CloudCorp identifes hospital as top priority

Four of the seven governing bodies in Cloud County that responded to a request from CloudCorp to compile a list of priorities for the county had modern medical facility/hospital/healthcare at the top.
Six of those governing bodies had modern medical facility/hospital/health care listed among its top two priorities.
During its meeting Tuesday night, the CloudCorp board of directors also listed a modern medical facility as a top priority along with economic development and education/work force training.
CloudCorp executive director Ashley Hutchinson, at the request of the board of directors, asked each of the governing bodies to compile a list of three priorities for the county.
Seven of those governing bodies responded to the request.
The Cloud County Community College board of trustees has not yet submitted its list.
The Glasco, Aurora and Jamestown city councils opted not to participate.
Submitting priority lists included:
City of Miltonvale – 1. Quality employee applicants. 2. Dangerous structures. 3. Law enforcement and prosecution.
Concordia Chamber of Commerce – 1. Stronger business climate. 2. Modern medical facilities. 3. Tax incentives for existing local businesses.
City of Concordia – 1. Modern medical facility. 2. Jobs with good wages/skilled workforce for those jobs. 3. Educational facilities. 4. Desirable housing.
Unified School District 333 – 1. Schools/education. 2. Hospital/healthcare. 3. Economic growth. 4. Common use school facility.
Community Foundation for Cloud County – 1. Modern medical facility. 2. County administrator. 3. Countywide education improvement.
Cloud County – 1. Modern medical facility. 2. Find ways to keep youth or bring them back. 3. Law Enforcement Center issues resolved.
City of Clyde – 1. Hospital/healthcare. 2. Employment/jobs. 3. Lower property taxes.
Hutchinson asked each of the 13 CloudCorp board members in attendance to list their top three priorities and how CloudCorp can help facilitate those priorities.
All but one of the board members had medical facilities/hospital at the top of their list.
“The trend we are seeing here is the hospital for number one; jobs, employment and economic opportunity number two; and then education number three,” Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson asked what the CloudCorp board can do to be supportive of those priorities?
Phil Gilliland, who also serves on the Cloud County Health Center board, said the biggest obstacle facing a new hospital facility is financial.
“You are probably looking at a $20 million expenditure. The last bond issue was actually north of that, it was probably $25 million. The hope at this point is scale that back,” Gilliland said.
Gilliland said that about half the cost of constructing a new facility would be paid for by reimbursement from government programs.
Voters in Cloud County voters, in 2013, defeated 1,699 to 1,387 a proposal to use a .75 percent countywide sales tax increase to help construct a 72,000 square foot hospital at an estimated cost of $29.8 million.
Gilliland said that the hospital in Concordia has never been tax supported by the county, and doesn't expect it to ever be.
“So you are probably looking at some kind of sales tax, which is good for some and not so good for others,” Gilliland said.
Cloud County Health Center, last July, made the decision to expand the Family Care Center hours and establish a walk-in clinic.
“The walk-in clinic has proven so far, in just a few months, that there was a real need and people will support it,” Gilliland said, “So it is that kind of thing I think is important when we start looking at what type of facility that we want.”
Listed as ways CloudCorp could help accomplish the top priority of a modern medical facility were educating the public and feedback, searching for funding options and providing strategy.
Addressing the second priority of workforce/employment/jobs, it was suggested that CloudCorp  continue to creatively pursue every viable option.
Also recommended was continuing to help local businesses, including the Get in the Cloud small business grants.
The Get in the Cloud grants use funds from the EDP Renewables wind farm gift each year to help small businesses in the county grow.
It was also suggested that CloudCorp be at the forefront with the state.
Dedicated work on the Opportunity Zone designated in Cloud County was discussed.
A tract of land in the county was designated by the U.S. Department of Treasury as an Opportunity Zone which is an economic tool designed to encourage long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities.
“I just went to a conference on those (Opportunity Zones). I first thought we needed to do a community fund, but they are telling us there is so much money out there we just need projects,” Hutchinson said, “We don't need to come up with a group of people to do a fund, we just need to have good projects ready to go and market them so people can stick cash into them.”
Discussion on the priority of education/schools centered around career and technical education.
Hutchinson talked about the partnership with CloudCorp and USD 333 on the Career Exploration Day scheduled for December 3.
“Every bullet point we have identified on priority three (education/schools) is really an opportunity to look at collaboration across the county with the community college, with our USDs in the county, and to really be innovative in our thinking. And maybe this group can help facilitate a conversation where they really start thinking about it as a region,” Ben Retter said.
Retter suggested conducting intergovernmental meetings in the county to discuss a specific topic.
“I would suggest that since six out of the seven entities picked the hospital as priority number one that would be the issue we start with. Focus some sole attention on that,” Hutchinson said.