Melrose Council Approves ALS Ambulance Upgrade, New Billing Provider

MELROSE -- September 21, 2023, Melrose City Council clears legal fix for Riverside Flats soil cleanup and greenlights ALS ambulance upgrade. The council voted unanimously Thursday to approve Resolution 2023-57, a second amendment to the development agreement for the 73-unit Riverside Flats apartment project, restoring language that allows unforeseen site remediation costs, including roughly 500 to 700 yards of petroleum-contaminated soil, to be reimbursed through the project's tax-increment financing at 7.5 percent interest, payable solely from available increments. Developer Goldman told the council the omission was the result of a drafting failure by substitute legal counsel. Members also approved switching ambulance billing to EMS Management Consultants at 5.75 percent of net collections, an estimated $5,400 more annually than the current provider, citing inaccurate reporting and unrecovered payments, and approved new paramedic and transport nurse job descriptions alongside an updated ALS fee schedule of $1,500 per call. The council set a preliminary 2024 tax levy of $1.64 million, reflecting an estimated 5 percent rate increase, with a final levy expected to come down when certified in December.