The Kinder Council heard from hospital personnel, who outlined their plans to improve healthcare in Kinder. Organizers to improve healthcare asked the council to support their efforts.
Jacqueline Costley-Reviel, CEO of Allen Parish Hospital, said the hospital celebrated its 50th anniversary in June. It’s present building is 50 years old, and they would like to build a new ER, surgical and rural health care system in the first phase of their plans. They want to utilize the 12 mills tax that has been approved by voters for the last 30 years.
Organizers will ask taxpayers to continue to support the hospital district by approving the 12 mills tax that has been on the books for several decades. However, each time the tax was reapproved, it was done for 10 years. This time, the hospital is asking that the 12 mills be approved for 30 years, so they can borrow more money to make improvements.
Costley-Reviel explained voters will see this as a new tax on the November ballot because they are asking for it to be approved for 30 years instead of the 10 years. The 12 mills expires in 2020 and generates about $675,500 per year. The proposed 12 mills for 30 years, which would expire in 2052 if approved, should generate $637,276.75 per year. By extending the number of years, she said this will free up $21 million that can be used to borrow the monies for improvements.
The first phase of the project would add new buildings to the old facility. The second phase would demolish the back of the present building and the final phase would continue the destruction of the entire building. She said ground breaking ceremonies on the first phase would begin in the first quarter of 2020 – probably February or March.
Royce Scimemi, CPA, APAC, presented the audit which had no findings. In the year ending management’s discussion and analysis, he said, “The Town’s assets exceeded its liabilities by $10,384,639 (net position) for the fiscal year reported. Total revenues of $4,264,588 exceeded total expenses of $4,075,962 which resulted in a current year surplus of $188,626. In comparison, for the previous year ended June 30, 2018, the Town’s total revenues of $3,653,431 were exceeded by total expenses of $4,186,403, yielding a deficit of $532,972.”
Scimemi added, “Overall, the Town’s financial position improved in the current year and the Town continues to maintain a strong financial position. It is continuing to work to improve on this financial position.”
He said the town worked to curb spending and made some cost savings. In the police department they managed to spend $100,000 less this year than last year.
Town Clerk Traci Fontenot said they re-evaluated insurance providers a few years ago to find some cost savings. The town also has worked to find other savings. The police department has done the same.
Scimemi told the council on page 10 under capital assets and debt administration, “The Town’s investment in capital assets, net of accumulated depreciation, for governmental and business-type activities as of June 30, 2019, were $5,778,711 and $6,143,095, respectively, while those figures as of June 30, 2018, were $5,386,691 and $6,540,779 respectively.”
He said a lot of information existed in the audit and said the town would have to consider increasing utility fees in the next few years to cover costs and improvements in these areas as systems age from usage. He said the town could help by bringing new business to town to increase its funds generated. He said council members would probably have to begin addressing these issues in two to three years.
In his report, Police Chief Paul Courville said his department worked one battery in the last month; two burglaries; one disturbance; three juveniles and three thefts and made 15 arrests involving controlled substances.
Town engineer Wesley Miller received approval to begin applying for $35,000 for a LGAP grant for waste water and $35,000 for CWEF.
After discussing the usage of golf carts and ATVs, it was agreed the council would revisit the ordinance at the next meeting.