Logan County Fiscal Court agreed Tuesday to take a lease buy-out offered to them on the building in Lewisburg, which was once used to house an ambulance for Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC).

As part of the departing agreement between CHC and the county, fiscal court agreed to pick up the lease which has 10 more months left at a cost of $1,000 per month. The buy-out is for a one time cost of $5,000 paid to the owners of the building.

CHC, who served as Logan County’s ambulance service for the last 11 years, gave notice last year they would be pulling out this summer and strongly encouraged the county to take over the leases of the old Lewisburg substation as well as the substation in Auburn, which is owned by the Auburn Rural Fire Department. Auburn’s lease was excused by the ARFD.

During post agenda items Tuesday, Magistrate Jo Orange told the court she was willing to personally pay the next 14 months of $250 a month to the Auburn Rural Fire Department to assure an ambulance is placed in Auburn. Orange knows the ARFD forgave the lease responsibility, but said they were still interested in allowing the new ambulance service (Com-Care, Inc.) to place an ambulance there. Orange also said they couldn’t take any less that $250 a month because that is what it costs to maintain the structure.

Judge/Executive Logan Chick said he didn’t think Orange needed to take that cost on her own shoulders and said he had already spoken with Jim Duke owner/operator of Com-Care, Inc., who offered to pay the utilities on the Auburn substation. The utilities would be above the $250 a month.

According to Duke, it would be beneficial to have an ambulance parked in the Auburn substation because of its location, its close proximity to a large portion of populated area and the building is in very good shape and ready to go.

Orange, who is adamant about wanting an ambulance in her district, said she felt this was too good of a deal to pass up. She said it was only $250 a month to keep an ambulance in Auburn which would help such a large part of the county and that it is a “no brainier”. She said she would pay it for the next 14 months if the county would not.

Chick said he felt another meeting with the Auburn Rural Fire Department as well as the city of Auburn needed to be organized to see what can be worked out.