JPs need to get on board for hospital

An acquaintance used to categorize a debacle — any debacle — as “just a little mix-up.” We are hoping that is the case with the reluctance of the Jefferson County Quorum Court to approve a lease extension for Jefferson Regional hospital for the purpose of expanding healthcare in the Pine Bluff area.

When the issue came up last week at the Quorum Court’s committee meeting, it sailed through, meaning it was moved on to be considered by the full Quorum Court, which met on Monday. Leadership from the hospital was at the committee meeting, ready and willing to answer questions. Ready, set, go.

Then on Monday night, six of the 13 justices of the peace voted against approving the measure. There was a procedural issue, which may require a second vote. But the real issue is why almost half of the justices of the peace would vote against such a “no brainer,” as County Judge Gerald Robinson called it.

His explanation was that Justice of the Peace Alfred Carroll Sr. had so muddied the water that the other justices of the peace had lost track of what exactly they were voting on.

Carroll said one of the objections is that when the lease agreement is extended to the end of this century, any number of county judges and justices of the peace will have come and gone and will not have been able to change the business arrangement as set forth in the lease extension.

We would think that would go without saying. Is the option then to extend the lease by single-digit years? Of course not. What business would agree to commit to investing in an enterprise that could be twisted and turned every few years? Not one. The reason some business obligations last 100 years or more is for the sole purpose of removing time and intervening nuisances from the equation.

As Brian Thomas, hospital CEO put it, the current hospital does not have the capacity to handle the expansion being planned for a White Hall campus so the best option is to bring in a developer that will do that.

We look forward to a reboot of this proposal, as promised by the county judge. The goal would be to have a good, strong number of justices of the peace supporting this plan, which would be a clear indication that the proposed development has good support for the project. Pine Bluff needs the project and, as Thomas said, so does the region. Enough with the mix-ups!