City, healthcare district reviewing proposed hospital costs
City, healthcare district reviewing proposed hospital costs
By: Mark Powell, Reporter, Tehachapi News
The proposed site for a new hospital in Tehachapi is not expected to change, though discussions regarding financial disagreements between the city of Tehachapi and hospital representatives are ongoing, healthcare district C.E.O. Alan Burgess said.
Burgess said the two sides have used “different bases” in determining the overall cost to build a new hospital along Magellan Drive in Capital Hills. Somewhere along the way, Burgess said, a disconnect was created between officials, causing the two sides to end up with different takes on just how much the new hospital would have to pay the city in its construction process.
Burgess said district officials and city engineers have began discussing exactly how much the hospital will need to pay.
“That's what we are going to try to do,” Burgess said.
Voters approved Measure A, a $50-million bond, on Nov. 3, 2009 to couple with a previous bond to pay for the proposed $67-million cost for constructing a new, acute-care hospital in Tehachapi.
Burgess said a professional estimator gave the district its final cost before asking the public to vote yes on the bond measure.
The district believed the cost to upgrade Voyager Drive in preparation for the new hospital was just under $2.2 million, Burgess said.
That cost, however, could be more.
Whenever a new project is constructed in the Tehachapi area, its builders must pay into a pot of fees that is used to help construct other new additions, such as stoplights, in the Tehachapi area, community development director David James said.
Burgess said Voyager Drive was “not a necessary part of construction” for the new hospital itself, which is expected to be built on Magellan Drive.
Despite difference in numbers, Burgess said there were no current, concrete talks of changing new hospital's construction location.
“We still want to build it in the same place,” Burgess said. “We'll work out the differences. I have nothing to gain by moving the place.”
Burgess called the financial issues “typical” for the planning of large projects like a new hospital.
City councilmembers Shane Reed and Phil Smith, mayor Linda Vernon, city manager Greg Garrett and James attended a healthcare district board meeting to discuss budget disagreements as well as the possibility of moving the new hospital site.
Board members expressed concern that fees for certain services, such as sewer and water, now appear higher than previously quoted.
“Those numbers should have been a part of your estimate before going to the public and asking for a bond,” Smith said.
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Comments
Reporter, hello? Are you awake? Why is this entire article simply Burgess whining (once again)? Why haven't you interviewed Greg Garrett and public works staff? Planning staff? I'll gi ve you one: Phil Smith is absolutely correct. How did Burgess and Clendenin "overlook" the costs of infrastructure while preparing The Plan?
If this white elephant is ever built, I hope it is built somewhere besides a dead-end road four lanes away from the folks who might use it, and within half-a-mile of a 150 mph train (speaking of possibly-to-be-built white elephants). I'm hoping this Glen Close of a money pit would just stay dead.
But as for the article, you've pointed out there is Fire Protection infrastructure as well as the road requirement. There are others, all with their own cost attached. The hospital's "professional estimator" apparently missed them all, as did our intrepid reporter.
P6 the hospital CEO, and it's board dont feel they need to put in a water tank to supply water for the fire protection equipment. They feel the fire department is making to big a deal out of the need for water!
PD I would give Mark a brake. The numbers are all over the place right now. The Hospital feels its going to cost $2.2 mil for a 1/2 mile of road. ( The City is putting over 1 mile of road at 1/2 that cost. So I dont think the hospital has a clue) I wouldn't print crazy numbers like that if I was the reporter.
Its time for a new Hospital Board and a new CEO! Dont let these fools try and move the hospital again.
I stopped voting "Yes" on hospital bond issues a bond issue ago. How many more times of this nonsense are foks willing to take?
It certainly isn't "typical", despite Burgess' opinion for project developers to overlook the cost of site improvements, permits, mitigations, and fees. It is typical, sadly, for the Tehachapi News to write an article devoid of the basic facts - in this case, the cost of the unbudgeted requirements. C'mon Mark - tighten your game up!
Blaming the fire dept., how so?
The very sad part of this whole fiasco is that we could have had a new hospital at that site up and running by now. What ever has been told to the folks about bad plans and all the rest of that garbage is nothing more than a big cloud of smoke created by the Board of DOCTORS whose only goal, and purpose was to destroy any possibilities of a new hospital for as long as they could . They have done their job well. Even if they are replaced in November, and a new group does what is right, you still have several years of construction.
We all new this was just a matter of time. It appears we, the tax payers, will be hit with yet another "bond" to build the new hospital because the board can't get their act together! Personally, I think whoever is holding up the project should pay the "extra" out of their own pocket.
When will you good folks come to the stark realization that the current Board of Doctors will do every, and anything within their power to scuttle the whole new hospital idea. They have already caused a totally unnecessary three year delay.