McCook Daily Gazette: Local News: County accepts bid for new storage building at fairgrounds (01/05/10)

Red Willow County commissioners authorized the fair board to accept a bid for a storage building and shop on the fairgrounds in McCook during their weekly meeting Monday morning.

Commissioners also denied -- again -- a resident's request that the county pay for dental work, and were updated on the status of a loan from the county's revolving loan fund.

Fair board secretary Deb Lafferty told commissioners that the fair board received estimates for a stick-built shop from two McCook companies, one for $31,850 and another for $56,602. Fair board members then negotiated with the low bidder, J.L. Construction, for a steel building and recommended to commissioners that they build a steel building for $31,200.

Lafferty said the building would be paid for over two budget years -- $13,000 from the fair board budget yet this budget year and $13,000 again next budget year, and the remainder, $5,200, from the Kiplinger Arena budget. Splitting payment for the building between two budget years complies with a recommendation to do so by commissioners and avoids having to enter into a lease-purchase agreement for construction.

The building, 30 by 50 feet, would be positioned between the race track's east fence and the north-south road that passes by the Community Building on the west.

Fair board members will finalize the bid acceptance at their monthly meeting Wednesday.

Commissioners once again denied an appeal from Anna Perry Hutchinson of McCook, who has twice requested and been denied county medical assistance for dental surgery and dentures.

The McCook office of Nebraska Health and Human Services, which administers the county's general and medical assistance programs, has denied Hutchinson's request for assistance twice, both denials based upon income that exceeds guidelines. Hutchinson's request and denial in September prompted the county to update and increase income levels previously set in 1987.

Hutchinson told commissioners Monday morning that her three-month gross income still exceeds guidelines; she is still requesting that the county pay to have her teeth surgically removed and that she then be fitted with dentures.

Commission Chairman Earl McNutt told Hutchinson that the acceptance and income guidelines updated last fall "are pretty standard across the state." There is a question, too, about whether dental work is "medically necessary" and even included in assistance programs, he said, explaining that dental work, home health care, nursing care and chiropractic care are excluded from coverage in many county medical assistance programs.

Commissioner Leigh Hoyt told Hutchinson, "Our hands are tied. HHS has denied your claim on income. I don't know what else to do."

Hoyt told Hutchinson that he is frustrated that -- even after he made the suggestions -- she hasn't investigated all avenues to pay for the necessary dental work, such as checking with a dental teaching college, arranging to make payments for services provided or finding surgeons/dentists who will accept payments.

"If you're in this much pain," Hoyt said, "I can't believe you're not investigating every avenue to have the work done."

McNutt declined to make any exception for Hutchinson's case. "That's the dilemma," he said. "If we bend the rules and regulations for one, it opens the door wide open for others," to ask for exceptions.

Hoyt said, "As far as we're concerned, we're done. We've re-evaluated our guidelines and HHS has denied a second claim."

The vote to deny Hutchinson's appeal was unanimous.

Betty Kenner, owner of Accents Etc. and a recipient in August 2006 of a $70,000, seven-year loan from the county's revolving loan fund, told commissioners that she intends to liquidate inventory until her loans are paid.

Kenner is current on monthly payments to the county and she told commissioners she hopes to keep it that way, but that gift shops have been hit particularly hard by nationwide economic woes.

"I want to reassure you, I'm doing what I can," Kenner said. "I will get the county paid back. I've paid more than $30,000 (in payments). I don't want to be compared to the helicopter company," that paid only $4,416 on a $300,000 county loan over 4 1/2 years and is now in default and in court.

Kenner said she plans to take 10 percent off most of her inventory each month through Crazy Days in July. "Then I can dog-paddle through until the economy improves," she said, although she worries that the gift industry may be the last to recover. Kenner's shop in downtown McCook sells gifts, framing and flowers, and includes antique consignment booths in the basement.

Commissioners took no action on Kenner's plan. McNutt said they appreciate the update.

In other action, commissioners reviewed escrow papers regarding the apartment house at 524 Norris that the county is purchasing for $50,000 from Kenny and Stannis Spencer. Closing on the property will be Feb. 1.