Beaufort County commissioners will talk fish, no wake zones, EMS service and allocation of funds at Beaufort County Community College, amongst the many items on tonight’s agenda.

The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. and will end with a discussion with how the county would like to proceed with EMS service to the Old Ford/Clark’s Neck area, as the contract with the City of Washington to provide that service is up for renewal.

County Manager Brian Alligood said county and city officials, as well as members of the Beaufort County EMS Committee, recently have been in discussion about the issue.

“Basically, the EMS committee said the county needs to figure out what it needs to do with Old Ford/Clark’s Neck,” Alligood said.

According to the agenda for tonight’s meeting, there are three options available for coverage to the Old Ford/Clark’s Neck area:

• To maintain the status quo, renewing the contract with the city for $157,255, an increase of 2 percent over last year. The EMS tax rate would remain at 4.5 cents per $100 property valuation for those fire districts. EMS units would respond from the city when available and personnel would vary between paramedics and EMTs based on who was on staff at the time of the call.
• Not renew the contract and have the county provide EMS service to Old Ford/Clark’s Neck. A paramedic-level unit will be provided and next fiscal year’s tax rate for residents in the district would increase to 5 cents per $100 valuation. The county would bill for services to offset the cost of providing EMS service; based on anticipated revenues, the price tag for providing the service would be approximately $121,000 from the general fund.
• Contract with the City of Washington to provide a dedicated EMS unit for the area, dedicated to EMS calls only — the unit would not respond to supplement fire calls. The cost would be approximately $572,000.

“There will be some conversation about it,” Alligood said.

Commissioner Hood Richardson also has several items on the agenda including resolutions in support of commercial fishermen who may suffer hardship due to more restrictive southern flounder fishing; to arrange a meeting between the District Attorney’s Office, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Alligood and Richardson to discuss using private laboratories for forensic analysis of evidence in an effort to dispatch cases to keep Beaufort County Detention Center population down; approve a forensic or management audit of Chocowinity EMS; sending the new radio communications system proposal out to bid again before approving the one bid for $1.8 million received from Motorola Solutions Inc.; and dispensing with subcontracted-out Beaufort County Courthouse security and allow employees with concealed carry permits to bring their firearms to work.

The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners meets at 5:30 p.m. at the County Adminstrative Office, 121 W. Third St., Washington. The meeting is open to the public.