Print this story | E-mail story | This story has 17 comments Add your own | iPod friendly
Hospital parking lot to get speedy makeoever
Published Thursday, June 26, 2008
NATCHEZ — The restructuring effort at Natchez Regional Hospital has seeped from the front doors and into the parking lot.
At the July 7 meeting of the Adams County Board of Supervisors, the board is expected to pass a resolution that would allow the hospital to use the county’s asphalt contractor to overlay the hospital’s parking lot.
Supervisor Darryl Grennell said when the supervisors recently accepted bids for the county’s asphalt work they locked in a price for work and materials.
The county is expected to allow the hospital to essentially use their contract to repair the parking lot.
The county will fund the project and then be reimbursed by the hospital.
Hospital CEO Scott Phillips said repairs to the lot are badly needed.
“It needs a lot work,” he said. “It’s a project that will ultimately benefit the hospital.”
Hospital attorney Walter Brown said the overlay project will increase the curb appeal of the hospital, adding value, and make a safer environment for pedestrians.
Grennell, like Phillips, said the parking lot has several potholes and has needed repair for quite some time.
And not only will the hospital get a much needed project completed, it should be done a bit quicker than usual.
Brown said since the hospital plans to use the already established contract there is no need for the hospital to open the bidding process to find a new contract.
“That can be a time consuming process,” he said.
While no one had an estimated price on the project yet, Grennell said there should be some savings for the hospital since the county has already secured the lowest cost during their bidding process.
Grennell said millage regulations prevent the county from funding the entire project with no compensation.
“That would not be fair or legal to the taxpayers,” he said.
In addition to saving time and possibly money, for the project Grennell said the cooperation between the hospital and county was an excellent example of how local government should operate.
“Whenever we can pool our resources and work together for the county it’s to everyone’s advantage,” he said.
Comments
Posted by sportsgirl81 (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 1:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's about time someone figured out a way to get this done!!! I hope the Board of Supervisors will agree to this and the parking lot gets paved soon after! It won't be a day too soon!
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 2:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I see there is a new trend on both sides of the river to forego the bidding process as too time consuming. The rapid spread of democracy in the region is exhilirating.
Posted by prouddaughter (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 5:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
When they get thru there, I wish they would move the equipment & continue paving over on Homochitto Street...then come on over & pave a couple of large parking lots in Vidalia....
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 5:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And aren't the taxpayers responsible for paying back the three million for sprucing up the hospital for sale? So how is this saving the taxpyers money? Why not let North Mississippi Health Services pay for it since they are getting locked into an already established regional business and as a non-profit they should get savings on repairs the county can't get. They can just overcharge on medicare if all other possible funding sources fail.
Posted by triscuit (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 7:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
EnKiKur, in this case I believe the county saves money because the unit prices in the existing contract will be lower than if they bid the parking lot separately. But for the most part I agree, the trend to bypass receiving bids seems to be rising, and it's disconcerting.
Posted by mike8427 (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 7:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
About time, that parking lot, and most of the entire city needs to be repaved. I, like every taxpayer in Natchez, pays their taxes every year, so I am tried of hearing the excuse that there is no money for repaving.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 7:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm tired of my car getting destroyed just driving on any road in town! It's horrible! Some of these potholes will swollow a small car!
I'm just sayin!
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 8:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Prouddaughter, let's hope this wil be an actual re-paving of the lot. That would mean taking up the old lot and placing a brand new one there. Here, I have seen owners take the easy cheap way out, and that's simply black tar paint over the already existing lot, with maybe filling in a hole or two. Anyhow, I guess any re-surfacing job for this lot, is better than none!
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 8:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Way past time for this job.
Posted by grrbrts (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shouldn't the makeover work wait, till the intersection work is completed first?
Posted by lookingout (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How are they going to pay the county back?? Shouldn't they use that money for things inside the hospital that are needed?
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 1:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They will probably pay the county back when the hospital is sold. Now I am confused about who they are. NRMC isn't the building itself, NRMC is the staff and management of the business but that is public too, yet somehow different than the building itself.
So really, two things will be sold, the building and the business. I wonder who pays the county back, the building or the business. The county already owns the building.
Does anyone understand how all this works?
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It reminds me of putting a coat of paint on your house to make it look good before you sell it. Hopefully the buyers will overlook the sagging ceilings.
Posted by lookingout (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 5:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree freedom42 along with the nasty floors...
Posted by fatherof4 (anonymous) on June 26, 2008 at 6:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Since I paid taxes, does this mean I won't have to pay my hospital bill?
Posted by 3deep (anonymous) on June 27, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A $3 million loan and the county fronting the cost of repaving the parking lot - Is bankruptcy still on the table? Will the loan or the county be able to get reimbursed if it is filed? And what about the hospital's other debts, have they been settled?
Posted by Gimmeabreak (anonymous) on June 27, 2008 at 3:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well the parking lot will be nice and new when they shut the hospital down.
Post a comment (Terms of Use Policy)
(Requires free registration.)