Greater Regional protects popular intersection

What is visible at the southwest corner of West Adams and South Sumner streets is what it is and will be; open space.

During the Greater Regional Medical Center board’s meeting Monday, Chief Executive Officer Monte Neitzel said that lot will remain undeveloped.

“We have no plans to do anything with that corner,” Netizel said. “We are not going to rebuild anything.” Neitzel referred to speculation the hospital would take action on the property after having the house removed.

“It was a house beyond repair,” he said. Netizel said the motive was to remove a property that was a deterrent, considering the high visibility of the intersection.

Neitzel said he did not rule out the option of having another organization work with the property, as long as it remained some kind of open space or park.

“It will be pleasant looking,” he said.

Neitzel also said verbal agreements have been made for the center to purchase 1106 N. Cottonwood from the Smith Trust. The purchase price is $200,000.

He said the approximate 1.8 acres will eventually be used for office space.

“We are not landlocked and don’t want to be landlocked,” he said about the property.

In other board news....

Chief Financial Officer Matt McCutchan said an additional $106,827 will be needed to finish improvements to a parking lot that work started last year. The total cost of the project is about $475,000.

McCutchan also said bids are being received to repair another parking lot, one which is popular for deliveries by semi trucks. The weight of the trucks and constant use has damaged the surface.

He was unsure when a company could begin work. Bids are expected to be reviewed during their June meeting.

Expenses for a physician sleep room were approved at $38,000. That was about $13,000 more than budgeted.

A number of laptops and desktop computers have are no longer useful, according to center information technology director Aaron Chapman. He was approved by the board to purchase 90 laptops and 55 desktops. Chapman expects delivery in October.

“We feel pretty good about what we are doing,” Neitzel said, “but obtaining equipment is a challenge.”

The old computer hard drives will be destroyed although some computers may be kept as a back up.