Dateline: November 30, 2006

Concerned Citizens take fight to hospital board

The quest to repeal the personal property tax was one of the items considered by the Donley County Hospital Board during its regular meeting last Tuesday.

Several representatives of the Donley County Concerned Citizens attended the meeting; and spokesman Brad Dalton presented the board with a petition calling for the abolishment of the hospital district’s tax on cars, boats, RVs, and other forms of personal property.

Dalton also asked that the personal property tax question be placed on a future ballot.

Board chairman Alan Fletcher expressed concern about managing the district without the approximate $32,000 per year generated by the personal property tax.

Fletcher also said if the tax were repealed, the district would raise its ad valorem tax rate the maximum amount every year for three years to continue operating the nursing home and ambulance service which the voters of Donley County have already expressed a desire to have in operation.

The board took no action on the petition.

In other district business, the board split on the question of a tax abatement for Clarendon’s new Sonic Drive-In as presented by Bob Watson on behalf of the Clarendon Economic Development Corp.

Board member Mark C. White moved not to grant the abatement. His motion failed for lack of a second.

The board then voted 4-3 to approve an abatement with Don Thornberry, Carolyn Moffett, Melinda McAnear, and Bright Newhouse voting in favor and Fletcher, White, and Gene Hommel in opposition.

The board will meet this Friday at noon to set the terms of the abatement.

Also at last Tuesday’s meeting, administrator Vicky Robertson reported the nursing home’s census stood at 53 residents and said the ambulance service had responded to 58 calls during the month of October.

The board approved a suggestion to have the Community Services Building note with a balance of $50,000 paid off as funds were available.

In the indigent care report, Holly Eads said two new applications had been denied because income levels exceeded the guidelines, one application was approved, and a pending SSI applicant was approved with reimbursements being pursued.

A rough draft of the operational analysis of the ambulance service was received, and Fletcher and Thornberry will meet with the consultant to discuss the report.

The board approved an increase in the per day room rate of the Medical Center Nursing Home by $10 per day effective January 1, 2007, following a survey of area nursing facility rates.

Robertson informed the board about federally mandated “culture changes” for nursing facilities. These changes include removal of the barrier counter at the nurses station, relocation of the coffee bar, extended dining hours, buffet-style dining, and self-medication. The board approved remodeling the nurses station with the work being done in house.

Robertson said money had been budgeted for gift cards for full and part time employees and requested the ambulance volunteers be included in that program. The board approved a motion to include the volunteers.