MOAD board meets with COMM-Unity Ambulance board president

By Colin Willard, Staff Writer
Posted 3/22/23

VIENNA — DJ Schroeder, president of the COMM-Unity Ambulance board, attended the March 15 meeting of the Maries-Osage Ambulance District (MOAD) board to discuss the service’s closure and …

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MOAD board meets with COMM-Unity Ambulance board president

Posted

VIENNA — DJ Schroeder, president of the COMM-Unity Ambulance board, attended the March 15 meeting of the Maries-Osage Ambulance District (MOAD) board to discuss the service’s closure and the steps that need to happen for MOAD to annex the COMM-Unity Ambulance service area.

The MOAD board started by telling Schroeder about the petition that voters in the COMM-Unity Ambulance service area will need to file if they want to join MOAD’s service area. Because the affected area includes pieces of both Maries County and Osage County, each county will need its own petition to its own commissioners. Voters south of Volmert Lane in Osage County will need to petition the Maries County commission because MOAD would annex that section of Osage County. Once the petitions reach either 50 registered voters or 10 percent of registered voters in the affected areas, they may submit the petitions to the commissioners of their respective counties.

When the commissioners receive the petitions, they will have public hearings. Then, they may put the annexation on ballots in their counties for the following election.

Schroeder said he was not aware of the petition process because he thought it was up to the county commissioners to find coverage. He asked the MOAD board to pass along the step by step breakdown of the process. MOAD administrator Carla Butler said she could connect him with Monte Olsen, the executive director of National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials, who helped guide the MOAD board through the annexation process at the February meeting.

“Maries County is anxious to help you out,” board member Victor Stratman said.

“But we have to do it the right way,” board president Don Lanning said.

“I appreciate it,” Schroeder said. “Everyone is thankful that you guys are stepping up and willing to do this.

Schroeder said he would let the COMM-Unity Ambulance board know about the process at their next meeting. He also told the board that he would have no trouble helping to gather signatures for the petitions.