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General News: COVAC Elects New Leaders
December 10, 2009
A new management team was elected by the Cornwall Volunteer Ambulance Corps (COVAC) on Tuesday night, a move that brings it closer to ending the internal dissension that has muddied its efforts to negotiate independence from the town of Cornwall.
In an uncontested election, former COVAC chief Michael Bigg was voted in as the new CEO of COVAC, replacing Karen Zuzek, who resigned the corps in protest three weeks ago. Jack Boyle, who had been the assistant chief, was elected chief.
Health Department Investigation Stirred Up Troubles
On November 19, Zuzek, who had served as president and CEO of COVAC for 13 years, resigned along with vice president Charles Wipplinger and treasurer Stephen Wilkinson. Zuzek said she gave up her office over the corps handling of a department of health investigation of the New Windsor and Cornwall ambulance services, which she felt should have met with disciplinary action.
Earlier this week Jack Boyle, COVAC’s new chief, told the town board that Zuzek left because she wanted Mike Bigg, who was chief of both the Cornwall and New Windsor Ambulance Corps, to step down and the other board members disagreed with her. “This has snowballed so unbelievably it’s not funny,” Boyle said, “it is just so simple and has gotten out of control.”
Boyle said that he is worried that the controversy over the leadership’s handling of the department of health investigation will jeopardize the work he and other corps members have put into negotiating an agreement with the town.
COVAC Pushes Town to Agree to Its Independence
On Monday, COVAC’s attorney, Brad Pinsky, appeared before the town board to push the town for an agreement by the end of the year. He first told the board that, contrary to “rumors,” COVAC is not the target of a department of health investigation and argued that the resignation of the corps top officers should have no bearing on negotiations with the town. Earlier, a department of health spokesman confirmed that COVAC is part of an on-going investigation with “a number of components.” Health department correspondence shows it is reviewing how COVAC requests advanced life support from the New Windsor ambulance corps following a series of complaints.
At the board meeting, Pinsky disclosed many of the details of the agreement that COVAC is seeking. Among the top issues is how COVAC will finance the purchase of its headquarters on Clinton Street and the purchase of the ambulances and other vehicles that are currently owned by the town. COVAC has proposed that the town finance the deal but Pinsky said they are “flexible.” COVAC also wants to be named the town’s primary provider for ten years, a move it said is necessary in order to pay back the loans.
Town Wants More Time to Review Proposals
Following the presentation from COVAC, town board members said that they need time to review the proposals before they can comment on them. Town supervisor Kevin Quigley later explained that the town had presented two proposals to COVAC and asked them to select one or the other. Instead, he said, COVAC, added in its own changes that the town could not just accept.
At COVAC’s meeting on Tuesday newly-elected CEO Michael Bigg painted a rosier picture, telling members that “everything should be discussed and agreed by the next town meeting on Monday.” Support for Bigg among the two dozen members at the meeting was clear and, when he announced that he is resigning as chief to take up the new position of CEO, he was applauded for his service.
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