Platte City residents will no longer have to drive to Barry Road or St. Joseph for immediate medical care. Tuesday night’s board of alderman meeting brought the announcement by Heartland Health clinic administrator Steve McCamy that Platte City will be the new home of a medical clinic by the end of the year.
“As Platte City has been growing the last couple of years, I’ve been wanting to do a clinic here in Platte City,” McCamy announced. “The goal is to bring internal medicine and pediatrics” to a location off Running Horse Road, he said.
McCamy stated that the facility will start out with three primary care physicians, with the capabilities to expand to six physicians. Heartland Health will also bring specialists-such as cardiologists-to the clinic weekly to visit patients.
“Our goal is to bring our medical capabilities to the community,” said McCamy.
“We want to service people who live five to ten minutes from here. We’re not looking to go down to Barry Road or up I-435.”
McCamy stated they are currently in negotiations with the land owner of the final three lots on Running Horse Road to determine the agreeable land price. Heartland Health also has a builder ready to construct the facility.
The facility is expected to be an estimated 12,000-20,000 square feet initially. The Platte City clinic will house 17 employees and x-ray, lab, and mammogram capabilities.
“We want to purchase all three lots for expansion capabilities,” said McCamy. “I would like to have an imaging center or an out-patient surgery center here at some point in the future.”
During City Administrator Keith Moody’s report he addressed the recent failure of the 3/8 cent sales tax issue at the election last week.
“The results of the sales tax issues leaves me with an inconclusive feeling of why the citizens supported the general obligation bonds with a 66% approval, but it was the complete reversal of the sales tax,” said Moody.
According to Moody, City Attorney Keith Hicklin advised him that the city could put the ballot question back on in the February election.
“I think it’s an issue that may take a more active involvement such as the school district does when trying to pass a bond issue,” stated Moody.
Moody recommended that the board may want to consider establishing a committee for the 3/8 tax.
“We need to get the message to the citizens in as clear of fashion as possible,” said Moody.
Aldermen Ron Porter, George McClintock and Mayor Dave Brooks stated that they have heard from voters they didn’t understand the language of the ballot question.
“I think it was a misunderstanding of what the sales tax was really for,” said Brooks.
“What we’re trying to do is to finish the CIP so everybody in town has new streets, new sidewalks, and new sewers just like your neighbor has.”