Wrangell Sentinel -

The Borough Assembly met in open session on Tuesday, Oct. 30 to appoint a new member to fill the vacancy left by member Don McConachie’s elevation to mayor, and also to hold the first reading of a proposed ordinance amending the city’s municipal code related to the Wrangell Medical Center.

With McConachie absent, Vice Mayor Bill Privett was charged with chairing the meeting.

Among three applicants – former assembly member Dave Jack, and Wrangell residents Patti Gilbert and Holly Levine – Jack was seated to fill out the remainder of McConachie’s term for Seat B on the assembly, which expires in Oct. 2013.

Eric Yancey was also appointed to an empty seat on the Port Commission to expire in Oct. 2013.

The assembly also accepted the resignation of Augie Schultz from the Planning and Zoning and Economic Development committees for the borough.

Borough Manager Tim Rooney’s report to the assembly updated them on the current status of leadership at WMC – as the search for a permanent, full-time administrator continues.

“Mr. Kendall Sawa has accepted a permanent hospital administrator/CEO position in Ilwaco, WA and PeaceHealth has named Ms. Marla Sanger as his replacement,” Rooney’s report states. “Ms. Sanger will assume her role as Interim Administrator/CEO on November 5, 2012 and Ms. Sanger was introduced to the WMC staff last week. Until the time of Ms. Sanger's arrival, Ms. Barb Bigelow is here in Wrangell bridging the gap and serving as Acting Administrator/CEO.”

Rooney’s report also pointed out Wrangell’s inclusion in a magazine article touting the borough.

“An article promoting Wrangell as both a tourist destination and a small market meeting and conference center was recently featured in the October 2012 edition of Small Market Meetings. The magazine is distributed free of charge to event planners who use smaller cities and sites for group meetings of five to 500,” his report states.

The assembly also heard a first reading of Proposed Ordinance 866 that would modify language currently contained in Wrangell Ordinance 865, which relates to city oversight of WMC.

Two changes are being recommended, with the first change adding, “The board shall adopt personnel policies for hospital employees, subject to annual review by the assembly during May of each year. The personnel policies shall be subject to annual review by the assembly during May of each year. In addition, in the event the board adopts changes to the personnel policies at other times during the year, the board shall submit the personnel policy changes to the assembly for review. The personnel policies and any changes to the personnel policies shall be subject to modification by the assembly,” while removing, “The personnel policies shall be consistent with the personnel rules and regulations of the borough, and shall be subject to modification by the assembly.”

The second change would affect how and when the assembly’s liaison to the WMC Board of Directors can attend certain meetings of the board.

“The borough assembly shall appoint from its membership a liaison to the Wrangell Medical Center and Long-Term Care Facility. The borough assembly liaison shall represent the assembly and attend and participate in all hospital board meetings and all executive sessions of the board,” though adding, “with the exception of those involving physician credentialing,” to the code.

The code stills cites that the board has no authority to exclude the assembly liaison from any executive session.

The assembly liaison does not participate as a voting member of the board and the presence of the liaison cannot be used to establish a quorum to convene a meeting of the board.

A public hearing will be held on the proposed ordinance on Nov. 27.

A review of whether or not to continue utilizing the services of Hoffman & Blasco LLC as the borough’s attorney was undertaken by the assembly as well.

In an Oct. 22 memo from Rooney to the assembly, the borough manager provided a proposed change that would increase the hourly rate paid by the city from $175 per hour to $180. The memo also calls for a $225 per hour rate for legal services related to WMC.

“Pre-2007, when Mr. Blasco represented WMC, this rate was $200,” Rooney states. “The proposed rate by Mr. Blasco is less than half what WMC has been paying to an out-of-state firm.”

Blasco would also be paid at $180 per hour for special training sessions for the assembly, staff, WMC board members or the public.

The borough currently pays a monthly retainer fee of $3,333.33 to Hoffman & Blasco LLC, though no change in that amount is recommended.

The recommendation was approved by the assembly unanimously and will remain in effect until Oct. 31, 2014.

The assembly also approved an annual fuel bid for the city from Delta Western through Oct. 2013 in the amount of $528,494.

The next regular meeting of the assembly is set for Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.