Board of Commissioners
The Board of Marshall County Commissioners held a regular meeting on Nov. 4 in Room 107 of the Marshall County Courthouse in Madill.
All three commissioners,
Chairman Don ‘Salty’ Melton of District 1, Vice Chair Josh Cantrell of District 2 and Member Chris Duroy of District 3 were present.
Following approval of the prior meeting’s minutes, Melton moved onto the item concerning construction at the Marshall County Medical Center.
The agenda item called for a discussion and possible action to approve a construction contract with Piazza Construction Company and the Marshall County Medical Center Board of Control.
Melton said he spoke to Assistant District Attorney Heather Cooper on November 1 about possible changes to the contract. Cooper was not able to attend the meeting.
However, Cooper did leave a note with Mary Ann Hale, executive administrator to the commissioners, who shared the information.
“The note she gave me was just to make sure Marshall was spelled correctly,” she said. “In some areas it just had one l. Other than the changes that were already made, she said it was a complex contract, which is to be expected.”
Cantrell asked if Cooper had given any advice.
Hale responded that Cooper thought the Board of Commissioners had hired attorney Dustin Rowe to advise them on matters related to the hospital.
“Regardless, she said let her know if she can be of any assistance,” Hale said.
Hale said Danny Cryer, Marshall County sheriff, came by her office on Nov. 1 to look at the contract.
Melton asked what Cryer’s take was since the county recently completed the new jail.
Cryer shared his input.
“It was the exact same contract that we started out with on the jail,” he said. “It reads the exact same way. The only thing that raised my eyebrows was the change order clauses are written the exact same way.”
Cryer cautioned the commissioners about this language.
“I think the commissioners will remember how much money we had spent on change orders on that jail,” he said. “And that does not affect the overall cost.
That has to be paid out of some other fund.”
After a brief pause, Melton showed his copy of the Cooper’s note to the other commissioners. Then, he asked Hale to read the original aloud.
The text message read as follows: “Mary Ann, I read through both docs. They’re very complex contracts as would be expected when 8 million plus is involved. They need to spell Marshall correctly throughout and on page six of A101-2017 the owner is listed as Alliance. That is wrong. As I have not been privy to the negotiations, I’m not sure how much help I can be but would attempt to answer any questions Salty or the other guys have. I’m a bit confused as I thought the commissioners decided it was best to pay Dustin to advise on all things hospital. Regardless, let me know how else I can be of assistance.”
Melton added that Rowe was hired by the Board of Commissioners. Melton asked Duroy if the work was complete.
Duroy said that Rowe’s work was done. Melton said they took Rowe’s recommended changes.
Duroy spoke again; this time he asked a question of Sam Huffman, arshall County Medical Center Board of Control chairman.
“We have no penalties or anything if they don’t get done on time,” Duroy said. “If they put a 23-month schedule out there and it takes them six years to do it. The deal with the jail, we paid a guy to sit there on his butt over there for months and months. I’d like to see a penalty on this thing.”
Huffman said it was his understanding that there was a $250 a day penalty beyond the construction contract’s expiration date.
“But let me double check that,” he said.
Duroy said if they want a bonus for getting done then they should get a penalty if they don’t get it on time.
Huffman agreed.
Duroy asked for the contract to be revised to show it covers both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the total construction project.
Huffman said the Board of Control’s attorney, Ken Dillasahw, recommened combinging the two phases on the contract.
Following the review of recommended changes, both Cantrell and Duroy said they wanted to wait to take further action to approve the contract.
However, Huffman said the Board of Control would make the recommended changes to the contract and bring them back to the Board of Commissioners for approval.
This satisified the group. Further, Melton, said the Board of Commissioners could call a special meeting as early as Tuesday, November 11 to approve the changes.