Council disappointed with hospital delays

(Updated: Thursday, February 28, 2008 9:57 AM CST)

Emily Howard, Madison Record

The meeting of the Certificate of Need Board during which the Madison Hospital should have been discussed has been postponed-again-and the Madison City Council is not happy.

One after another, Madison's City Council voiced their exasperation with and disapproval of the recommendation process at Monday's council meeting.

A group of city and state officials, as well as concerned citizens, made the trip to Montgomery to attend the Feb. 20 meeting, where they would find out if the CON board would agree with the administrative judge's recommendation that Crestwood Hospital build Madison's promised medical facility. However, the meeting didn't happen because not enough board members were present for the second month in a row.

"I know the board members are trying their best, but the whole process puts the 'dys' in 'dysfunctional,'" said Mayor Sandy Kirkindall.

The next meeting is set for March 20, but Council President Steve Haraway has concerns it may not happen then either.

"They've set it during Spring Break and Holy Week," he said. "This process needs to be changed."

Prisoners taken out of regular court proceedings

A change to the City of Madison's court proceedings announced at Monday's council meeting will improve the efficiency and safety to the monthly procedures. Instead of coming at the same time as run of the mill traffic violators, prisoners will come in a day earlier, on Thursday morning.

City's accident rate stays low

The city's accident rate has dropped more than 25 percent in the last three years. This has resulted in an upcoming payout of $100 to 240 city employees who worked an entire year and have not had an "avoidable" accident. A safety award in the amount of $48,424 was awarded to the city from the Municipal Workers Compensation Fund because of the excellent safety record. The total awards to employees will be approximately $24,000. The remainder of the funds will be used to further improve safety equipment and procedures

"We're doing really good," said Councilwoman Cynthia McCollum. "It's good for us, and good for the taxpayers."

Council taking another look at holiday funeral resolution

The Madison City Council may revisit a resolution made years ago that gives the city the right to refuse to conduct a funeral on a holiday weekend. City Attorney Anne Marie Lacy said the resolution was a blanket rule and the city just has the option to refuse a funeral, but McCollum was concerned that the right had been exercised and it was unfair to residents who lost loved ones on holiday weekends.

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