SNOW HILL – The Town of Berlin is seeking additional funding from Worcester County to help cover the cost of EMS staffing.
As municipalities presented their annual grant requests to the Worcester County Commissioners this week, Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall asked for $122,000 to support EMS staffing at the Berlin Fire Company. He said the town was no longer pursuing the Flower Street roundabout the county provided $122,000 for last year and that municipal officials hoped to use that money to support EMS staffing instead.
“We’re cognizant of the fact that this is not going to be a year over year additional request,” Tyndall said. “This is just something that we’re asking for for FY 24.”
The Town of Berlin is seeking $703,013 in grant funding for fiscal year 2024. The town wants the county to provide the $116,013 provided in previous years toward Rails to Trails program grant applications, the usual unrestricted $465,000 grant and $122,000 toward EMS staffing. Tyndall acknowledged it seemed like “a lot of money relative to previous years” but explained that the town’s unrestricted grant request—funding that it uses to support police, fire and EMS—remained $465,000.
Tyndall said the county had already provided the Rails to Trails grant application funding and that the town simply wanted to carry that funding forward so it could reapply. Tyndall said the project is one the town really wants to see come to fruition, as it could potentially help with connectivity, parking and pedestrian and bicycle safety.
“We would be installing a passive use bike and pedestrian pathway running along the railway tracks through downtown,” he said. “That’ll connect hopefully the ability to expand some parking needs for the Town of Berlin as it relates to the use of Heron Park, which is the old Tyson industrial park to the north end of town, then there would be this passive use trail that runs all the way to Evans Road.”
He said the pathway would be a safe way for people to walk and bike through town.
“We’re grateful for your support previously and we ask that you carry that forward to this fiscal year,” he said.
Tyndall said that while the town had requested $122,000 toward a roundabout on Flower Street last year, something he thought would address speeding problems, other alternatives were now being pursued.
“The Town of Berlin is exploring some other options in conjunction with our police chief to hopefully roll out some speed camera enforcement and maybe address that in a different fashion,” he said.
As a result, Tyndall said the town would like to use the $122,000 elsewhere. The town recently began its budget development process and is facing a deficit.
“We’ve noticed that much like all of you, as our budget’s taking shape we’re seeing the impacts of the inflationary pressure on the business that we do day to day,” Tyndall said. “We’re asking for some assistance in helping divert this $122,000 in funding to help the fire company’s staffing needs for the additional two providers that we were able to help fund last year but this year I think due to the budgeting conditions of FY 24 we may not have that ability to do that without some assistance.”
He said the request was not one that would come back year after year.
“We’ve been sitting down with our department heads crafting our budget,” Tyndall said. “In the process we’ve come to a significant deficit that we’re trying to overcome. We’re much like many of you are going to be doing, or are already doing, pulling various different levers to try and help keep things whole. We’re not adding new services or anything like that this year we’re just trying to maintain the services we do have. We’re asking for your help and support in that process as well.”
Commissioner Chip Bertino said he spoke as just one commissioner but felt the request for the $122,000 was a big ask. Last year, when Tyndall requested the roundabout funding the commissioners agreed it would be restricted for that project.
“I don’t think it should be incumbent on county taxpayers to fix your budget, or plug the holes in your budget,” Bertino said. “The county’s already doing an awful lot with fire and EMS on its end.”
Tyndall agreed that the responsibility was a shared one.
“We’re also very supportive of that as well,” he said, noting that the town had allocated some of its federal COVID relief funding to the fire company so that it could purchase equipment.
He added that the funding would support EMS staffing and pointed out that those responders handled calls both in and outside of town.
“It’s not something they just stay in the Town of Berlin….,” he said. “Those folks may jump over to another piece of apparatus and respond to something in the county. It is a shared responsibility.”
Bertino agreed that the responsibility was shared but suggested that the town have a backup plan as far as that funding.
“I just didn’t want to raise expectations,” he said.
