Loud swirling sound...

If you hear a loud swirling sound coming from Brooksville, just ignore it, since it just our tax money being flushed down the drain at the old hospital site. The projected forecast for completion of a feasibility study for the old hospital site is now November 2007. Last August, Commissioners Robinson and Hogan, at the urging of a longtime community activist Janey Baldwin, decided to start the search over for a firm to conduct a feasibility study, based on the results of Strollo Architects. Apparently Strollo had exceeded the original bid requirements by expanding their scope of work. If common sense had prevailed with the county commissioners in August, the project would not be another four months behind costing an additional $220K in tax money. The commissioners always have a choice of professional firms based on their fair ranking and the ability to perform the requested tasks. The most logical approach would have been to eliminate Strollo for exceeding the bid requirements in August and award the contract to the firm in second place to conduct the study. Government bureaucracy has been blamed on the county staff many times but the responsibility for this "money pit" lies squarely on the county commissioners shoulders. In hindsight, over $2 million will be used on this project before any concrete decisions are made for the old hospital. The county commissioners should have been pro-active in 2001 with the new lease agreement with Brooksville Regional. This feasibility study should have been completed prior to the county assuming full responsibilities of the hospital last spring before Brooksville Regional staff vacated the premises. If a pro-active approach had taken place in 2001 by Commissioners Rowden, Kingsley and former Commissioner Robinson, our tax money would not be wasted today on these unnecessary delays. So on December 4th, the selection committee will once again rank the same firms to conduct this feasibility study. Ironic, or just plain sad, you be the judge?