A bill that the Town of Provost has received for 911 call answering will be paid under protest, says Mayor Ken Knox.

The charge from East Central 911 (previously known as Wainwright Ambulance Society) for $5,940 covering the three months of April, May and June will be paid in advance but also sent to the town’s lawyer for study.

Chief administrative officer of the Town of Provost, Terry Hurlbut and Knox both suggested that because of the M.D. Provost 52’s alleged indecision over the 911 issue that the town was put in the current situation. Knox says that he hopes that the town can recover costs somehow because they are using a system longer than intended. “That’s mainly why it’s under protest.” He added that the 911 supplier was the one originally who said they could not supply the service, then began attempts to keep the service operating—and came back with the higher bill along with the same continued service.

After the supplier had stated in writing that they were planning on stopping their operations, the Town of Provost began to make alternate arrangements for 911 service with the Camrose Police Services.

Hurlbut said in an interview with The News that a normal three month bill would have been about $2,475 and that for all of 2004 the town paid $7,425 for the service.

He added that the town received an e-mail on March 3, 2005 from the service provider stating that since the town was a non-member of the group the fee structure is different.
Hurlbut says that as of the end of March the Wainwright Ambulance Society ended the agreement with the town and then a new fee structure was introduced and sold three months at a time.

The cost of services from the Camrose Police Services to the Town of Provost will be $5.97 per capita per year with two dispatchers on duty at all times while the East Central 911 service would be $6 per capita for one dispatcher and $10 per capita if two dispatchers were employed at all times like Camrose is offering. In addition the town and M.D. 52 would have to spend about $50,000 in capital equipment at either Wainwright or Camrose but at Camrose that system would then be owned by the town and M.D. The system at Wainwright would be owned by East Central 911.

The town will be leaving the current 911 provider “as soon as possible” says Hurlbut.

The Provost ambulance service gets about 400 calls via 911 per year while the Provost fire department receives about 70 calls annually (combined that’s an average of about 39 calls per month). Under the new rates being applied by East Central 911 that works out to an average of $50 per 911 call.

Knox says that compared to the Wainwright provider, Camrose is offering a “real good deal . . . including GPS (global positioning system) . . . that’s a tremendous thing all in itself.”

The M.D. Provost No. 52 also recently received a higher bill than normal from East Central 911, says administrator Iris Larson.

She says the bill was higher (at $1 per month per capita instead of $6 per year per capita) or twice the previous rate because the M.D. 52 “did not do a capital buy” (so was not a member).
The M.D. 52 has paid the bill. “It is important we have dispatch service.” Larson says they have to buy a minimum of three months at a time from the provider as a non-member.
The mayor says that he is hopeful that the situation is soon resolved and noted that there is a public meeting on April 18 in Cadogan.

Full story in April 13 edition of The Provost News.
Want to Subscribe to The Provost News? Click here.
Phony $50 Bills Floating Around
Full story in April 13 edition of The Provost News.
Want to Subscribe to The Provost News? Click here.
“Elevator” Road Closed
Story in April 13 edition of The Provost News.
Want to Subscribe to The Provost News? Click here.
Street Spokesman
This week we asked: "How Can We Add to the Beauty of the Community?"
. . . and we heard opinions from Margaret Shortt, Ron Smith, Patti Varty, Dan Stuckky and Trina Zurevinsky.
Check out the April 13 edition of The Provost News for their answers.
Want to Subscribe to The Provost News? Click here.
This, along with many other stories and pictures can be found in this week's edition of The Provost News.
Subscribe to the award winning paper by clicking on this link and following the instructions on our secure on-line ordering centre.
Take me to the Secure On-Line Ordering Centre