| OCR Text |
Show THE ZEPHYRMAY 1991 PAGE 4 an interview with Manuel Torres Grand County Commission Jim Stiles conducted an Interview with Grand County Commissioner Manuel Torres. The Interview has been edited for clarity and length. THE HOSPITAL Zephyr: The Commission has been serving as the hospital board for about three months now, and vou have a new administrator. What are your views on the hospital now? What do you see for the Immediate future? Manuel: So far, were really pleased. We Just got a report from Kim Hardman a couple weeks ago, and Its looking real good. Hes got It In the black right now, and we're hoping we can build enough capital to take us through the winter. The critical time Is October - December. So we need three or four hundred thousand dollars to carry us through those three months. Those are low revenue months. Zephyr: So for this month, vou had more money coming In than going out? Manuel: Were about 13 ahead of revenue, plus were 10 under the budget So In reality, were 23 ahead of expenditures. Thats a good Indication things are starting to come up. Zephyr: Tell me about some specific plans that I think. LHS had In the works. Uke the search for a physical therapist expanding the ER and so on. Manuel: Kims working on those and Is putting together some plans right now for the emergency room. What were looking at there Is about $150,000 to start with. We have two choices. When we went to CIB to talk to them about the Visitor Center, we talked a bit about the hospital. They gave us two options. We could either come up with $75,000 and they would match It, or we have the option of putting the $150,000.... so we dont have to keep going back three or four times. When this Jail facility project comes up, we can do both of them at one time. And he felt like one or the other would be the best way to him. Just dont keep coming up every month. Group them together Instead. And Kims working on a physical therapist right now. Dr. Wise has a lot of connections In Utah because he was an assistant administrator In Spanish Fork and I think he's got a couple doctors who are considering coming down. But let me emphasize, Its not that LHS was doing a bad Job. We were Just paying a heavy fee for them. They showed a $235,000 deficit for this year on their budget And If we can break It even, then weve made $235,000 over their budget And were not trying to get It In the black and say, "ha, ha. Were trying to make It work. Zephyr: What did vou think of Davids comments last month In the Zephyr, where he said the commissions decision to drop LHS was "arbitrary? Manuel: It's true that he made a lot of decisions on my say. I sat down and talked to John Johnson (of LHS) one on one In his office. We had some good talks. I didnt understand their statements; It was real complicated and he took me through It It was on a numbering system and was hard to follow. As a commission, we did not sit down with Johnson, but I did. And David took my word for tt. Zephyr: Whats the latest about needing to take State PILT funds from education for the hospital? Manuel: We haven't done anything yet All we did was ask If they could help us If we needed funds for the hospital. We didnt ask for the money. We Just said, would you be willing to give us half that money If there's another special service district In trouble? Zephyr: How does It look? Manuel: Right now, It looks like we wont have to. The best news we can hear at the end of the year Is that the hospital breaks even. school week, Zephyr: If taking some of that PILT money leopardlzes the still would vou feel obligated to ask for It? Manuel: Wed have to Just sit down with the school board. My understanding Is that If they show a deficit, with or without this money, the state will pay the deficit But after 3 or 4 years, they have to show a balanced budget av mean I have to stop bidding on Jobs? I dont think so. There s gonna be a lot of conflicts of Interest Sure there Is. Just because I know all these guys. Ive worked for every one I have nothing to do with his general contractor license. of them. Now Lyle V. Palmer We resolved that 7 or 8 years ago. Nothing at all. Years ago, we were partners. About 9 or 10 years ago, to be a contractor you have to take a test It has two I the trade and failed parts: Business and Trade. At the time, the first time around, passed Three weeks, a month later, I the business. A month later, I go back up, take the test receive a license coming back with Torres Masonry. Ever since then my license has been under Torres Masonry with my name, and my address. Ive never had a problem with It Minute Lube, I feel bad for two people. First I want to apologize to Mike Shumway of the that wasnt factual. ballooned media have really something news because people and other I dont mind I for people attacking me, Lyle. Its going to hurt his business. And feel sorry of turf. the because thats part It has Lyle Palmer Zephyr: Ok. This Is the wav the Bureau of Licensing lists It Manuel Palmer and Torres are and that Lyle as the qualifying parson for Torres Masonry partners. Manuel: No. Theres a big difference. On my license, I'm a sole proprietor and I have been for 8 or 9 years. If he Is that qualifier, I need to go up and find out what It means. But again, that's the masonry side of tt. Not the general contractor. Zephyr: So Lvle Palmer has a separate license as a general contractor? Manuel: Absolutely. As a contractor, you can hold 3 or 4 licenses; A general contractor can also hold a concrete license, a plumbing license, an electrical license. Theyre all Individual. tt? vou Zephyr: And the last time the license was Manuel: Let me get out my card... It expires 791. Zephyr: And that was vou renewing tt? Manuel: Absolutely. Zephyr: My only other question on all this Is the sales tax Issue on the bricks. Manuel: Ok, that was kind of a strange thing from the very beginning. First of all, we set tt up that way, when the project first came out, they were over budget and they why had to cut things out At the time, the general contractor and I got with the Rec Board and we figured sales tax In our bid. said, look, the roof Is one Item. If you buy the roof direct If you pay for the materials direct we will give you that money that we Included back to the Rec Board. I ended up with $4500 In sales tax In my bid. Since they bought the bricks direct I gave that amount back. Zephyr: Does that satisfy the State Tax Commission? Manuel: They do tt all the time. I think Its been checked out ed. re-ne- KEYSTONE PIT Zephyr: Has a lease been found for the pit and have vou been able to determine how much back lease money Is owed bv Grand Countv? Manuel: Jerry Halllday, I think Is his name, thinks he has the right to charge us. Zephyr: Does he have the right to collect back lease money, from before he owned Manuel: That's what we're checking on. But we're looking at tt real hard. Weve talked to the State a little bit about It And theyre real pleased with whats happening out there, Ill tell you that right now. Zephyr: What do vou mean? Manuel: There never has been an accident out there. If we shut her down, where will these people put this stuff, and I can see their point Now, as commissioners, we have to ask the State how much liability theyre willing to take on. Cause we're doing you a favor, as well as ourselves. If we shut It down, theyre going to have to pay somebody to go out there and make sure these guys dont dump tt In a ditch. Zephyr: How do vou know somebody Isnt nutting bad stuff in there right now? I went out Its there myself last month, and some of those nits held the blackest crud I've ever seen. I think Knutson said tt looked like "primordial ooze." But Its er pit. supposed to be a Manuel: I think the State keeps taking samples. Zephyr: Do you receive copies of these reports? Manuel: Im sure Mr. Adamson would call us right away If there was. I was surprised when they said theyd never had a bad report. In fact, they said the Cisco pit had more problems than Keystone. self-registrati-on. ANOTHER OIL BOOM? salt-wat- Zephyr: What la the scope of this oil discovery west of Moab? What will It do for tax revenues? Manuel: I was at a Road Board meeting this morning. If they pump 1000 gallons a day, It will up their revenues by $40,000 to $45,000 a quarter. Thats Just one part of the county. In reality, every service district will have the same Increase, depending on the percentage they get from oil and gas. So the schools will get more money, the county.... everybody will get more. Right now, they're pumping 2300 gallons a day, but they're going to cut back to 1000 gallons. The reason Is because of the traffic. That's a lot of trucks coming In and out hauling oil. Zephyr: Are there plans to drill more? Manuel: Yes, there's plans to start another pretty quick. Zephyr: What does that do to the town. Its been gearing up for tourism. Nowwe have an oil boom. Manuel: A small oil boom. I think they'll work together. We an get selfish In what we do. If Im a biker I want this. If Im a Jeeper, I want this. The oil people aren't going to trash It Theres no way. Theres too many restrictions from the BLM anymore. It Just takes a little time and people will work together. TORRES AND PALMER Zephyr: I'd like to get your version of news stories lately about vour association with Lyle Palmer, and alleged conflicts of Interest between vour lob In the masonry business and as a countv commissioner. Manuel: Hes a good friend. First of all, I don't know how this came up In this Job we're talking about Zephyr: The county shed? Manuel: Yes, because It takes a general contractor to bid that type of a Job. Im a masonry contractor and cant bid this type of Job. First of all, theres a big difference and part-tibetween a full-tiI still have to county commissioner. Being part-tim- e, make a living and most people out there realize that I am a masonry contractor. Does that me me COURTHOUSE ANNEX Zephyr: In the Interview last month. David said you'd shown him the error of his wavs. Whafs vour plan? Manuel: I went back Into the plan, and went through tt and trimmed about a million dollars off that plan. And a lot of It was masonry. There were a lot of areas where we could go with standard building with steel or wood framing Instead of masonry. Weve cut tt from $4.2 million to about $3.2 to 3 million. Are vou planning to put tt on the ballot again? Manuel: Yes. I think were hoping we can have tt together for a vote by July or the first of August But If were not ready, well watt. Zephyr: Did vou downsize the lall? J(,nue,: Were looking at options. We're looking at the facility and saying, where will Grand County be In 15 years? The least we could get away with Is 15 cells for 30 prisoners. The maximum would be 25 to 27 cells with double bunks. We will bring those figures to the people with the costs and associated revenues. zPhYr: And cutting to 15 cells would knock even more off the cost? Manuel: Yes, you bet You know, It was tt didnt go through probably a the first time. I hate to say that, but tt was. Whether I bid on ttblessing or not, and thats something I II have to discuss with my attorney, I think Im going to save the county a lot of money Just by my expertise. And W s the same with the visitor center. Ill be able to tell If the architect gave us a Cadillac or a cheap to moderate price. And well go from there. |
