Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 12-13-1955 Regular — reading text

said if they bring in the list approved by the doctors and the committee then the Council can go on from there. Hr. Roberts asked 1'1r. ' I'i tler if he, consultant, had spent any money or put out any contracts. as Ml'. Titler rep~ ed that he had no authority to spend any money until they get the ap,lyoval of the Florida State Improvement Commission. Hr. Bass told Mr. Titler that he would not have the authority to spend any money then, that only the Council covId spend the money. The Council asked the amount of the lL,t sent to the Improvement Commis- sion for approval. They were told the amount was $ S5, 000. Hr. Hiller asked how much ' Has care of the,$ S5, 00o list. available to take Hr. Tit- ler replied there 38, was $500 of Hill- Burton Funds and donations of ap- proxima tely $lSOO plus the building permit tncome iran the city. Nr. Rodgers told the Council that the amount approved for equipment was 1518, 500,. and that the Council had made a mction earlier to ' get the qospital Board and Consultant to LO to the Improvement Commission and see if they w01)ld participate in the additional funds needed. If they cOl; ld not get additional Hill- Burton funds, then the equipment list was to be C1Jt because the council dil' not feel that they could raise the additional $ l6, 000, but did feel they could r(3.ise the city IS shate if Hill- Burton Funds C01Jld be obtained. The council asked that Mr. Titlerls letter to the FSIC be read. The letter was read in full as follows:  S9 October 27, 1955 I Mr. Autha W. Forehand, Supervisor Florida State I~provement Commission Tallahassee, Florida Dear Mr. Forehand: The equipment list for the Fort Walton Beach Hospital is complete and ready for final approval by aut10rized representatives of the Hill-, Burton program. If you ~ dll refer to the enclosed estimated cost analysis for the Ft. Walton Beach Hospital, Project No. Fla.- A- 38, thefotal, for Group II and III equipment is $ 37, 500. 00. The total amount for the requested equip- ment is $ 55, 465. 56 which includes Group I, II, and III items. After talking with Miss Bland, it is my understanding that the list will pro- bably be approved up to the authorized appropriation. Since I have al- ready talked wi~h you about our needs fer additional funds ($ 16, 000. 00) and know the amount is mot available at this tiem,_ I would like to call to your attention the action taken by the City Council, October 4, 1955, whereby they record are onas stating that the City of Fort Walton Beach would underwrite the $ l6, 000. 00 to complete the total amount required if federal funds cannot be arranged. I Therefore, the signatures below designate guarantee for the additional funds. our official authorization and If I can be of help to you or Miss Bland, in explaining our need for any items in the equipment list, please do not hesitate to ask. With best personal regards, I am Sincerely yours, sl Niles A. Titler Hospital Consultant lortWalton Be~ ch, Fla. Mr. Bass said the letter was contrary to the recommendation of the Council. He asked Mr. Rodgers to read the motion made b~l Mr. Roberts from the minutes. The motion was read in full by Mr. Rodgers as follows: Following a discussion, a motion was made by Mr. Roberts and seconded by Mr. Walker that the City underwrite the additional cost of $ l6, 000 with the understanding that if the Federal Government will not participate I the list can be cutdowTI. Vote aye, unanimous. Mr. Roberts told the council and Mr. Titler that Mr. Davis of the Durr Surgical Supply Company came down when he realized we were low on funds and asked to speak to the members of the Council. They contacted Mr. Brooks, Mr. Bass and himself and Mr. Davis told them that he, since he 90 wasa salesman, could not go down to TaJ"lahassee and ask them to give additional funds, but that he thought they would go along with giving additional funds for the equipment list. He told them that first the city would have to agree to underwrite $ 16, 000 and if they did not match the funds they would have to come back and cut the list. He. said Mr.- Titler was present at that meeting and at the council meeting when the motion was made and that he had misinterperted the motion, although he did not see why or how. Mr. Roberts told Mr. Titler that he was at the meeting and realized that the council did not have the money and that he was at both meetings. Mr. Earley told the Council that all they needed to do was what had already been discussed. Mr. Roberts replied that they get the will list within the next few days and that it will be approved by the cemmittee, the 4 doctors and it will be approved by the Council before it is submitted. Mr. Stewart told the Council that Ordinance No. 170 is. strictly for the operation of the hospital, not for the establishment of the hospital. Mr. Bell asked how long it would take for the delivery of the equipment after it is ordered. Mr. Roberts said he had been told they could get in by March. The company building the operating table had said they could get the ta!J1!: e by March. Mr. Stacy asked Mr. Bell what the misunderstanding was about that a meeting had to be held. Mr. Bell told Mr. Stacy that therE had been qui te a bit of discussion up and down the streets and the purpose of the meeting was to let the people know what is on therecords. Mr. Roberts said that last week a group was here who had tried to get do- nations for the they said that it was hard to do because hospital and accusations. had been made against people here and they did not know the answers to the accusations. Mr. Fleet said the financial statement prepared by the City and the financial statement prepared by Mr. Titler did not agree. for them He said his statement gave the price of the land for the hospital as $ l5, 000 plus $ 300 attorney fees while the city' s statment gave the price of the land as $ 10, 000. The c01illcil asked to see the statement prepared 1Jy Mr. Titler. Mr. Fleet was told the actual price of the land 10, 000 and that the cancelled check and all the records was $ were available in the office to prove that this was the cost. After studying the financial statement presented by Mr. Fleet which had been prepared by Mr. Titler for the hospital board, it was determined that Mr. Titler had, prepared his statement from the estimated cost of the hospital which~ ad been prepared. by the original committee appointed for the purpose of , nvestigating the possibilities of securing Hill- B~ rton aid and making a recommendation to the council as to which would be the best method of obtaining a city hospital. Mr. Fleet was. told that when this composed of business men of the town, committee, made their recomrnendatiQn to the council, which was that the city obtain Hill- Burton Funds' to" buiillrl a hospital, they submitted forms which gave  91 the estimated cost of the hospital and that it was from this Mr. Titler I had Mr. prepared his Stewart asked Mr. financial statement. Fleet if he had any questions about the operation of the hospita~, as to who has the responsibility. Mr. Fleet said he hag no questions, that he understood that th~ can' t do anything right now. Mr. Stewart then told Mr. Titler that he was working under the City Manager until the hospital goes into operation. Mr. RQdgers said he thouhgt some tenative budget should be set up until the hospital is in operation because supplies were needed for' operations now. Mr. Bass asked that official copy of the financial statement of the an Hospital Funds be given to the Hospital Board. Mr. Fleet said somethings need to be done now. He asked whose responsi- bility it to secure the proper insurance. was He was told that the Hos- pital Board was to get those things ready. Mr. Stewart told him that whatever the Council wanted to delegate to them, th~ could do. Mr. Stacy, told Mr.Fleet that the city set up a system for buying insurance about 2 years ago and that since the city will pay for the insurance, it should fall into th~ same catagory. Mr. Stewart told the Council that the 4 tests of an administrative body was what, when, how and whether, t~e first being what to do, the second I when to do it, the tmird how to do it, the fourth whether or not you are required to do it, and this was what they must do on the city council or any board set up, that they could not give blanket authority. Mr. Bass asked if they could borrow money to operate on. He answered his question by saying that the city cannot borrow mon~ to operate on, that it was against the law. He said that the funds would have to be provided to operate the hospital, that they cannot be borrowed.