The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 18, 1985 Page: 1 of 18
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Albany News
"Oldest Journalistic Venture West of the Bra/os
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THURSDAY, JULY IB, 1985, ALBANY, TEXAS 76430
14 PAGES IN 2 SECTIONS
VOLUME NUMBER 110 NUMBER 5 PRICE 29C PLUS TAX
Airport opening ...
Several hundred spectators were on hand to
witness the official opening of the Albany
Municipal Airport Tuesday afternoon, July 16. A
number of Chamber of Commerce representa
tives helped with a ribbon cutting for the new
facility, Including (top photo, l-r) Loren Williams,
John Bray, Buddy Flncher, Dan Neff Chamber
president, Jim Robertson, Jim Cotter, Ed Tackett
- City Airport Board Chairman, Lorene McComas,
K. C. Jones Chamber Airport Committee Chair-
man, and Wayne Hogan mayor Around 20
planes were on display and participated in a
"fly-in" during the festivities. Among the aircraft
was a Pitts acrobatic plane (right) piloted by
Jack Jenkins, and a B 25 (below), flown by Bill
Arnot Funded primarily through the Texas
Aeronautical Commission, the new airport also
received aid from private donations. Ronnie Nail
is manager of the facility, which has been in
operation about seven weeks [Staff Photos |
City council approves amendment to contract
Water resolution passed
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By Donnie A. Lucas
The Albany City Council met
twice during the past week in a
series of meetings to discuss and
ultimately pass resolution con
cerning a new luuUact with the
West Central Texas Municipal
Water District.
The council was presented with
a draft of the new contract during
its regular monthly meeting held
last Wednesday, July 10. They
then set another meeting date
for Monday, July 15, to vote on a
resolution which states that the
city agrees with the form of the
new amendment to the contract.
However, the group was given
yet another revised contract to
study on Monday, after negotia
tions by the water district's board
altered the original contract.
Both of Albany's represen
tatives to the water district's
board, A.V. Jones and Jim Cotter,
were present at the Monday night
meeting to discuss the changes
that would be brought about by
the amendment to the contract
and the effects it would have on
the city.
Amoung other issues, the new
contract amendment sets up a
schedule by which each of the
member cities will pay for the
costs of running the district, as
well as the percentage of income
credits they can expect from
revenues received hy the water
district.
In the past Albany has paid a
monthly fee called a standby
charge in order to be a part of the
district, and has also paid for any
water that was used out of Lake
Hubbard.
The new contract establishes
Albany's percentage of respon
sibility for the general ad
ministrative budget at 2.64 per
cent. In addition the city will have
to pay 7 91 of all maintainance ex
penses for the lake and pipelines
However, all expenses will be
credited with 7 91 percent of any
revenue realized hy the district
from the sale of water to other
sources and interest from the
district's invested funds.
A preliminary budget for the
district's 1985 fiscal year
estimates that Albany will owe
$11,808 per year as its share of
the operating costs including all
expenditures and credits.
If the city uses water from
Lake Hubbard, a fee of approx
imately 15 cents per 1,000 gallons
will be assessed for the electricity
charges for pumping. A fee for
the water itself will no longer be
imposed under the new method of
distributing the district's costs of
operation.
Jones stated that he estimates
the city will pay approximately
$1,000 per month as its propor
tionate share, but the figure could
he less if the district "becomes
aggressive in trying to sell water
to other sources."
Member cities of the district in
dude Abilene, Albany, Anson and
Hreckenridge
Abilene will be footing 88 per
cent of the district's administra
tive costs and have a 72 98 per
cent share in the district main
tainance costs and revenues,
while Anson will pay 3.081 per
cent of the administrative and
8.66 percent of the maintainance
expense/credit, and Hreckenridge
6.17 of the administrative and
10.45 percent of the maintainance.
The sharing of the district's
maintainance fees and revenues
was established on a pro rata
basis from original per day water
allocations Abilene is limited to a
maximum of 15.5 million gallons
per day, Albany I 68 million
gallons, Anson 1.84 million
gallons and Hreckenridge 2.22
million gallons
In addition, the amendment to
the contract also gives the dis
trict the authority to refinance
approximately $4 2 million in
bonds. The refinancing was neces
sary in order for the district to be
able to issue "special project
bonds" in the future for water
projects or improvements that
may be needed in one of the
member cities
Jones explained that any
special issue bonds would be paid
for entirely by the member city
desiring the funds for some type
of water related improvement.
(See City council , pq 2 A)
Hospital exceeds limit
Hy David l.ove
In a regular meeting of the
Shackelford County Hospital
District board of directors on
Monday, July 15, a letter from the
Texas Medical Foundation Peer
Keview Drganization of Texas
was outlined which stated that
the hospital's admission denial
rate exceeded the established 2.5
percent limit.
Discussion during the meeting
centered around the hospital
operating at a loss during the
first six months of 1985 Due to
the high denial rate, the hospital
is not eligible to receive payment
under the Waiver of Liability pro
vision for admission after June
30, 1985 without charts being
reviewed first.
The TMF PRDT, as a
designated Peer Review
Drganization for Medicare, is re
quired to review each Medicare
patient and chart and approve the
charges, as well as the length of
stay, before the hospital can be
paid by Medicare. A hospital with
an admission denial rate in excess
of 2.5 percent, or three cases,
whichever is greater, of total ad
missions reviewed is removed
from favorable Waiver of Liabili
ty status and is subject to inten
sified review, which is the status
being continued for the local
hospital.
Jim Cotter, CPA with Cotter,
Neff and Co., reported that the
Medicare regulations were
becoming stricter each year. "The
regulations are putting a squeeze
on the small hospitals like ours,"
he stated. He added, however,
that "if we don't follow their
regulations, they can close the
hospital or cut off the monies."
Cotter explained that the
DRG's, Diagnosed Related
Groups, had to he complied with
by the physicians in order for the
hospital to receive any money.
The DRG is a guideline set by
Medicare which explains what the
ailment is and how long the pa
tient should be in the hospital,
Cotter noted. If, for example, four
days was the allowed length of
stay for a particular diagnosis,
but the patient was not released
for eight days, the hospital would
not he paid for the final four days
by Medicare.
"We're still financially pretty
stable," said the CPA. "We're just
having fewer patients overall,
and that's why the income is drop
ping " He stated that the occupan
cy rate at the present is 17 per
cent as compared with 30 percent
this time last year
According to Cotter, the
hospital has lost a total of
$69,061.59 in the first six months
of 1985. He added, however, that
"we still have gained $61,492 97
when we include taxes." Total ex
penses thus far in 1985 have add
ed to $366,693.79, while this total
on the same date in 1984 was
$379,654.56.
Sam Snyder moved to accept
the financial statement as
presented hy Cotter The motion
carried. Alma Neese then made
the motion to accept the accounts
payable, which also carried.
Describing areas in which the
hospital was losing money, Cotter
said that out patient care was not
getting as much money from
Medicare. "The doctors need to
help us in this area," he com-
mented.
"The Medicare denials are
just something we have to live
(See Hospital board pg. 2 A)
Moran bank celebration set Saturday
An Open House, barbecue and
street dance will highlight this
weekend's Grand Opening Cele-
bration being held by the Moran
National Bank in Moran with ac-
tivites set to begin at 2:00 p.m.
Saturday afternoon.
The bank recently completed
an extensive remodeling and ex-
pansion project and will also be
celebrating its 75th birthday as a
chartered banking institution
during Saturday's festivities.
"We like to invite all of our
customers, neighbors and friends
to join us for a day of celebration
Saturday," stated MNB's presi-
dent Mike Parsons. "We hope
that everyone will come visit us
at the bank during the Open
House and then stay for a evening
of food and fun."
The Open House will be held
from 2:00 p.m until 6:00 p.m. with
bank employees hosting tours of
the remodeled facility.
A barbecue rneal will be served
beginning at 5:00 p.m. under a
tent across the street from the
bank. The meal is being catered
by Fort Griffin General Merchan-
dise Restaurant of Albany.
Following the meal, a street
dance will be held from 7:00 p.m.
until 12:00 midnight with music
provided by the Texas Hat Band
of Abilene.
While touring the bank during
the opening, visitors will have the
opportunity to view the bank's ex
tensive collection of western art.
A showing of western sculptures
by New Mexico artist Curtis Fort
will also be on display and the ar-
tist will be present.
Fort, who lives in Lindrith,
New Mexico, will have approx
imately 12 pieces of bronzed
sculpture on display. His work
centers primarily around western
scenes and wildlife.
Fort and his art work have
been featured in the Smithsonian
magazine, Texas Cattleman, and
New Mexico Stockman.
Remodeling work at the bank
began in December of 1984 and
was completed just this week.
The Moran bank purchased an
adjoining two-story building and
incorporated approximately
10,000 square feet of additional
space in the banking facility.
A total of 8,500 square feet is
now being used in the enlarged
structure, with the remaining
space serving as storage.
The renovation project was
supervised by Steve Cozart Con
struction Company at a cost of ap
proximately $200,000, including
new furniture and fixtures.
The exterior of the building
was painted and accented by con
trasting shutters on the several
new windows which were added
to the building. The entrance to
the bank was also moved to the
east wall of the building and is
highlighted by a stained leaded
glass door and side windows. A
shingled awning was erected
around the street sides of the
building and several brick planter
boxes were built as part of the
landscaping work that was added.
The interior of the building
features a large lobby area with a
new teller line. One special
feature in the lobby is a 100 year
old vault door that was moved in
to the building from a bank in
Eastland.
Several new offices were add
ed. as well as expanding all work
areas. The bookkeeping and com
puter departments are located on
the second floor of the building
The lobby and offices were
decorated with walnut wamscot-
ting topped with dark blue
wallpaper A new ceramic tile
floor in a window pane pattern
was installed throughout the
lower floor.
Betsy Parsons, wife of the
bank's president, supervised the
interior decorating.
Guests during Saturday's Open
House will also be able to sign up
for door prizes being given away
by the bank.
The bank began as a private in-
stitution in the early 1900's
before receiving its state charter
in 1910 as a public banking facili-
ty. It later converted to a Na
tional Bank in 1925, but has re
mained in the same building since
its inception.
The bank's directors include
Ross Montgomery chairman,
Phillip Harrison, Bill Harrison,
Jerry Warren, Mike McCormick
and Mike Parsons. Officers in-
clude Parsons as president;
Maurine McCollum, vice presi-
dent; Jamey Coilinsworth, assis-
tant vice president; Gweri Tag
gart, cashier; Brad McCollum,
bank officer; and Jana Kitchens,
assistant cashier.
The bank recently announced
the formation of a new Communi-
ty Development Board. Members
include Jamey Coilinsworth,
Larry Hudson, Randy Hudson,
Robert Montgomery, Jim Moore,
Ronnie Nail, Craig Pruet, Sam
Snyder, Bob Tidwell and Don
Tidwell.
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Lucas, Donnie A. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 18, 1985, newspaper, July 18, 1985; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth402728/m1/1/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.