Washington’s City Council, during its meeting last week, approved a new contract to provide EMS coverage to the Old Ford and Clark’s Neck fire districts in Beaufort County.

The existing two-year contract expires June 30. The city provides EMS coverage in the two districts because the county does not provide such coverage. The city has provided that coverage for many years.

“We have renegotiated that contract with the county, and based on our increase to the paramedic level, we have upped that 10 percent. They’ve agreed to that 10 percent increase. All the other remaining pieces of the existing contract remain the same,” City Manager Brian Alligood told the council. “It’s an additional two-year contract. There’s a 2-percent increase. There is a 90-day end-of-term out, otherwise it renews on a one-year basis until you hit that 90 days.”

The county has approved the contract, he said. The 10-percent increase applies to the county’s base payment. The 2-percent increase applies when the contract automatically renews each year.

In other business, the council approved the sale (under the upset-bid process) of a small, triangle-shaped piece of land framed by Hudnell Street, Queen Street and a parcel owned by the Washington Housing Authority to R&G Enterprises, LLC for $2,000. The council also voted to close portions of Queen Street and an alley so plans for the property could proceed.

Robert M. Leggett, spokesman for R&G Enterprises, explained the request to the council. The request is related to the recent rezoning of 2.12 acres on Hudnell Street, where a child-care facility is planned, according to Leggett.

Under the upset-bid process, once a bid from a prospective buyer is accepted and advertised, another prospective buyer has 10 days to offer a higher bid for the property. If a higher bid is not received in that 10-day period, the property will be sold to the entity making the initial bid. If a higher bid is received from another bidder, a new 10-day clock begins. The entity making the highest bid that is not upset within 10 days gets the property.