BAMBERG – Bamberg County Council is weighing its options as it continues to work to offset the Bamberg County Hospital’s debt and correct safety issues at the facility.

Following an executive session at the end of a regularly scheduled meeting Monday night, council approved spending up to $350,000 from a $1.5 million bond it had previously approved to assist the hospital. The bonds are to be distributed on an as-needed basis for specific hospital projects only.

“That should take us through the end of October on work,” Bamberg County Administrator Rose Dobson-Elliott said Tuesday.

“We borrowed $1.5 million, and the renovations we’re doing to the hospital are going to run ... $4.2 million at minimum. Obviously, we have a shortfall there. We’ve got to figure out a way of getting the rest of the funding that we need.”

Kurt Meyer, the hospital’s chief executive officer, reported Monday that the facility continues to be on target in meeting its benchmarks as mandated by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control in order to stay in compliance with the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

Dobson-Elliott said Tuesday that a base lease and conveyance agreement and an installment purchase and use agreement are among council’s options for securing additional funding.

“We’re basically trying to look at the best way ... that will get us the best interest rate and that will keep us on track with the construction and renovation work,” Dobson-Elliott said. “We’re going to have a meeting on Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. to take that up, and we’re going ahead to schedule a meeting on the 18th (of September) at 6 p.m. for a proposed second reading to an ordinance. The proposed first reading is taking in information from the bond attorneys.”

She said the council is weighing every option as it works to secure the hospital’s existence and viability, including the possibility of selling or leasing it or entering into a long-term management agreement with a management company.

“We’re looking at February or March before we get enough data to actually go out on the market to see where our options are going to be. We’re weighing our options. We’re making some progress,” the administrator said.

In the meantime, Meyer informed council that the hospital was able to see a 31 percent reduction in its operating loss based on an increased patient volume in July. The nursing home, which he said was also doing a better job of capturing revenues, actually saw a 70 percent decrease in operating losses.

Meyer said an additional revenue of $194,000 was seen in July as a result of “right-sizing” in late July. He said a 13 per cent decrease in salaries and wages would improve the hospital’s expense reduction.

Collections were up 11 percent in July from the month of June, with August collections up by another 2 percent.

Meyer said accounts payable numbers, however, were a different story. “We’re making a fully minimum impact. That’s a significant liability for us right now, but we are making the payments as are necessary for day-to-day operations,” he said.

In other business, Bamberg County Council:

* Approved a proclamation to designate Sept. 15-19 as Industry Appreciation Week.

* Approved a proclamation to recognize Midway resident Ruby Williams’ 100th birthday on Oct. 10.

* Tentatively agreed to a request from West Edisto Club President Owen J. Williams Jr. that the county-owned Edisto Drive Road in the Holman’s Bridge Community be turned over to the club. Williams said ownership of the road, which extends from the South Edisto River by a distance of 800 ft., was relinquished by the state in 1970. The club now wants to begin maintaining the road for its members and the community.

“If the county abandons it completely and turns it over to the club, then I think it could potentially be some issues between those other landowners, whether they have access or not. There is a dispute going on down there,” Bamberg County Attorney Richard Ness said.

“I don’t mind passing it in first reading in title only. I think we need more information. ... I don’t have a problem with people maintaining what’s in front of them ... but I don’t want to get embroiled in some dispute” over public access, Council Chairman Chris Wilson said.

* Received a report from Bill Johnson, building inspector, that the county has issued 344 building permits; 78 manufactured home permits and 10 demolition permits since January. Johnson said he has also started files on four nuisance properties in the county and assured Bamberg County Councilwoman Alzena Robinson he would look at a trailer park on Carlisle Street because she had received complaints about derelict mobile homes there.

“It’s tough being a one-man show,” Johnson said, noting he has been asking for clerical assistance.

“It’s an issue,” Robinson said. “If we’re going to make Bamberg presentable, we’re going to have to do something. You should have somebody. I’m not advocating one way or the other; I’m just looking at how we need to be realistic. ...”

Johnson said the county will redo the zoning maps before bringing a zoning ordinance to the council for adoption following mandatory public meetings. Bamberg Planning Commission Chairman Larry Watt said the commission will meet on Oct. 13. “We plan on having a first public input into the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinances on the 20th (of October), and we would certainly like to have your input and blessings before we go to the public,” Watt said.

* Gave first reading in title only to an ordinance authorizing an amendment to a multi-county park agreement between Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton counties to provide for an expansion of the park to include Project Canoe. The project is a $72 million investment that would create approximately 55 jobs to establish and support a new manufacturing, processing and production facility in Barnwell.

T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534.

You must be logged in to comment.