Maverick County Hospital District Board Calls Special Board Meeting to Hire Interim CEO and Realtor

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

In a dramatic change of events, Maverick County Hospital District Board of Directors Chairman Juan Manuel “Chuco” Farias has called a special Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 12 Noon at the local hospital district’s Second Floor Conference Room located at 3406 Bob Rogers Drive in Eagle Pass, Texas, with an Agenda calling for the “Discussion and possible action on contracting Real Estate services for the sale of Bibb Street property and notice for request for bids” and an “Executive Session Pursuant to Texas Government Code, Section 551.074 and Section 551.071 to discuss personnel matters regarding Interim CEO” and an Open Session “with possible action from Executive Session discussion.”

At its January 22, 2014 regular Board meeting, the MCHD Board of Directors decided to accept Chief Executive Officer Elcira Bares’ letter of retirement effective at the end of March 2014 and to begin advertising the CEO position in local and out-of-town newspapers and with statewide and national health care associations, establishing an application deadline of Friday, March 7, 2014.

Since the CEO March 7th application deadline is still pending, it is unknown why the MCHD Board of Directors would hold a special board meeting to entertain an Executive Session agenda item to discuss personnel matters regarding Interim CEO and an Open Session “with possible action from Executive Session discussion.” The placement of the Executive Session and Open Session agenda items with “possible action” in Open Session raises the possibility that the MCHD Board of Directors may hire an Interim Chief Executive Officer before their previously established March 7th application deadline.

Earlier in the year, MCHD Board Chairman Farias appointed veteran healthcare executive and Board Secretary-Treasurer Humberto Duran, Board member Ricardo Calderon, and CEO Elcira Bares to a CEO Search Committee to review the CEO applications and recommend finalists for the position to be interviewed by the Board at their March 26th regular board meeting. With the self-imposed March 7th CEO application deadline still pending, it is unknown why MCHD Chairman Farias would call a special Board meeting on March 6th, one day before the application deadline, with discussion and possible action regarding an Interim CEO, raising many questions among taxpayers.

Also on the special board meeting on March 6th is an “Update on CEO Recruitment” apparently by Chairman Farias or CEO Bares or the Board’s CEO Search Committee.

Another surprising Agenda item on the called March 6th special board meeting is the “Discussion and possible action on contracting Real Estate services for the sale of Bibb Street property and notice for request for bids.”
The MCHD Board decided at its January 22, 2014 regular board meeting to advertise the sale of their Bibb Street property in local and out-of-town newspapers with a bid deadline of March 21, 2014. The MCHD Board discussed and agreed at one or more Board meetings not using the services of a Realtor to assist them with the sale of the Bibb Street property in order to save MCHD taxpayers a commission fee, which may be between $20,000 to $24,000 depending on the final sale price, and to allow the Hospital District comply with state laws regarding the sale of property by a governmental entity.

At their recently held February 26th regular Board meeting, the MCHD Building and Grounds Committee, comprised of Chairman Farias, Board member Joaquin L. Rodriguez, and CEO Bares, recommended the hiring of local Realtor Jose A. Aranda, Jr. and Realty Executives of Eagle Pass to assist the Hospital District with the sale of their Bibb Street property because he was the only Realtor to offer his services, contradicting previous MCHD Board discussion and decision not to use the services of a Realtor, but no action was taken because the agenda item was only for discussion purposes. With placing an agenda item on the March 6th special board meeting with “Discussion and possible action on contracting Real Estate services for the sale of Bibb Street property and notice for request for bids,” there is a possibility that the MCHD Board may reverse its previous discussion and decision not to hire a Realtor to assist them with the sale of the Bibb Street property.

At the February 26th Board meeting, Board member Calderon raised the issue with CEO Bares that the Hospital District had not advertised for requests for proposals from real estate Realtors or Brokers to assist them with the sale of the property as required by state law. The March 6th special Board meeting agenda appears to now request the hiring of a Realtor and the publishing of a notice for request for bids by real estate Realtors or Brokers to assist the MCHD with the sale of the Bibb Street property, reversing prior Board action. It is unknown why the MCHD Board may reverse its prior discussion and decision on this item.

Interestingly, the MCHD has not even advertised yet in local and out-of-town newspapers the notice required by state law regarding request for bids for the purchase or sale of the Bibb Street property despite the Board ordering it since its January 22nd regular meeting. There is a real possibility that the Hospital District may not meet its March 21st deadline to receive bids for the purchase or sale of the Bibb Street property because it has not complied with state law requirements. The MCHD may have to change and postpone its January 22nd Board decision to accept and open bids for the purchase of the Bibb Street property by its own March 21st deadline due to the mishandling of this important issue, potentially causing taxpayers not to receive a maximum return on the Bibb Street property and increasing the costs of its sale.

The MCHD Board of Directors meetings are open to the public.