QUORUM COURT Moving Decision On Hold

COMMITTEE LACKS INFORMATION ON RELOCATION’S FEASIBILITY

By Tabatha Hunter

Posted: November 4, 2009 at 7:37 a.m.

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BENTONVILLE — The Benton County Quorum Court’s decision on relocating the county’s Health Department to the Center for Nonprofits in Rogers will have to wait.

The Finance Committee met Tuesday to determine if the move may be fi nancially feasible. Many members said they did not have information needed to make a decision.

“I have said before that, in a perfect world, if we had all of the money in the world, there is not better place for the HealthDepartment than in the Center for Nonprofits but we have to make sure it makes economical sense and we can a◊ord it,” Justice of the Peace Dan Douglas said.

“I have heard the judge say nowis a great time to build and now is a great time to buy,” Douglas said. “That is like the family sitting down at the dinner table and saying, ‘Hey kids, our hours are being cut at work, so we are not going to be able to buy shoes but, hey, there is a sale on Cadillacs,’” Douglas said.

The committee was costs associated with moving the Health Department. The Center for Nonprofits has offered to lease a large portion of the former St. Mary’s Hospital to the county for $1.96 million for 15 years with two options to renew. The annual costs, including maintenence and utilities of that lease amount to $104,940. Another option is to lease a smallerportion under the same terms for $1.79 million with annual costs of $91,498.

The spreadsheet also detailed annual savings of $133,950 from moving several offices currently leased into the Health Department’s building on S.W. 14th St., in Bentonville.

Members noticed not all of those costs associated with the potential move were included.

Douglas said he would like to see an estimate how much it will cost to remodel the Health Department building to make it suitable for other county o◊ces.

Richard McComas, county comptroller, estimated remodeling would likely be between $100,000 and $200,000, a figure not included in the cost presented to the committee.

“Dollars are not in here (the spreadsheet). There areno money costs,” Justice of the Peace Frank Winscott said. “We need to get our ducks in order.”

Marge Wolf reminded members a decision on the matter is important because the Center for Nonprofits cannot wait indefi nitely.

“There is a good opportunity we could lose an opportunity we should be looking at very hard,” Wolf said. “We are hanging somebody out here and we have had them hanging out there for a long time.”

Betsy Reithemeyer, chief operating o◊cer of the Jones Trust which oversees the Center for Nonprofits said she hopes a decision is reachedbefore the year’s end.

“Having the Health Department (at the Center for Nonprofits) is important to us, but we can not wait forever,” Reithemeyer said, noting a decision by Jan. 1 would allow the Health Department could open in its new location as early as next fall.

News, Pages 1 on 11/04/2009

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