Overton County will look to expand its ambulance services building to add sleeping quarters for its growing staff.
The county was considering a property swap, but the prospective location on Highway 111 was valued $365,000 higher than the current ambulance services property.
County Executive Ben Danner said the county can pay for the expansion with $350,000 left over from the new county services building or the $2.15 million in COVID stimulus money the county will receive in the next 30 days.
“One way or the other we can use the stimulus money or the money from the building,” Danner said. “Which I would rather use the stimulus money and pay the other back on the building. But either way we won’t have to raise taxes or use tax payer dollars to build onto our ambulance service.”
Danner said the state has given approval to use the leftover county services money and believes the expansion would meet the criteria for COVID spending.
“The county is getting $4.3 million dollars, which we will get $2.15 million in the next 30 days,” Danner said. “Then we will get the rest of it a year from now. It can be used for one-time expenses, COVID related, and adding onto the ambulance service I feel like would be one of those expenses.”
Danner said the next step is to have architect design plans and figures presented to the Public Safety Committee for a vote to send the expansion to the full county commission.
“I’m going to get Upland Design out of Crossville to come and work us some numbers up,” Danner said. “And see what it would cost to add onto the building we have.”
Danner said that the need to expand came out of the pandemic as extra crews and ambulances were added.
Danner said he hopes to have Upland Design’s plans and figures for the expansion ready for the Public Safety Committee May 11.
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