Show s million hospital bond election goes to voters Tuesday The future of the proposed Uintah County Hospital improvement plan willbe will willbe willbe be determined by voters as they go to the polls Tuesday and express their desires in voting either for or against a Special Bond Election The special election is to allow the sale of general obligation bonds of Uintah County not to exceed bearing interest not more than 6 per cent and payable for no longer than 16 years The funds from the sale of these bonds will go exclusively for the cost of erecting repairing rebuilding and furnishing hospital facilities for Uintah County BESIDES A new 36 bed acute care hospital structure the hospital project includes remodeling the west wing of the present structure including the heating system to connect onto the new structure The cost also includes fees and site improvement and landscaping landscaping landscaping land land- and moveable equipment The new structure will be approximately square feet all on one floor with 10 0 private rooms and 26 semiprivate semi semiprivate semiprivate private rooms The new complex complex complex com com- plex will have the possibility of future expansion of another 36 beds if necessary due to the growth of the area The existing building will be adapted to an extended care nursing home complex with 34 beds beds' in the fut future t wh when n funds are available This can begin as soon as the new structure is finished if necessary IT IS estimated that the hospital bonds will add 4 mills to the county property tax levy This will amount to a 20 per year increase for a taxpayer with an assessed property value of Uintah County presently has no bonded indebtedness in In- The proposed hospital structure will be built to the west of the present hospital reaching to o near the church ward chapel which will not need to be torn down for the construction phase Uintah County owns the entire hospital block property and will tear teardown teardown teardown down the Ward Chapel when it itis itis itis is no longer in use Uintah County purchased the Chapel property and also the lease on the existing hospital property The county traded Vernal City for the southeast corner of the block ARCHITECT FOR the proposed hospital plans is Edwards and Daniels Associates of Salt Lake City If the Do bond d e election edlo is approved the plans will be submitted to contractors for bid and a date set for bid opening with the job going to the lowest bidder Construction to start in early spring and be ready for use as early as the summer of 1979 Uintah County Commissioners Commissioners Com Com- missioners Roland Merkley Neil Nell Domgaard and Melvin Burke have studied the various hospital proposals and building programs and have submitted the present proposal as the best to provide the medical service in the most economical and beneficial manner According to the Commissioners Commissioners Commissioners Com Com- missioners the future of health healthcare healthcare healthcare care in Uintah County depends on the voters Tuesday JUSTIFICATION FOR proposed hospital improvements improvements improvements im im- are based on the following reasons according to the commissioners It is estimated that the total cost to I Uintah County patients who travel to the Wasatch front for medical services exceeds annually Present structure is 28 years old built in 1949 Present structure re is physically and technically obsolete Present physical layout surgery operating delivery is not efficient Heating system is deteriorated and inefficient There is no central air con- con Continued on Page 4 Bond election Continued from Page 1 The present structure is overcrowded and no longer capable of providing proper service The present structure is operating on waivers from Federal and State governments for physical plant deficiencies One out of every two patient days spent in a hospital bed by residents of Uintah County is spent out of Uintah County The present structure is a handicap for drawing new physicians and professional employees to Uintah County and the Basin The patient rooms require sharing of plumbing facilities The steps to the entrance and between floors causes inconvenience inconvenience in inconvenience in- in convenience to the elderly and handicapped If a new facility is not provided excessive operational and restoration expense will be incurred Based ased on Utah State Health Authorities facts Uintah County's population will be by 1985 excluding oil shale development By y 1980 the demand for patient bed days will exceed the supply available in the present structure Every patient day served out of Uintah County is lost revenue to the community The election polls will open at 7 am a.m. Tuesday and remain open until 8 pm p.m. For the purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose of the special hospital bond election the voting districts have hav been combined into 11 districts instead of the usual 24 The districts and polling places are arc as follows Consolidated District No 1 Jensen No 1 l Jensen Red Wash Bonanza American Legion Hall Consolidated District No 2 Naples No 2 Davis No 18 Naples School Consolidated District No 3 NE Vernal No 4 Ashley No 14 Vernal City North No 24 County Courthouse Consolidated District No 4 Glines Clines No 5 Vernal City West No 25 Vernal City south No 26 El El f Diamante Reception Center in the rear of the Twin Cinema Theatre Consolidated District No 5 Maeser No 6 Maeser-Dry Maeser Fork No 7 Maeser School Consolidated District No 6 Tridell No 8 8 Whiterocks No 12 DeVon McKee residence in Tridell Consolidated District No 7 Lapoint La point No Lapoint 16 16 Lapoint School Consolidated District No 8 Ft Duchesne No 9 Avalon Avalon- Willows No 11 Ballard No 15 Gusher No 17 West Jr High School Consolidated District No 9 SE Vernal No 3 South Vernal No 13 National Guard Armory Consolidated District No 10 South Central Vernal No 20 SW Vernal No 22 Vernal Jr High School Consolidated District No 11 U North Central Vernal No 21 NW Vernal No 23 Uintah High School |