The Russell County Ambulance District Board decided to search for a board attorney, since the present county attorney has opted not to represent any of the boards in the county.

They also authorized purchase of some life-saving equipment and a new lock for the building among other housekeeping items before coming to a sticking point at the end of the meeting.

The issue was pay for Mark Coots, as a staff paramedic.

First David Withers said he was not clear that Coots had been hired for the position.

Roger Roy took exception to that, saying the board had voted to accept his letter of resignation, in which said he was requesting a transfer to the open position.

"You can't accept part of the letter and not another," Roy said. He suggested that if they didn't want to stand by the second half of the sentence in that resignation letter then he would have the right to say they were not abiding by their own vote.

In the end discussion on that ended and compensation was taken up again. On a two to one vote the pay was approved

Withers voted against the pay saying it would make Coots the highest paid ambulance worker. It was pointed out that he was the most senior and the scale was based on his years of service and the pay raises he would have received had he remained a paramedic all of those years, rather than serving since 94 as the director.

The board also agreed to hold a called meeting December 2 at 6:30 p.m. to have a meeting with all the employees and to decide on a job description for the Ambulance Service Director.