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School bond goes down at the polls
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THE GAZETTE-TRIBUNE
TONASKET – The Tonasket School District’s second attempt at passing a 12-year facilities improvement bond has failed to gather enough votes to give it the required 60 percent needed to pass. While the nearly $7 million bond did get a majority 57.2 percent it wasn’t enough to push it through, according to Okanogan County elections officials with the Auditor’s Office, which last did a ballot count on Thursday, Feb. 12. The final count will be Feb. 24 and the election will be certified that day as well. The bond was an even larger request than was asked of school district voters last year – by nearly $1 million. It would have been collected at the rate of $1.58 per $1,000 of property valuation.
If approved, the project would affect nearly the entire campus, divided into six sections: sports complex upgrades, Elementary School expansion; new space for the Alternative/Outreach school; Agricultural Shop expansion; Middle School expansion (that would also have freed up some High School space); and campus wide safety and security upgrades. * Sports facilities upgrades would have include an ADA-accessible path from the Elementary School all the way to Havillah Road; resurface the track; upgrade the baseball and softball fields (including the playing surfaces, as well as fencing to prevent injury to spectators); and restrooms/concessions (likely
SEE BOND | PG A2
Tonasket fricassees city chicken idea BY KATIE TEACHOUT KATHERINE@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
Gary DeVon/ staff photos
Queen Ellamae Ellamae Burnell, (above, center) was chosen to be this year’s May Festival Queen at the 2015 Selection Night event held at the Oroville High School Commons last Monday night. Brunell and her court, Princess Faith Martin (above, left) and Mikayla Scott (above, right), all juniors at OHS, particpated in the Selection night by giving speeches and answering an impromptu question. Those in attendance were invited to cast their ballot for the candidate or their choice. These ballots, combined with the judges’ scores were what decided which girl would be queen. After the announcement by emcee Tony Kindred, Queen Ellamae and Princesses Faith and Mikayla were given flowers by last year’s Queen, Kylee Davis and Princess, Bethany Roley. Ballot officials were Stacey Carlton, a former May Day Queen, Monica Knight, Sarah Knight, Teresa Hawkins, Terry Mills and Peggy Shaw. Entertainment that night was provided by Gwen Hankins and Mayria Mathis doing a dance number and Pie Todd singing “Amnesia.” Hometown Pizza and Bakery provided refreshments.
TONASKET - Tonasket City Council members voted 4-1 at the Feb. 10 council meeting not to change the city code dating back to 1950 stating no chickens are allowed within the city limits. Council members were considering amending the code to allow residents to have no more than four chickens over four months of age, and no more than a total of 12. Opponents against the idea voiced concerns over poultry diseases, cleanliness, neighbors in close proximity to each other, and enforcement issues. Council member Jill Vugteveen said she would not support having chickens in town until the city could afford an enforcement officer. “I would rather our city police focus on heavier issues such as drug use and domestic violence than chickens,” Vugteveen said. “I say no because of the enforcement issue, and if people want eggs, there’s always the farmers market,” said council member Lois Rice, adding “I want to see the town cleaned up, not chickened up.” Council member Claire Jeffko said she didn’t support chickens within the city limits “for the same reasons Jill has stated. There’s no problem finding people who sell eggs. I just don’t think it’s a very sanitary thing to have in the city.” “I’m with Jill,” said council member Dennis Brown. Council member Scott B. Olson was the sole vote in favor of chickens in town,
with Mayor Patrick Plumb also hoping for poultry rights. Plumb said people living in the newly annexed rural residential area of Mill Drive and Bonaparte Creek who already had chickens would have those rights grandfathered in. The council adopted resolution 2015-3 to move forward with the open record hearing to annex property owned by Double S Meats contiguous to the city of Tonasket at their next council meeting Feb. 24. “Double S Meats needs water, so that is why they’re annexing,” said Plumb, adding that there is already a water line in place next to the property. The council voted unanimously to have a franchise agreement fee of $3000 in place for the first year of North Valley Hospital having exclusive use of the concrete pad abutment behind the hospital on First Street. The abutment allows room for the MRI trailer that parks there every week, but the council is hoping the hospital will be able to make room for the MRI unit in the basement of the hospital in the near future. NVH had counter-offered the city’s proposed yearly fee of $3000 with an offer of $1500 per year. “Changes of right of way need to be paid for,” said Plumb. Residents recently voiced concern over the dumpsters behind the hospital rolling out onto the sidewalk and onto Western Avenue.
SEE CHICKENS | PG A2
NVH won’t have to pay back medical group BY KATIE TEACHOUT KATHERINE@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
TONASKET - North Valley Hospital board members learned they will not be responsible for paying back a portion of a cash advance to Caribou Trail Professional Medical Services Group, aka Caribou Trail Orthopedics. “Mid-Valley Hospital is stuck with a debt NVH would have had to pay had it been taken through the proper channels and voted on,” reported Commissioner Herb Wandler, who added that Caribou Trail is operating on a very low budget. Caribou Trail Orthopedics (CTO) serves North Valley Hospital, Mid-Valley Hospital in Omak, Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster and Grand Coulee Hospital, with Mid-Valley owning the largest percentage of the business at 55 percent. NVH owns 9 percent, Three Rivers owns a portion, and Grand Coulee has a small
minority interest. “Mid-Valley has been transferring money to Caribou Trail, and Mike Billings, CEO at Mid-Valley, asked NVH to pay their 9 percent of that debt,” said Linda Michels, CEO of NVH. Michels said Caribou Trail, which gets their revenue from surgeries, was not doing well and the money was an attempt to get the business solvent. “None of the procedures were followed, so we sent the issue to our attorney, Mick Howe, and he agreed it was an unsecured loan that was never agreed upon for us to send to Caribou Trail, so we don’t owe the money. Brewster has done the same thing.” “This is not a loan; we cover the cash flow needs of Caribou Trail Orthopedics because we are the majority holder,” said MVH’s Billings. “NVH, Grand Coulee and Brewster have not been asked to pay anything at this point.”
OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 111 No. 08
Billings said cash advances made to CTO over the past 30 months have accumulated to just over $1 million. “Some months we have to advance CTO a little money, and some months we get a little back, but it has been several months since we have been able to bring any money back in,” he said. A preliminary finding from the State Auditor’s Office is on his desk, and he has been asked to write a response regarding how they were going to make CTO a more sustainable operation, according to Billings. “We have hired a CPA firm with expertise in developing management advisory services for hospitals and clinics, and we are having them investigate different strategies and develop the hard numbers. Their report will help us figure out how to design a strategy that may work better in the future,” Billings said. He added that a lot depends on what the federal government decides regard-
ing reimbursing orthopedic procedures. Billings expects the full report in March. “On the financial side Caribou Trail is struggling, but on the business side they are doing great,” said Billings. “They have a new doctor, Dr. Josua Drumm, who loves being here, and business is picking up.” Billings said another doctor currently in residency, Dr. Thompson, is expected back to work at CTO by or before summer of 2018. “Caribou Trail Orthopedics generates $13 to $15 million in service and sales in the greater Okanogan region. It’s a substantial business worth fighting for that provides jobs and payrolls to a lot of people,” said Billings.
NVH CASH INCREASES NVH reported an increase in cash over the past 12 months, with the total cash in hand at $493,081 as of Feb. 12.
ER USE UP Katrina Kindred, reporting for the Emergency Department, said the hospital saw a 10.6% increase in emergency room use over the last year, with 4,133 patients seen in 2014. “We’re not seeing patients come in for less urgent issues, but are seeing more correct use of the emergency room,” Michel said. NVH takes part in a state-wide program called ER is for Emergencies. The program, according to Michel, has reduced visits to emergency rooms by
SEE NVH BOARD | PG A2
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Michel said the ideal would be to collect 90 days cash on hand, a goal she said could take years to accomplish. “If the hospital had to close in the event of a big emergency, such as a fire, we could lose all the extra cash flow,” said Michel.
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