The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors approved a special call meeting to be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26 to discuss the OCH Regional Medical Center bid proposals.
President of the Board of Supervisors and District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer said he is unsure of how many bid proposals the board received by the deadline on Friday, Sept. 15.
Trainer said he believes one proposal was submitted to the board’s subcommittee and a second proposal submitted in Jackson.
During the special call meeting, the board will meet in executive session in order to ask questions freely without releasing "highly sensitive" information.
“Then should the board deem that information worthy to go forward and present that information to another public venue would be the board’s prerogative,” Trainer said.
Trainer expressed to the board it was in its best interest to allow the consultants to handle the packets in order to score, rank and provide a more thorough report for the board.
This will allow for the consultants to sift through the detailed responses and documents, which can range anywhere from 100 or more pages.
With the information, Trainer said the consultants will recommend information for the board to pay special attention to.
District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard said he wants to be able to have information ready for the public to be “as transparent as we possibly can be with the public” on this particular issue.
“We just don’t want to release any information that could be damaging to the hospital,” Trainer said in response to Howard. “We definitely don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the status of those who have submitted the proposals.”
Trainer said during the special call meeting, the board will take as much time as possible to walk through and discuss the information provided. Once the board receives a recommendation, they will decide which direction it needs to go in with the information.
A countywide referendum to decide the future of the hospital is scheduled for Nov. 7.
INDUSTRIAL PARK
Four contracts for the industrial park project were presented to the Board of Supervisors Each contract was approved by the board.
Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins will provide the board with a “playbook” during a future board meeting in October which will include estimates, maps and time tables.
Those contracts include:
•A contract for a memorandum of understanding for Atmos Energy to build a new gas pipeline
•A contract for a memorandum of understanding for 4-County Electric Power Association to build a
new substation adjacent to the industrial park.
•A contract for a environmental services agreement for Headwaters Inc.
• A contract for an engineering services agreement for Neel-Schaffer.