Homer Alaska - Opinion

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly holds the key to taking care of that detail; it should use it to open the door to get the MRI enclosure built as quickly as possible.

At its Tuesday meeting, the assembly should approve a resolution being presented by assembly member Mako Haggerty, who represents the southern peninsula. The resolution calls for the assembly to approve "a change order to authorize construction of a magnetic resonance imaging building at the South Peninsula Hospital under the existing construction contract."

Earlier this month, some assembly members feared allowing the current contractor on the hospital project to build the MRI enclosure amounted to issuing a sole source contract, and so delayed action on the enclosure.

We appreciate that the assembly and administration want to make sure they are dotting their "i"s and crossing their "t"s to protect the public's interest and finances, but their concern in this situation is just not valid. In fact, if the assembly doesn't approve the resolution, it will cost taxpayers to the tune of about $500,000.

Not only is putting the project out to bid poor use of public money, it also defies common sense. More than a year ago, the assembly appropriated $625,000 of interest income from the hospital bond proceeds to build an enclosure for the hospital's new MRI machine, which, by the way, can't be delivered until the enclosure is finished. The borough already has spent about $85,000 for the architectural and engineering work of the MRI addition, working with those who have been doing the expansion and renovation at the hospital. To put this out to bid breaks faith with those who have worked so hard on the hospital project.

As Mr. Haggerty and others have pointed out, the enclosure amounts to a "change order" in the hospital expansion and renovation project. If this particular project is a sole source contract, so is every change order on a construction project. Change orders are not put out to bid. Imagine the consequences of doing that, not to mention the expense.

Mr. Haggerty correctly addresses some of the objections to allowing the immediate start of construction of the MRI enclosure in a memo to the assembly: "Almost without exception, large construction projects need change orders. Change orders are not authorizing add-alternates, they are changes to the original contract due to the needs of the owner or encounters with unanticipated circumstances."

Residents of the southern peninsula have good reason to take pride in their hospital. The recently completed renovation makes a good hospital even better. All that's needed is the new MRI machine delivered to its new enclosure. The assembly should say yes to Mr. Haggerty's resolution and let the finishing touches be put on this project, sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, residents should mark their calendars for Aug. 28, when a community celebration of the expansion and renovation is planned from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.