Thursday, March 6, 2008

County tax freeze thaws

By James Robinson
Staff Writer

Archuleta County finance staff marked another milestone toward financial recovery with the successful completion and submission of the 2006 state mandated, government audit last week.

According to Archuleta County Finance Director Don Warn, county staff submitted the audit to the state auditor’s office Feb. 27, and the county’s property taxes were released Feb. 29.

The state froze Archuleta County’s property tax revenue Dec. 10, 2007, after the county failed to submit the audit by the July 31, 2007, deadline. The missed 2006 audit deadline marked the county’s fourth consecutive failure to meet the state’s audit submittal timetable, and the cycle has forced the county into an ongoing game of catch-up — trying to balance ledgers rife with errors, cryptic entries and erroneous fund balances months after the fact, while simultaneously trying to manage the organization’s day to day financial affairs.

Warn said although the submittal comes about a month after his department’s target completion date, the county is just now entering the peak property tax collection period, thus the revenue release comes at the ideal time and the delay hasn’t had a significant impact on the county’s financial health. Nevertheless, Warn also acknowledged that eliminating future audit delays is crucial to ensuring the county remains solvent, and he asked the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday to approve hiring a temporary finance department employee to help prepare for the 2007 audit.

Warn’s request follows recommendations from the Citizen’s Financial Advisory Task Force and from the 2006 auditing firm Wall, Smith, Bateman & Associates Inc. that the county hire staff to prepare for the 2007 audit, thus allowing Warn to manage the 2008 budget and day-to-day finances, while drafting policies and procedures that will help the county avoid another financial crisis in the future.

Audit reports between 2003 and 2006 state that poor or nonexistent internal controls (policies and procedures) have been a persistent problem and ultimately played a major role in the county’s financial demise.

In the 2006 audit report, Karla Willschau of Wall, Smith, Bateman & Associates writes, “The reconstruction and correction of 2007 is a major undertaking and will be very time consuming.”

After hearing Warn’s request, the board approved hiring the temporary employee via a request for proposals (RFP). Funding for the position will occur through utilization of unused Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) grant dollars originally earmarked for the forensic audit.

Warn said with DOLA and board approval secured, the project could begin as early as April 1, with Warn anticipating a three-month completion timetable for the 2007 audit prep work. Warn said the scope of work also includes researching various county accounts, performing reconciliations and other tasks necessary to clean up county ledgers.

During the discussion, commissioners Bob Moomaw and Ronnie Zaday both advocated funding a long-term staffer for the finance department.

“We’re past the financial crisis, but we still have financial issues we need to deal with,” Moomaw said.

Warn responded that DOLA will only fund projects, not hiring employees, and he advocated tapping into DOLA grant dollars for the 2007 work first, then assessing the county’s finances and finance department staffing needs before committing to funding a long-term staff position.

james@pagosasun.com


Health services district cancels board election

By Chuck McGuire
Staff Writer

The Upper San Juan Health Service District (USJHSD) Board of Directors is on the verge of change, as the four-year terms of three prominent members are about to expire.
Of the three, former board chair Pam Hopkins and board treasurer Bob Goodman will officially leave their posts upon conclusion of the board’s regular monthly meeting in May. Dr. Jim Pruitt has chosen to remain on the board to serve a second four-year term, and Drs. Malcom Rodger and Jim Knoll will fill the vacancies created by Hopkins’ and Goodman’s departure.

With just two prospective candidates stepping forward to fill board vacancies, a special district election scheduled for May 6 has been cancelled.

In a Wednesday e-mail to The SUN, designated election official for the USJHSD Dick Babillis wrote, “I am authorized to announce ‘that at the close of business on the 63rd day before the election (i.e. 4 March 2008) there were not more candidates for director than the offices to be filled, including candidates filing affidavits of intent to be write in candidates; therefore, the election to be held May 6, 2008 is hereby cancelled pursuant to Section 1-5-208(1.5), CRS.’”

Following her election to the board in May 2004, Hopkins served two-and-a-half years as board chair, working fulltime to restore district integrity and financial stability. While remaining an effective board director, she resigned her chairmanship in September 2006, with Neal Townsend selected as her replacement.

Local businessman Bob Goodman was also elected to the board in May 2004 and, come May, will have served as board treasurer his entire term. Throughout his tenure, Goodman presented monthly financial reports to the district board and staff, which invariably reflected steady fiscal development.

Because Pruitt chose to run again and was ultimately unopposed, he will automatically be seated for a second term. Pruitt has operated the Pagosa Springs Family Medical Center since 1981. As a member of the USJHSD Medical Advisory Committee and Professional Affairs Committee, he was highly instrumental in designing and developing the Pagosa Mountain Hospital. Pruitt currently enjoys staff privileges at both the Pagosa Mountain Hospital and the Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango.

Prior to his retirement in 1997, Rodger served as Chief of Staff at Doctors Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. With 25 years experience as a general surgeon there, he is also a past president of the Corpus Christi Surgical Society, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a diplomat of the American Board of Surgery. Rodger currently serves on the Archuleta County Education Center Board of Directors, and will soon occupy a seat on the USJHSD board.

As a former U.S. Naval flight surgeon, Knoll served as Chairman of Psychiatry of the Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, and as professor of psychiatry at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. Following 25 years practice, he moved to Pagosa Springs in 1996 and now chairs the Medical Advisory and Professional Affairs committees of the USJHSD. While also making significant contributions to the creation of Pagosa Mountain Hospital, Knoll will soon fill the final vacancy on the USJHSD board.

chuck@pagosasun.com


Burglary, auto theft suspects nabbed

By James Robinson
Staff Writer

Four Pagosa-area juveniles will soon face felony charges in district court following a burglary at a downtown church and an automobile theft on the east side of Pagosa Springs.

According to Pagosa Springs Police Department Detective Scott Maxwell, one female, age 16, and one male, age 13, each face one charge of aggravated motor vehicle theft, while a 13-year-old male and a 16-year-old male each face one charge of aggravated motor vehicle theft, theft, and second degree burglary. The juveniles were taken into custody Feb. 26 and 27, and Maxwell said 39-year-old Cheryl Lien was arrested Feb. 29 on a class four felony charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in connection with the case. She will appear in county court.

The arrests stem from two incidents: a Feb. 21 burglary at the Community United Methodist Church located at 434 Lewis St. in downtown Pagosa Springs and a Feb. 23 automobile theft from behind the River Center shopping center.

Maxwell said the church showed no signs of forced entry, however a number of doors had been kicked in inside the building, and investigators learned a digital camera, laptop and a check were taken from Pastor Don Ford’s office.

On Feb. 23, Maxwell said the Pagosa Springs Police Department received a report of a stolen 1993 Toyota pickup taken from behind Summit Ski & Sports. Maxwell said an investigation yielded no leads, however, between Feb. 23 and Feb. 26, the truck was seen in Las Cruces, N.M. by a citizen who reported the driver of the vehicle appeared intoxicated. Maxwell said, despite the call, New Mexico law enforcement agencies were not able to locate the vehicle, and the Toyota resurfaced in Pagosa Springs Feb. 26.

Maxwell said the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Department received a call Feb. 26 from a parent of one of the juveniles who reported their child driving a vehicle of unknown origin. A sheriff’s deputy responded to the residence and, after a license and registration check, learned the vehicle was the stolen Toyota.

Maxwell said the two juveniles in the truck were detained, and further investigation, including conversations with the municipal court’s probation department, indicated there were possibly four suspects involved in the auto theft and burglary. Maxwell added that one suspect picked up Feb. 26 had the check from the church in his pocket.

Maxwell said two of the juveniles are being held in the juvenile detention center in Durango, while the other two are wearing ankle monitors.

Maxwell said strong interagency cooperation between the probation department, the Pagosa Springs Police Department and the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Department contributed to a successful investigation and the arrests.

james@pagosasun.com


NEWS

COUNTY

BoCC brouhaha over brewpub license

By James Robinson
Staff Writer

Personality conflicts continue to dominate Board of County Commissioners proceedings, this time leaving a new business hanging in limbo, and forcing one commissioner into a no-win political situation.

The item came before the board during Tuesday’s board meeting and involved the question of approving a liquor license for P.S. Enterprises, Inc. doing business as Pagosa Pub Works Brewpub. The applicant: Frank Schiro. The approval: perfunctory — unless, apparently, you are the husband of Archuleta County Commissioner Robin Schiro.

Commissioner Schiro and Archuleta County Commissioner Ronnie Zaday have been at loggerheads since nearly their first days in office; they have publicly sniped each other, and an obvious and mutual disdain has been the hallmark of much of their tenures since taking office in 2005. Thus, when Frank Schiro came before commissioners Zaday and Moomaw — his wife was absent from Tuesday’s proceedings — to obtain a liquor license for the former Summit Lounge (the Schiros closed on the business Feb. 5) Zaday hammered Schiro with a battery of questions: Will the commissioner order, pour or otherwise serve liquor in the establishment? Does the commissioner stand to gain financially from the approval of the liquor license?
In the end, Zaday accused Commissioner Schiro of wielding undue political pressure and using privileged political access during the liquor license application process.

Schiro countered that his wife had done much of the work at the courthouse and made phone calls to the state because she was more familiar with the necessary people to contact.

Following the proceedings, Zaday issued a prepared statement: “Commissioner Schiro has signed an affidavit that claims she will have no interest in the business or liquor license. Yet it was not Mr. Schiro, who was working with the clerk’s office, bringing in forms and checks after hours, or calling the Liquor Board with questions, it was Commissioner Schiro, as Mr. Schiro stated, ‘using her contacts.’” What has happened behind the scenes that the public has not witnessed, are things that the regular Archuleta County resident would not have access to. I believe this is a breach of the code of ethics and in that I can not be unbiased on this issue.”

Despite Zaday’s charges, no public opposition to the license came forth, and according to Archuleta County Clerk June Madrid, the license was run through the proper review process and procedures. Nevertheless, Madrid said handling the license has been an excruciating process.
“Everything, she did (Schiro), she did out of line. She did overstep her boundaries, and it would have been easier if she had tried to work with our staff.”

Madrid said the experience has caused her to turn liquor licensing back over to the board, which is their statutory responsibility in the first place.

With Zaday’s abstention, the license will go before the board during their March 18 meeting. Commissioner Schiro will then — per statute — have the opportunity to declare a conflict of interest yet vote for the item because Zaday’s abstention creates a situation in which statute declares there is an impediment to the board doing county business. As an alternative, Schiro can recuse herself from the vote, thus avoiding a conflict, yet this would cause the liquor license to die to the detriment of her husband’s business venture.

james@pagosasun.com


TOWN

Mark Weiler appointed to town council

By James Robinson
Staff Writer

Mark Weiler, president of Parelli Natural Horsemanship, secured a seat on the Pagosa Springs Town Council by majority vote, during the council’s regular board meeting Tuesday.

Weiler sought the District 1 seat via appointment after council member John Middendorf resigned in February.

Weiler challenged Shari Pierce for the council nomination; Weiler earned four votes to Pierce’s two.

Weiler’s Tuesday evening effort marked the second time in two years that Weiler has sought a council seat via appointment. Weiler has also sought a post on the town’s planning commission.

Questions about whether Weiler had sufficient time to dedicate to the Pagosa Springs Town Council surfaced again during Tuesday’s proceedings, as Weiler’s business activities often take him out of the Pagosa Springs area.

Weiler said he spends 70 percent of his time in Pagosa Springs, and foresaw no conflicts between his professional and personal commitments and his future obligations to the town.

Weiler received the appointment early in the town council meeting, then took the District 1 chair and participated in the remainder of the council’s proceedings.

During a discussion on economic development, Weiler presented a 10-page, five-point economic plan based on strategies used to develop the Parelli business.

james@pagosasun.com


INSIDE

Town hosts flood insurance seminar

The Town of Pagosa Springs will host a free Flood Insurance Education seminar on Tuesday March 11, from 8 a.m. to noon in the south conference room at the Pagosa Springs Community Center at 451 Hot Springs Blvd.

The seminar is sponsored by the Colorado Water Conservation Board and will be presented by Thuy Patton of the CWCB and Norm Ashford of FEMA.

The seminar will be geared toward providing updated information and continuing education of flood insurance requirements for insurance agents and will offer four hours of continuing education credits to licensed agents. However, all interested parties are welcome and encouraged to attend.

With the likelihood for a high runoff year this year, this seminar will be a great opportunity to garner information regarding flood insurance protection for anyone who may be affected by potential flooding.


First MRIs take place at Pagosa Mountain Hospital

By Chuck McGuire
Staff writer

To properly promote healing, physicians must first determine the exact nature of a medical illness or injury. Happily, the Pagosa Mountain Hospital now utilizes a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system that apparently delivers unsurpassed diagnostic detail. The newfound facility performed three such procedures, Friday.

Since first opening its doors in early January, the hospital emergency room (ER) has seen a surprising number of patients. Many, of course, complained of communal illnesses normally associated with this time of year, while others suffered more ambiguous ailments or serious injury, thus commanding more advanced interpretive procedures.

Though a thorough examination, blood work or simple x-ray often points to a clear diagnosis, many less obvious disorders are now found by CT scan (computerized tomography) or an elective MRI. A CT scan is an x-ray technique that visualizes internal structures in cross section rather than the overlapping images typically produced by conventional x-ray exams.

Like x-ray, MRI is a method of examining internal areas of the body. However, instead of utilizing low doses of ionizing radiation, it imparts magnetism and radio waves to produce remarkably clear images of the head; spine; organs; muscles, ligaments and joints; and other parts of the human anatomy. Most notably, MRI produces soft-tissue images and is used to distinguish normal healthy tissue from damaged or pathologic tissue.

The MRI system now employed by Pagosa Mountain Hospital is a portable high field, short-bore unit from Siemens Medical Solutions. The state-of-the-art Magnetom Maestro Class system is built into a semitrailer and towed to smaller rural hospitals, where it is literally plugged into a specially designed outlet and data collection system on the side of the building.

Portability allows the hospital modern diagnostic capabilities, while avoiding the enormous costs of purchasing and accommodating the equipment. MRI technologist John Kruse attends the component during use, while driver and medical assistant Matt Kolami pilots the vehicle to its scheduled destinations.

As MRI images are produced, they are transferred into a facility’s radiology department, then downloaded onto the main computer system. From there, they are electronically conveyed to a contract radiologist (physician) for professional interpretation. A detailed report is soon forthcoming.

During elective brain, neck and spinal studies, MRI diagnostic procedures offer high-resolution tissue and vascular imaging, allowing detection of subtle spinal injuries, such as pinched nerves and sciatica.

To compensate for natural body motion, “rapid” techniques are used when studying kidneys, the liver, pancreas or other organs, and a complete range of angiographic examinations allows studies of a body’s vascular system.

Orthopedic studies provide high resolution imaging of shoulders, pelvis, knees and hands, while revealing sports-related injuries, such as torn ligaments and subtle fractures. Slight inflammation in arthritic and rheumatic patients is also discernible, and circulatory diseases in diabetics and other patients are more easily diagnosed.

According to Siemens, by automating all imaging processes, the new Magnetom MRI minimizes examination times, while maximizing patient comfort. During exams, the machine detects patient movement and makes instant corrections, thus eliminating a need for additional exams, while facilitating faster diagnosis. The short-bore system is ideal for claustrophobic patients and those weighing up to 350 pounds, or more.

Because MRI utilizes powerful magnetic forces, prospective patients must first inform doctors of any internal implants they carry, such as a cardiac pacemaker, cardioverter defribrillator, spinal cord stimulator, cochlear implant or hearing aid, insulin or infusion pump, any prostheses or other internal or external metallic objects.

Prior to the procedure, all metal objects must be removed, including jewelry, watches, hairpins, glasses and wallets (with magnetic credit cards). Once underway, most procedures take 30 to 45 minutes.