State rejects bid for money by medical school

Friday, Nov. 7, 2003 | 9:47 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Board of Examiners on Wednesday turned down several requests for money, including a request from the University of Nevada School of Medicine and one from Lincoln County to cover wildfire expenses.

The examiners rejected the medical school's request for reimbursement of $778,000 for psychiatric services it said it provided for the state Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities.

Board members noted the invoice was submitted to the mental health division at least one year late. Gov. Kenny Guinn, chairman of the board, wondered how the medical school was able to operate without the $778,000.

"We can't be producing money for the total incompetency in another state agency," said Guinn. He said the medical school owes an explanation to the Examiners Board before it would pay the old claim.

The board also turned down a request from Lincoln County for $105,800 from an emergency fund to help pay costs for fighting a fire last year near Pioche.

Officials with the state Division of Emergency Management told the board that the county has the money to cover the costs.

Lincoln County is considered one of the poorest counties in the state, and Lincoln County Commission Chairman Spencer Hafen said the county got hit with a bill of about $500,000 from the federal government for battling the blaze.

Despite what the Division of Emergency Management said, Lincoln County doesn't have the money to cover the full bill, he said.

"I have some disagreement with the BLM that fought the fire and then sent us the bill," he said. Part of the fire was on federal land.

"I don't know what we're going to do," Hafen said. "We don't have the $105,000."

Lincoln's request isn't dead yet. It now goes to the Legislative Interim Finance Committee, which controls the disaster relief fund. The committee meets Nov. 18.

"There's always hope," Hafen said.

Guinn also led the board in postponing the disbursement of $2.8 million that was to help pay for a $7.6 million state Emergency Operations Center in Carson City.

Guinn complained that when the building was designed several years ago, it did not include offices for Homeland Security Director Jerry Bussell, so Guinn wants the design changed to accomodate an office for Bussell.

The position of state homeland security director was created last year.

The governor also questioned the estimated $322,000 the state would be paying for supervision and inspections during the construction. Guinn told officials of the state Public Works Board that the amount was excessive.

The board did approve a $372,500 contract for Jacobsen Construction Co. of Salt Lake City to put the finishing touches on plans to build an office building in Carson City for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

This will be the first lease-purchase project undertaken by the state in more than 30 years. Jacobsen will build the four-story structure, then lease it back to the state, which will gain ownership in 33 years. Jacobsen was selected from three firms for the design and construction of the project.