Health District schedules town hall as they consider medical clinic proposals

— by Susan McBain, Orcas Issues Reporter —

The deadline for proposals responding to the Orcas Island Health Care District’s request for a partner to operate a consolidated clinic on Orcas is this Friday, June 26. At that point, the District commissioners will begin the process of reviewing the proposals. To inform and communicate with the public as fully as possible, the commissioners will hold meetings and Town Halls at least weekly from now through early August. There will also be a presentation by finalists, who will answer questions from the community.
The goal is to award a contract by August 4.

At their June 16 meeting, the commissioners decided to hold three Town Halls during the review process, to inform the public and solicit their questions and opinions. They will also publish a series of articles in Orcas Issues and The Islands’ Sounder. Finally, all five are available to the public by phone and email, as is the District Superintendent, Anne Presson. Contact information is at this link.

The schedule of board regular and special meetings, Town Halls, and other important dates is below. All meetings begin at 5 p.m.

• June 26, Friday: Response to the Request for Proposal due
• June 30, Tuesday: Town Hall, to present information and announce names of responders
• July 7, Tuesday: Regular board meeting to discuss proposals and identify questions
• July 9, Thursday: Town Hall, to identify additional questions from the community
• July 14, Tuesday: Special board meetings to discuss scoring and evaluation of proposals
• July 21, Tuesday: Regular board meeting for finalist selection, followed by a Town Hall Q&A
• July 28, Tuesday: Special board meeting to discuss finalist selection
• July 30-31 (TBD): Special board meeting to interview finalist
• Aug. 4, Tuesday: Regular board meeting for contract award

The commissioners also decided on the roofing and HVAC options they want, electing to include insulation and conditioning of the attic space and to use higher-quality roofing materials. The total cost for the roof and HVAC projects will be approximately $530,000. The conditioned space is expected to pay for itself over the life of the roof through lower operational costs and improved efficiency, while also putting less demand on the HVAC and increasing patient and staff comfort within the clinic. The remaining amount available on the District’s current bond is approximately $380,000; the bond could be refinanced at a lower rate to cover the total building costs.

The Zoom link for the first Town Hall meeting on June 30 is HERE. If you have not used Zoom before, the app will automatically download before opening. To dial in by phone, call 1-669-900-9128 and enter meeting ID number 87669686209. Zoom links for the remaining meetings will be on the District calendar; click the date to see the link for that meeting.