CCMSD board moves forward with clinic lease proposal

The Board of Trustees has agreed to offer a proposal that would allow Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) to lease space inside the new Hulett clinic in exchange for a contribution towards the building’s expenses.

On Wednesday, Board Attorney Kara Ellsbury suggested a proposal in which, “What we will pay is our proportionate share of the insurance, property taxes and utilities, based on square footage.”

The Crook County Medical Foundation will need to figure out the total cost of these items, Ellsbury said, and the district would then pay a certain percentage. The total would based on how much of the building CCMSD occupies.

Trustee Sandy Neiman confirmed that the foundation is in the process of gathering this information. The board agreed that a three-year contract would be best, with a two-year option.

The decision follows a discussion at December’s board meeting in which it transpired that leasing the space is not so easy a process as it might first appear. Trustees discussed issues such as reimbursement from Medicare, the impact on the rest of the district and the need for firm figures on the costs of the project and the size of the loans that will be needed on top of donated funds.

Ellsbury was directed to research the legal aspects of the issue before last week’s meeting and presented her conclusions to the board during the meeting.

With no issues raised regarding Ellsbury’s proposal, Neiman and Trustee Connie Lindmier reiterated their desire for CCMSD to provide an x-ray machine and other medical equipment for the clinic.

“Why should the building own the x-ray machine and all that equipment?” Lindmier asked.

Ellsbury confirmed that the district would be free to furnish the space with its own equipment, such as beds.

At Ellsbury’s suggestion, she was directed to take the offer to the foundation and ask for firm numbers as to what the district’s share of the costs will be. A motion was passed for Ellsbury to make the proposal that the district.

At the request of Neiman and Lindmier, the foundation will also be informed of the board’s intention to provide equipment, on the basis that this will avoid confusion and assist the foundation when planning for furnishings and electrical availability.

Once this negotiation has been completed, said Chairman Mark Erickson, the board can move forward with deciding how to dispose of the old clinic building in Hulett.