Print
Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 14 January 2016 14 January 2016

By Mary Alice Murphy

After the review of the regular meeting agenda on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, Grant County commissioners heard reports from county officials.

The first to report was Gila Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Brian Cunningham.

"First, I will give you the financial report," Cunningham said. "This is from the end of November. We had $250,000 in excess revenue over expenses. Year-to-date we are $225,000 positive bottom line. It continues to be tight, but we are good in cash, with 141 days of cash. These are tough rebuilding years.

"As of January 1, we have a decrease in the safety net care pool payment for uncompensated care," Cunningham continued. "Before the safety net care pool, we were getting $15 million annually, and the last couple of years, it was $7 million, now it's $4.5 to $4.6 million annually. We also have challenges with Medicaid, collecting and getting paid. We are receiving about $200,000 less a month. The challenges keep coming. The whole system is challenged."

In better news, he said a team of physicians and the hospital are working on the clinically integrated network. "We are working to create a formal agreement with private physicians. Although it is required by the Affordable Care Act, we are the only hospital in the state working on it."

Cunningham said the hospital plans to move ahead with construction placing the labor and delivery rooms together, and putting the operating room and recovery closer to one another. "Our next step is to research funding. We will approach the Commission for education and to develop a plan. We estimate it will cost in the $8 million range. We will use some of our cash and other financing."

"We have been without a chief financial officer for six months," he said. "We have hired Mike Metts, who has 12-14 years experience. He will begin Jan. 18."

Cunningham said the hospital is doing a "massive organization-wide project around the revenue cycle. Patient care is first, but we need to be reimbursed for our quality care. We are not moving to outsource the business office. We will keep the same employees, but we are bringing contract resources to address key points in the revenue cycle. Now that we will have a CFO to oversee the project, we are confident we can make up the safety net care pool decrease."

He said the hospital has been working with the County Manager Charlene Webb and the Detention Center Administrator Mike Carillo to clarify the process element with inmate care in the emergency room. "We think we have come to a solution to manage the process."

County Commission Chairman Brett Kasten said he presumed the commissioners would get the hospital financials before "you come to the board for $8 million."

"We will probably pay half," Cunningham said. "So we will probably be financing $4 million to $5 million. We will present different models, 60-40 split, 50-50 split or 40-60 split."

Carillo thanked Cunningham for helping with the process. Carillo then gave his report dated Dec. 5 through Jan. 7.

"We are fully staffed," Carillo reported. "We have sent in the same draft bill from the past two years seeking funding for inmate support. The main reason we need to work on this is to reduce recidivism. It's at 17 percent. Our average daily population during the period was 55, with a high of 55 males and 8 females."

Commissioner Ron Hall asked if the state was going to cut funding for state prisoners held in local jails.

Webb said House Bill 2 has an increase of $200,000 to pay for local detention centers holding state prisoners. "The state paid out $2.9 million last year. The cost today is $5.5 million statewide. Is there a way in your report to tell us how many of your prisoners are state prisoners?"

Carillo said many are on probation violations and warrants. "I can separate them out," to which Webb said: "it would be helpful."

County Planner Anthony Gutierrez said he had the applications filed for the Loma Verde Estates Assessment District and for the LS Mesa Fire Station.

"I had to request a waiver, because we have not yet spent 50 percent of the Rosedale Road project," Gutierrez said. "Most of the expense is the paving. We don't pave in the winter. It should be paved by the time it is awarded."

He said he is looking for tap-ins for the expansion of the North Hurley sewer system.

"The Community Development Block Grant packets are ready to get submitted as soon as possible," Gutierrez said.

Hall said he gave some extra information on Tu Casa, the substance abuse treatment center to Priscilla Lucero, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments executive director.

Gutierrez said the surveys are ongoing for the Wind Canyon assessment district project.

Road Superintendent Earl Moore said the department is busy, because roads are in bad shape. "It's still too muddy to do much. We ask for patience from our residents. A lot of residents are calling me, telling me they can't get out on their roads."

He noted that potholes were popping up, but it was too cold to fill them. "We had vandalism damage of about $3,500 to our blades."

Randy Villa, General Services director, said his department is clearing snow from in front of several buildings, one at a time, and getting snow off roofs. He said leaks are being reported, and roofs need patching, as soon as it is warm enough.

"The Business and Conference Center is gutted out," Villa said. "The Bataan Memorial Park building is booked every weekend for the next year. Public Works is doing lots of work at the Detention Center for the nursing station."

He said wildland fire training has started. "I want to formally thank the rural fire chiefs who have served and are beginning to serve. I also thank Anthony for help on the process with the New Mexico Finance Authority."

Villa announced the Wildland-Urban Interface Conference will take place at Western New Mexico University March 31-April 2.

He also said that if schools are on a two-hour delay, so is Corre Caminos transit between Silver City and Bayard.

"We have airport projects and are working with Bohannon-Huston to get them done," Villa said.

Kasten clarified that school buses running on a two-hour delay begin running at 8 a.m.

Sheriff Raul Villanueva said his department was fairly busy over the holidays, especially New Year's Eve. "We have also been busy getting the vaults moved. Two have been moved. The evidence vault will be done shelf by shelf, documenting at both ends. We are short three employees. It's getting hard to recruit and fill empty positions."

Hall asked about DWI's New Year's Eve. "We had a couple. We are still trying to target domestic violence, which we deal with on a daily basis." As an El Refugio Inc. DV shelter board member, Villanueva said activity at the shelter "has picked up."

Assessor Raul Turrieta thanked commissioners for the moment of silence for his father, who recently died.

"It is the rendition period for businesses to report property for heads of households to file, and for veterans and those who are disabled to file for exemptions," Turrieta said. "Once you're in the system, you stay in the system. People should also report the livestock and business and personal property. This is the first year you have to render manufactured homes to clear up the record. Those 65 years and older, having a household income of up to $32,000 should file with my office."

He said his office has hired two new appraisers and has another opening for an appraiser/title examiner.

"We moved the old evaluations and old tax records," Turrieta said. "We found documents from 1891 and 1893. Thursday I will give you my annual report."

Hall said he was getting ready to give a presentation to the school. "I think the historic records will be a great asset."

Treasurer Steve Armendariz said his office has collected 60.89 percent of this year's property taxes, about $3 million. December copper production of $1,373,217.17 belongs to the county.

Clerk Robert Zamarripa said his office has a busy year coming up. "We are supporting the four municipal elections.

"March 8 is the day to sign up for county officesG