LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Dozens jammed into an emergency meeting of the Lockport Common Council Monday night to hear their vote on two resolutions on the agenda.
One resolution was to vote on the Lockport fired department resuming ambulance service.
The other resolution was for the city to enter an agreement with Mercy EMS.
A work session was originally scheduled for 5 p.m., to be followed by the emergency meeting at 6 p.m.
The council went into executive session after a Lockport Sun-Journal reporter tried to sit in on the work session.
After meeting in an executive session for several hours, the Common Council emerged to the jeers and applause from members of the public.
Mayor Roman quickly laid out the rules of the meeting, stating there would be no public comments.
In a 4-3 vote, Council President Paul Beakman and Aldermen Luke Kantor and Mark Devine voted in favor of the resolution.
Alderman Kristin Barnard and Alderman-At-Large Gina Parici voted against it. Alderman Kathryn Fogle abstained.
Even though Fogle abstained, Lockport's deputy corporate counsel said that created a deadlock, one that Mayor Michelle Roman broke with her yes vote on the resolution.
After the vote, several members of the council were escorted out of the chamber and municipal building by Lockport Police.
"This was a very challenging decision there were a lot of fiscal issues to talk about," Council President Paul Beakman said. "In the end, we did the right thing and we are going back into the ambulance business."
After the vote, Beakman apologized to his colleagues on the council and took responsibility for the partisan tone that the debate over the ambulance service issue.
Twin City Ambulance President Terry Clark said that with the Lockport Fire Department now staffing two ambulances, the strain on their team and volunteer fire departments will become lighter.
"It might not seem like a lot, but it will have a dramatic impact not only on the city but also the rest of the county," Clark said. "The big issue here is been staffing, not just with us just about every agency in Western New York."
Twin City Ambulance will continue to provide secondary service to the city. The company had told city officials they would do that when they initially gave notice over the summer, but they would only do so if the city took over as the main provider.
As soon as the city can secure the proper certificate from the state, ambulance service through the fire department can resume.