|
~.~~
<br />Mrs. Walton interupted by saying, "We didn't have the money either. Whenever
<br />you make a Grant application you••do it in anticipation of things to rome.. Not only ~
<br />local funds but the arrangements for this partic^~lar building and Sally Cameron and I
<br />discussed this on several occasions and she was verb' *!uch aware of the fact that we
<br />didn't have a lease on that building. That's why we: didn't send the lease at that
<br />time. Sam and I talked about that and it was hoped that by the time everything was
<br />approved by the State that the lease would be :available and as Mr. Lewis said it
<br />didn't quite dovetail.
<br />Commissioner Walker replied, "If what you are saying is true then I don't
<br />have any argument, sir. It says here in the application to give assurances and you
<br />have given these assurances to the State people. Now if you can make Grants
<br />knowing full well that these assurances are not true, then I don't have any argu-
<br />ment, six."
<br />Pat Webb replied, "The assurances, in regards to our satisfaction, werecpven
<br />as representative of the Area Mental .Health Board. we do not come and meet with
<br />you as a group."
<br />Commissioner Walker stated, "They assure you that they will have funds to
<br />match
<br />Mrs. Walton triterrupted saying, "They will have or they will have funds available."
<br />Commissioner Walker continued, "It says sufficient funds will be available. .
<br />Mrs. Walton ntexrupte3 by saying, "Will be available .
<br />Mr. Webb stated, "That's what the application says."
<br />Mrs. Walton stated, "Will be available, that's what the application says. It
<br />doesn't say - are available now."
<br />Commissioner Walker asked, "How can you give that assurance before unless this
<br />Board has already given you .
<br />Mrs. Walton answered, "Because the Area Hoard committed itself to raise the funds.
<br />We didn't say that we'd come to the County Commissioners necessarily for all of those
<br />Commissioner Walker stated, '.'Dr. Zarzar congratulated the County Commissioners
<br />in his letter .
<br />Pat Webb stated, "Xeah."
<br />Commissioner Walker continued, "For assuring the money.
<br />Pat Webb stated, "Can I make one The letter that you refer to as assuring
<br />the money, as you correctly read it, does say it has been Get aside. This was the
<br />same phrasing that we use in all the awards and it does mean there is an intent to be
<br />able to fund the project as I have said the Area Board was !living us that assurance.
<br />That same letter did, in the third paragraph, which indicates there is no closure to
<br />the entire process as of December 2, It reads that this review indicates that the
<br />budget for the project is not sufficient, therefore, either additional local funds
<br />must be secured or the project scope reduced. So we knew we still had a great deal
<br />of negotiations ahead of us in working with your Mental Health Center to ever come up
<br />with the final proposal. Working with your architect, you still won't know what the
<br />cost is gonna be until you get some pretty specific preliminary plans by your architect
<br />and you wouldn't want to commit an architect to go that far until you had some assurance
<br />from us. 5o it took us to get you where you are getting today, X feel." .
<br />Commissioner walker stated, "Thank you, but let me say this to you. I'd 7.ike to
<br />ask you is this normal everyday procedure in granting applications, granting State
<br />money."
<br />Mr. Webb answered, "NO, it is not."
<br />Commissioner walker states, "I't is not. You would say it is irregular, what has
<br />taken place here?"
<br />Mr. Webb replied, "I don't call it irregular. I was answering no to the question
<br />"Is it everyday procedure' because we don't grant these kind of Construction Grants.
<br />It's capital improvement, which is entirely a different appropriation which was given
<br />for specific purposes in a limited sum exceeding $350,000.00 and you have to go t`_-rough
<br />all the processes your Chairman took you through a few minutes ago, Clearinghouses and
<br />the rest. We have ended up for many years dealing with the Federal and State where
<br />we did get a combination of funds getting a lot of projects approved, but not funded.
<br />So rather than tie up your local funds we knew we had the State funds. We proceeded
<br />as fast as we could and from September to December set a new record, which thank good-
<br />ness, isn't day to day operations."
<br />Commissioner Walker states, "This was not like you would normally go about a normal
<br />procedure?"
<br />Mr. Webb replied, "Well, this has been the, this procedure that you have been
<br />awarded a grant, the applications came in, has worked in oth?r eight applications and
<br />they are getting a bit ahead of you because they are already, ?s I was indicating,
<br />
|