SCAD Board hires contactor for paving parking area

The board received two bids on paving the parking lot. Specifications by the architectural firm Sam A. Winn and Associates Architects, PC in Springfield called for a concrete surface. The two bids were: Persons with a bid of $72,000 and Brown Construction Company, Inc. of Dexter with a bid of $81,040. The bids were received Nov. 5 and reviewed by architect Gary Barbee from Winn and Associates, the firm that designed the new administration building.

Barbee said the bids included replacing any unsuitable soil down to a depth of two feet. He noted that if unsuitable soil is found deeper than two feet the cost from Persons Construction would be $40 per cubic yard for soil removal and replacing with oversized rock.

Barbee recommended the board take the low bid. He said he had checked into past work by Persons Construction and received good reports.

SCAD Director Al Banken stated, "It will be hard for me not to accept the bid of a local contractor."

He went on to say that there was not that much difference in the bids, but he understood if the board was required to accept the low bid.

Barbee said the board was not required to accept the low bid, but it would be "a good idea to have a good reason" for not accepting the low bid.

Director Stubbee May made a motion to accept the bid of Persons Construction and it passed by a 3-0 vote with Chairman Sam Huey, May and Director Sue Welborn voting in favor of the motion. Banken abstained. Directors Anthony Sifford and Chad Maddox were not present.

Wayne Jean, auditor, presented the board with a copy of the 2008 audit of the district.

"The Ambulance District had a good year in 2008," Jean said, "The assets increased by about $600,000 last year."

The audit showed that the district had total assets of $5,318,490.11 as compared to assets of $4,676,800.83 in 2007. Jean went on to note that the 2009 audit would show that many of the reserves were being used up as the district pays for the new administrative facility.

Banken asked Jean why the board was reviewing the 2008 audit instead of 2009. Jean responded that the audits were behind somewhat due to construction and changes in administrative personnel in the ambulance district. He said that now that construction was winding down, he would be able to work on the 2009 audit.

"We are about three months behind," Jean said.

Banken questioned whether the audit was required to be done on a yearly basis. Jean said Missouri statutes required that an audit be done annually. Banken said he would check further into it.

Jean reviewed some changes that need to be made on some administrative reporting forms but concluded that the audit showed it was "a good year" for the district.

May made a motion to approve the audit. It was approved by a 3-0 vote with Banken abstaining. Banken said he needed more time to review the audit before he would vote to approve it.

The board also addressed some problems with the installation of a stainless steel countertop and a dishwasher in the new building kitchen. The countertop has a gap between the counter and the wall and is bowed, according to SCAD Administrator Dave Cooper.

Barbee said he has sent two letters to Sikeston Kitchen Equipment Company asking them to fix the problem. He said he had received no response. Sikeston Kitchen Equipment was given the contract for the kitchen equipment at a cost of $20,208.40. The district recently paid the contractor $10,500 of the amount and withheld $9,708.40 in payment at the request of the engineer over the building project.

Barbee said he had obtained a price of $4,300 to replace the countertop and he recommended that they proceed with the replacement and deduct the amount from what is owned to Sikeston Kitchen Equipment. He said since the original contractor had made no communications with the district on fixing the problem, the district could proceed with hiring another contractor. The board agreed but Barbeee said a vote was not needed.

Barbee also said there was a problem with the dishwasher that was installed. He said the one that was installed by the contractor did not meet specifications. The problem is that the dishwasher has a water compartment in the bottom of the unit that has to be drained by manual means. He said specifications called for an automatic drain system. He said he would notify the contractor by letter of the problem and ask that a dishwasher that meets specifications be installed.

In other action, Cooper addressed the board about employee health insurance. The premiums went up sharply for the coming year and the board has looked into setting up Health Saving Plan for employees. Cooper said representatives of Principal Life Insurance (the health insurance carrier for SCAD) had met with employees. There are approximately 25 employees involved in the plan. Cooper said setting up the Health Savings Plan would save the district around $19,000 per year. He recommended that the board approve putting that savings into individual health savings plans for employees. He said it would amount to approximately $750 per employee. When asked, Cooper said the district would contribute a weekly amount to match employee contributions up to $750.

Banken made the motion to approve setting up the Health Savings Plan with Principal Insurance and matching up to $750 per employee for deposit into those accounts. It passed by a 4-0 vote.

The board approved paying account payable in October of $57,670.55. Cooper noted that patient revenue was up about $58,000 but that total revenue was down for the year about $60,000. He said much of that was due to loss of interest on reserve funds that were expended for new construction.

The board went into executive session and no further action was taken.