| |
Commissioners approve PCMH salary schedule
It appeared it would be just a routine item on the agenda of the Pecos County Commissioners Court, one that would be approved as a matter of course.
And the commissioners did approve, in the end, the salary schedule for Pecos County Memorial Hospital, but not before the commissioners vigorously debated the matter for nearly two hours.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Juan Rodriguez openly challenged PCMH chief executive officer Russell Tippin on the structure of the schedule, saying that he felt it would be better to focus pay increases in the lower levels as a way to keep and attract personnel.
Tippin said that the schedule, which had already been approved by the hospital's Board of Managers, included raises of as much as 35 percent for those at the bottom of the schedule. He said the schedule presented to the court represented a considerable investment of time by hospital officials and board members.
"Health care finance is like no other finance in the world," Tippin said. "I really feel like our budget and our pay scale is the best we can do."
Rodriguez said he felt that a better job could have done, which prompted Precinct 3 Commissioner Jay Kent to wonder if Rodriguez wanted the court to manage the hospital.
"We've got professionals to run the hospital," Kent said. "We have a CEO, a CFO and a (director of nursing). They're the heart of the hospital. ... We shouldn't be telling them, 'We want you to do this and this, but we're only going to give you half the money you need.'"
Precinct 1 Commissioner George Riggs said, ultimately, approval or disapproval of the schedule was going to create unrest.
"Either way," Riggs said. "You can't keep everybody happy."
Among other business, the court:
>> approved an order exempting the determination of a contract award from competitive bidding for property and casualty insurance
>> approved renewal of property and casualty insurance for $297,360.21
>> approved the 2009 Web site maintenance contract for Pecos County with Westex Design
>> appointed Robin Rodriguez to a two-year term and reappointed Cathy Allen to a four-year term on the Iraan Library Board to begin Jan. 1
>> appointed Precinct 4 Commissioner Santiago Cantu to a two-year term on the Pecos County Rural Rail Transportation District to begin Jan. 1
>> approved an agreement between the county and the City of Fort Stockton to run city utilities about one-half mile on 7-D Road and to transfer county easements and dedicated rights-of-way for city utilities for Weatherford International Oil Field Services
>> approved a request from Dawson Geophysical Services to conduct a 3-D geophysical survey for 20 acres in the vicinity of Imperial on behalf of Browning Oil Company Inc.
>> approved the purchase of two utility vehicles for Precinct 3 Park and Road and Bridge; estimated cost is $18,000-$19,000
>> awarded a bid for a bat wing mower for Precinct 2 to Metro for $12,465, provided the bid meets specifications
>> awarded a bid for two-room sleep lab and sleep lab equipment for Pecos County Memorial Hospital to Manoher L. Gurru M.D. out of Midland for $650 per month for five years
>> approved the purchase of a tanker for Fort Stockton Volunteer Fire Department; the county's share is $195,929
>> approved a request for assistance from the Texas Department of Transportation for engineering and signage for intersection at US 285 and Puckett Road
>> approved the purchase of a bat wing mower for Precinct 3 from South Plains Implement of Seminole for $19,809.72
>> approved the correction of right-of-way for several 7-D Road tracts
>> approved payment of overtime, accounts payable and update on Physical Therapy and Wellness Center, as presented by Tippin
>> approved financial report and payment of county overtime, as presented by County Treasurer's officer
>> approved line item transfers and budget amendments, reports of county offices and all accounts, as presented by County Auditor's officer
>> approved the Timely Payment Resolution, which allows the County Auditor to pay bills when due
|
