When the Watonga City Council, meeting Sept. 1 as the Public Works Authority, came to the matter of the Watonga Hospital CT unit expansion, there was one burning question. How could the estimate have been so wrong?
The project manager for Mercy Hospital, Chad Rounge, had estimated the cost of the project at between $150,000 and $200,000. The project would construct a pad for a new CT machine and add a bathroom compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
When bids came back, though, Rounge recommended one from Waldrop Construction of Okllahoma City for $362,922.
“I’m going to need to see how they bid this,” said council member Bill Seitter. “We are talking about a concrete slab and a bathroom.”
But hospital administrator Bobby Stitt explained the bathroom had to be ADA compliant, which was far more expensive than a simple bathroom remodel, and the electrical requirements of CT scanners had changed immensely over the years, driving those costs up as well. That was on top of other regulations that apply to hospital or medical facility construction that supersede those for residential or even commercial construction.
“I can bring in the bid and walk you through it,” Stitt said. “I understand your frustration,” he added, noting Mercy had to meet the newest standards on the size of the pad and the transformers that service the machine.
“Well,” Seitter said, “We make a budget, just like the hospital makes a budget. We included $200,000 for this and this really blows it up.”
City manager Larry Mitchell asked Stitt if he could obtain and bring back to council unit pricing on the projects for both bids, only one of which was discussed at this meeting.
“Can we ask them to come back with unit pricing and tabulations?” Mitchell queried. “We may have to rebid it and the timing may change the costs if the companies need the work,” he pointed out.
Stitt said he would meet with the engineers and architects inside the next two weeks, then bring back the answers to council at its next meeting Sept. 15.
“I’ll bring the numbers and the people,” Stitt said, in hopes the council could come to a solution.
Mitchell also noted his understanding of the contract between the city and Mercy only required the city to foot the bill for renovations up to $50,000, whereas previously it had been generally understood that the city was required to pay for all work costing more than $1,000.
Connie Burcham can be reached at Editor@WatongaRepublican.com