JERSEY CIITY — Faced with a protracted conflict over possibly awarding of the city’s ambulance contract to a new vendor, Mayor Steven Fulop withdrew his request to the City Council just prior to the Dec. 18 meeting.
The Jersey City Council has announced that they have made the decision to postpone the vote on the resolution authorizing the award of a contract to CarePoint/McCabe Ambulance for basic life support ambulance service.
As a result, Jersey City Medical Center, who has been fighting to keep the contract, asked all of its supporters not to attend the meeting, and most complied, although supporters for CarePoint and McCabe Ambulance packed the chamber anyway, bearing signs for McCabe and against JCMC.
A number of key officials from both CarePoint and McCabe attended the meeting but for the most part agreed not to comment on the contract.
The current five-year contract with JCMC expired on Dec. 31, 2013. In order to continue service, the City Council voted to extend the contract for the month of January until the legal wrangling over the contract can be decided.
The matter is expected to come back onto the City Council agenda in January. Most observers on both sides of the issue believe the matter is destined for court, regardless of which provide the city selects. — By Al Sullivan
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