A $15 ambulance utility fee to slash mounting EMS costs and devote more general fund money for public safety needs was approved by the City Council Monday. The new fee will appear on city residential and business customers’ utility bills starting in September. The council had the option to consider a $10 monthly fee presented by City Administrator Paul Ellis that would not have met all immediate needs, vote against the fee altogether and hand the issue back to staff for further research. The council and staff spent over four years weighing options to get EMS funding and public safety services on a more sustainable track, including forming its own regional fire authority or putting a property tax measure on the ballot.