The Oconee County Board of Commissioners last week gave initial approval to an agreement with St. Mary’s Hospital and Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center that transfers responsibility for 911 emergency medical care and transportation services to the county on Dec. 31.
The agreement will replace the current contract the two hospitals have with National Emergency Medical Services and is the final step for implementation of the county’s own Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program.
The agreement runs for three years, and in the third year the hospitals have agreed to “discuss” with Oconee County the possibly of giving up their status as the exclusive provider of 911 Services for Oconee County.
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has in place a Regional Ambulance Zoning Plan that designates the two Hospitals as the 911 EMS providers for Clarke and Oconee counties. At present, the hospitals contract for those services. DPH could designate Oconee County as the EMS provider.
Board of Commissioners Chair John Daniell labeled the Emergency Medical Services Outsourcing Agreement before the Board as “a major milestone” for Oconee County EMS and said the county has the needed vehicles and will have the needed equipment to launch at the end of the year.
The Board agreed to put approval of the 28-page Outsourcing Agreement with the two hospitals on its consent agenda for final action at the Board’s Oct. 6 meeting.
In other action at the Sept. 29 Agenda Setting meeting, the Board tentatively approved a contract for $370,000 for renovation and installation of new equestrian, hiking, and bike trails at Heritage Park, adopted a severe weather or other disaster Debris Management Plan, agreed to spend $4,849 as the county’s share of additional engineering work at the Bear Creek Reservoir in Jackson County, and agreed to spend $64,500 for purchase of an additional vehicle for the Sheriff.
County Administrator Justin Kirouac also updated the Board on construction of new tennis courts at Oconee Veterans Park.
Daniell On EMS
In bringing the Outsourcing Agreement to the Board, Chair Daniell said “we've got our vehicles on site and have received their state numbers. We have equipment on site as well. Ambulance license is ready to go to an operational status.”
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| Daniell, Center, Briefing Board On EMS Agreement 9/29/2026 |
“We have some few additional equipment items that will be in by the first week of November,” he said. “We're also in the hiring process for our supervisors and hope to have them on by the middle of October here.”
Oconee County EMS will be the exclusive provider for 911 service in Oconee County, according to the agreement with the two hospitals. “Oconee County shall provide 911 Services in response to requests received from a" Public Safety Answering Point for 911 calls, which at present is the hospitals.
“Hospitals shall pay no subsidy for the Term of the Agreement,” according to the document. “In consideration of Oconee County’s provision of 911 Services without seeking a subsidy payment, Hospitals agree, during year three (3) of the Agreement, to discuss with Oconee County the possibility of relinquishment of its status as the exclusive provider of 911 Services for Oconee County.”
“Oconee County's only compensation for providing 911 Services under this Agreement will be reimbursement that is properly sought and received by Oconee County from patients' insurance providers and third-party payors, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies, and, if allowed under applicable law and applicable insurance policies, directly from patients,” the Agreement states.
“These services shall include, but not be limited to, advanced life support, critical care, non-ambulatory and public service response, police and fire stand-by, treatment and transports to all citizens and visitors of the Counties,” according to the agreement.
“All parties are comfortable with the structure of the agreement for operations,” Daniell told the Board. “Daniel has reviewed for legal items and it's been adjusted for that as well,” Daniell said, referring to County Attorney Daniel Haygood.
Discussion Of Agreement
In response to a question from Commissioner Amrey Harden, Daniell said the EMS vehicles will be based at Fire Stations 1, 6, and 8.
Fire Station 1 is at 7580 Macon Highway, on the north side of Watkinsville, Fire Station 6 is at 200 Hillsboro Road, Bishop, and Fire Station 8 is at 1600 Virgil Langford Road.
The Board of Commissioners on April 7 voted to create the county’s own EMS program and to spend $1.1 million for five F-350 Ford trucks and $0.8 million to equip those truck as ambulances.
Money for the trucks will come from the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) and for the equipment from SPLOST, the county’s General Fund, and its Opiod Settlement Fund.
The Board took the action in responses to the recommendation of Board Chair Daniell, who said he offered the proposal because of slow response times with National EMS, billing problems, staffing issues, anticipated increased costs, and the lack of county control.
At startup, the focus will be entirely on 911 readiness, he said. No non-emergency transport or other services will be provided.
The county will have five ambulances, with three operating with a paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician Advanced, Daniell said.
The net costs to taxpayers will be $1.9 million per year, Daniell said.
Other Action
C.J. Worden, Oconee County EMA Director, in a memorandum to the Board prior to the Sept. 29 meeting, said the county “is vulnerable to severe weather events and other disasters that can generate large volumes of vegetative, construction and demolition, and other disaster-related debris.”
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| Worden Before Commission 9/29/2026 |
The county already has procedures for responding to disasters, Worden told the commissioners at the meeting on Sept. 29, and he recommended adoption of the Debris Management Plan “to codify the great efforts that already occur and the coordination between the entities within...the county, to put down on paper what it is that we're doing.”
He said the plan also is “a vehicle to allow us to recoup money from FEMA should we need that in the event of a disaster declaration,” referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
County Administrator Kirouac recommended awarding $370,000 to Steele and Associates Inc. from Alpharetta “for the renovation and installation of new equestrian, hiking, and bike trails” in Heritage Park on U.S. 441 south of Farmington. Of that amount, $160,000 will come from a grant the county received from the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program operated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Lisa Davol, Oconee County Parks and Recreation Director, told the Board in a memorandum before the meeting that “Trails will be closed during the project to ensure safety.”
The contractor “will work with department on project timeline for completion” once the contract is approved, Davol wrote.
Adam Layfield, Director of the county Water Resources Department, told the Board that the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority had approved an amendment for engineering work for the Bear Creek Water Treatment Plant expansion and Oconee County’s 23.8 percent share of the expenses was $4,849. Oconee County is a partner in the project with Barrow, Clarke, and Jackson counties.
Oconee County Finance Director Melissa Braswell told the Board in memorandum that “The Sheriff’s Office received insurance proceeds related to three vehicle accidents during FY26.”
“After accounting for the associated damage repair costs, $64,500 remains available and will be assigned to fund balance in FY26,” she wrote. “The assigned fund balance is available for appropriation in FY27 and would provide funding for the purchase of one additional Sheriff’s Office vehicle.”
At the meeting on Sept. 29, Braswell recommended approving the reallocation of funds to cover purchase of a Sheriff’s Office vehicle.”
Approval of the Debris Management Plan and of the spending at Heritage Park, for the Bear Creek Reservoir treatment plant, and for the Sheriff’s Office will be on the consent agenda for final action on Oct. 6.
Tennis Courts
At the end of the meeting on Sept. 29, County administrator Kirouac said he wanted to report on work on the tennis courts at Oconee Veterans Park.
“This is just an update today,” he said, “and I'll be bringing final numbers for your approval next week.”
Kirouac reminded the Board that the original request for bids for the work “came back at $9.1 million, which was deemed unresponsive.”
The county redesigned the site for the courts and approved a final cost of $5.5 million for the project, Kirouac said.
The redesign takes “better advantage of the existing land topography and the geotech reveal on it,” he said. “The final numbers we're working on those right now. They will come in under $5.5 million,” he added.
“So, no action for you tonight,” Kirouac said, “but this is ultimately going to get the 24 tennis courts that was prescribed under the plan, completing the tennis center.”
“Also, it'd be a redirection and new trail route that'll have to be done as part of the grading project,” he said.
Video
The video below is on the county’s YouTube Channel.
I was unable to attending the Sept. 29 meeting.
The meeting starts at 3:01 in the video.
Discussion of the agreement with the two hospitals begins at 7:07 in the video.
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