City Council OKs hospital equipment
Some new equipment will soon make it easier for Hillsboro Community Medical Center to perform ear operations and match blood types.
That's thanks to three new items that HCMC plans to buy. The purchases were approved by the Hillsboro City Council Tuesday evening at their bi-weekly meeting. Mike Ryan, CEO of the hospital, was at the meeting to explain the new equipment.
The first piece of equipment is a surgical microscope that will be used by ear, nose, and throat specialist Dr. Wade Gaiddert, one of HCMC's part-time doctors. The microscope will cost $6,000 and have a two-year warranty.
Having the microscope could help increase the number of ear operations performed in Hillsboro, Ryan said.
The second item is a "gel system" that analyzes blood types. Since it's automated, it will take less time to match blood types to donors from blood banks. It's costing HCMC $4,975.
The final item is a "coag analyzer," which will be used to analyze blood in the hospital lab. HCMC is buying the same model that it currently has — but that analyzer is 10 years old, Ryan said.
A new analyzer normally costs $14,000, but the hospital is buying a refurbished one for $2,500.
The hospital has already budgeted for all these purchases, Ryan said.
In other council business:
— The council approved the payment of a $7,600 invoice for restoration work done on a north Hillsboro home.
The house, located at 301 N. Washington, is a part of the city's housing rehab program, which uses grant money to bring north Hillsboro homes up to code. Some of the work done on this house includes electrical work, a new furnace, and vinyl siding.
The council also approved a $1,500 payment for inspecting five remaining houses involved with the program.
— In board appointments, Adam Watham and Carolyn Penner were chosen to serve on the public library board.
— Councilmember Matt Hiebert and City Administrator Steve Garrett were elected to represent Hillsboro on the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency board of directors. Hillsboro is a member of the KMEA.
— At next week's meeting, the council will change the city's fireworks ordinance so that all ages can buy fireworks. Right now the ordinance says that you must be 16 to buy fireworks.
— The council held an executive session to discuss personnel.
— Garrett said that the Hillsboro Historical Society would like to hire a museum director. They would consider that person to be a city employee, he said, which requires a written job description.
Feb. 27 special meeting
On Thursday, Feb. 27, the council held a special meeting to discuss tax abatement issues as well as the upcoming Main Street revitalization.
The council discussed tax abatements for Container Services. Financial consultant Jerry Rayl came to the meeting with concerns that Container Services hadn't met projected numbers for sales and jobs. The company had projected that they'd have 20 full-time employees by 2002, and to date they have 18.
In paperwork that Container Services filed in January, the company had 15 employees, Rayl said.
Darrel Driggers, representing Container Services, said that as his company grows, it must become more automated in order to compete in his market. That automation requires fewer workers.
The group also discussed the number of workers living in Hillsboro and the number living in other areas of the county. Those local workers would impact the Hillsboro economy.
According to January figures, six of the company's workers lived in Hillsboro and nine lived outside the city limits, Rayl said.
But an employer can't choose workers on the basis of where they live — that's against the law, Driggers said.
Those workers living outside the town probably would contribute to the Hillsboro economy anyway, Rayl said, by shopping or buying gas here.
After further discussion, the council approved the abatement. It's a 100 percent abatement that's in two segments, one ending in 2005 and one ending in 2008.
