At the last council meeting, Paul Cartusciello, the owner of Serenity EMS, also known as Ameristat Ambulance, withdrew his application to provide ambulance service in Georgetown. He had purchased Serenity EMS in 2014 and moved it to Georgetown to compliment his other businesses. He said that he had deposited and transacted $7 million dollars in Georgetown over the last four years. He believed he had until September 22 to fully comply with the city ordinance for ambulance service, but, he was jerked around by the city staff telling him he had to comply by September 11 or September 15. He was not able to meet the ordinance requirements on either of the accelerated dates.
Mr. Cartusciello stated that he employed 38 people in Georgetown and he believed that the city has not been welcoming to him and his three companies, therefore he was withdrawing his application to provide non-emergency ambulance service in Georgetown. As such, he will not be authorized to operate his ambulances in Georgetown effective October 1, 2015.
The council did not offer any comment or possible remedy! It would have been common sense to have allowed Mr. Cartusciello additional time to meet the ordinance requirements. There was nothing "magic" about the October 1 date. They could have directed the city manager to meet with Mr. Cartusciello and arrive at a mutually agreeable solution, but, they just abruptly moved on to the next speaker.
The councils unwillingness to engage Georgetown citizens as a body, either in a council meeting, a workshop, or other official city meeting is a direct slap in the face to the citizens of Georgetown. How can the council purport to represent the citizens if they will not formally engage with the people in an official capacity? This needs to change!
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