An unresolved flooding and sewage issue at North Sunflower Medical Center in Ruleville is about to be addressed.
On Monday, hospital Executive Director Billy Marlow petitioned the Sunflower County Board of Supervisors to allocate more than $600,000 of the county's American Rescue Plan Act funds to fix the problem.
"It is a lot of money," Marlow acknowledged.
The cure will require work be done not only on the hospital campus, but also along some city streets.
Of the three members present on Monday, the vote was unanimous to assist. District 3 Supervisor Ben Gaston and District 4 Supervisor Anthony Clark were absent.
However, the unanswered question now is how to best provide the money needed to complete the project.
During the ensuing discussion, District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald suggested paying for the more than half-million dollar project with a bond and said, "I'm all for whatever the county can do to enhance North Sunflower County Hospital."
He substantiated his support by mentioning that over the years the hospital has not accepted county-allocated funds and that the hospital employs more than 600 workers, many of whom pay taxes in the county.
He indicated that his bond suggestion was also due to the fact that a considerable amount of the ARPA money was being considered for making improvements at the courthouse and other county buildings.
President Riley Rice reminded the other members that the Sunflower County Consolidated School District is also considering the possibility of issuing a bond that if passed would also add additional taxes to the entire county. “Whatever we do, we're going to help the hospital, we're going to help you get this $610,000 and that will be in our plan,” Rice said.
However, Attorney Johnny McWilliams cautioned that if a bond were issued it would have to be repaid by the taxpayers in the northern hospital district.
He also reminded them that although the ARPA money could possibly be used for Marlow's request they should remember that a completed plan of action stating how the entire $2.4 million is going to be used has to be excogitated and submitted before any money is spent.
In addition to the $2.4 million already received, the county is expected to get an additional $2.4 million. So Donald then presented the possibility of taking half of the $610,337.30 from the current amount and the other half when the second allotment comes in.
McWilliams suggested that a better option might be a short-term loan. And then he raised several questions including who would have the contractual obligation for the project, whether it would be the county or the medical center.
Marlow suggested that the hospital sign the contract because of the way the institution is set up.
As a critical care facility, it would be better for them to contract with the provider and for the county to give them the money because the hospital would be fully reimbursed for what it spends.
McWilliams then asked if he would be reimbursed for the portion of the project that is not located on the premises of the hospital.
“I've got no problem with us doing it because we're going to either be doing it for North Sunflower Medical Center or we going to be doing it on property that’s owned by the City of Ruleville. We're going to be running sewer lines for the hospital, but it's going to have to go through streets that don't belong to the hospital, that don't belong to us. They belong to Ruleville. We really may have to have some sort of interlocal agreement between us, the hospital, the city, I don't know,” McWilliams said.
The vote was made after McWilliams suggested that they put a board order on the books specifying the needs of the hospital and that the county intends to fix it by either ARPA funds or by directing him to figure out what avenue is the best. Acknowledging that he doesn't have a solution yet, McWilliams said, “I don't know what we're going to have to do and I don't really know the best way.”
