OTTER TAIL COUNTY, Minn. — The Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners voted at the Nov. 3 board meeting to create a Subordinate Service District (SSD) to help keep ambulance services in the Pelican Rapids area.
The Board of Commissioners tabled a vote at the Oct. 13, 2026, meeting and planned to discuss funding options at a work session after their Oct. 27 board meeting. The delay also allowed county staff to meet with the Minnesota Office of Emergency Medical Services before a vote. The board hosted an informational meeting on October 5 and a public hearing on Oct. 12, both at Pelican Rapids High School.
“Our goal is simple. When someone in the Pelican Rapids area calls 911, we want an ambulance to show up,” said Commissioner Wayne Johnson of District 4. “This district gives us the tools to make that happen. We heard from a lot of residents, and we will keep listening as we work out the costs.”
State law allows the creation of a subordinate service district to provide and finance various services for the area’s residents. The district the board created includes the county area currently served by Ringdahl Ambulance’s Pelican Rapids primary service area (PSA) license.
Ambulance services will not change right away. Ringdahl Ambulance is expected to continue operations in the area until its license expires at the end of March 2027.
With the district created, the county will now be able to:
- Apply to the state for the PSA license.
- Seek bids from ambulance service providers through a competitive bidding process.
- Develop a budget and formula to generate revenue to support the service, through property taxes or an assessed parcel fee, with input from residents.
- Explore forming an advisory board for the district.
Visit ottertailcounty.gov/project/pr-ems-ssd/ to learn more and sign up for project updates.