The Chicago Tribune recently published an article detailing a dispute between the Village of Tinley Park and Trace Ambulance, following the termination of a long-standing contract. The village ended its 35-year relationship with Trace in the summer, claiming the move would lead to significant cost savings. However, just weeks after the agreement officially ended, the company sent a final invoice for nearly $500,000 — a sum that left officials stunned.
According to Trace President Christopher Vandenberg, the bill was for fees that had typically been waived in the past. “It’s pretty clear we’re owed this money,†he said. The village, however, has refused to pay and has remained silent on the matter, citing ongoing legal concerns.
In a letter obtained through an open records request, Tinley Park Treasurer Brad Bettenhausen stated the village did not believe Trace was ever entitled to additional compensation. “We do not believe that Trace is or ever was entitled to any additional compensation for these claimed amounts,†he wrote.
The conflict began in July, when Tinley Park awarded a new three-year ambulance contract worth $3.7 million to Kurtz Ambulance, which submitted a bid 21% lower than Trace’s. According to Trace, their old contract included a clause that required the village to pay $200 per hour for any extra ambulance services beyond what was stipulated. After the contract ended, Trace calculated the number of such hours from May 2010 and sent an invoice totaling $492,206.
The bill was met with surprise and confusion by village officials. In his response, Bettenhausen noted that the village had never been informed about such charges before. “It would be expected that if such charges had arisen, they would have been brought to the village’s attention and billed at regular intervals throughout the contract period,†he wrote. “No such notice or billing occurred.â€
Tinley Park also questioned the accuracy of the charges, stating it could not find any records indicating that the village had requested the additional service. On September 5, Vandenberg responded, reiterating Trace’s demand for payment. Bettenhausen again denied the request, emphasizing that Trace had never claimed entitlement to extra compensation for backup ambulances.
The tension first surfaced during a public safety meeting in May, when village officials revealed that Kurtz's bid was significantly lower than Trace’s. At the time, Vandenberg and Brian Dolan, an executive from Trace’s parent company, warned the village that ending their partnership could be risky. Trace had provided ambulance services to Tinley Park since 1979, with only a brief interruption in the 1990s.
Vandenberg also mentioned that village officials had approached Trace during negotiations for the expired contract, asking for cost reductions due to the economic climate. Trace agreed to those adjustments. The decision to switch to Kurtz, made at a July 1 Village Board meeting, sparked controversy among residents and some Trace employees, who criticized the board for abandoning a local company that knew the area well.
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