El Centro Municipal Code Art. III Municipal Hospital

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 22-08, § 2, adopted Nov. 15, 2022, repealed the former Art. III, §§ 13-31—13-42, and enacted a new Art. III as set out herein. The former Art. III pertained to similar subject matter and derived from Ord. No. 21-05, § 1, adopted Oct. 5, 2021.

City council trustees shall mean the five (5) members of the city functioning in its separate capacity as the board of trustees.

Hospital shall mean El Centro Regional Medical Center.

Management agreement shall mean an agreement executed by the City of El Centro and the single entity appointed as the sole and exclusive Manager of the operations and business functions of El Centro Regional Medical Center.

Management trustees shall mean the two (2) representatives of the manager appointed by the mayor (with council consent) to the hospital's board of trustees as provided in this article III or, alternatively, two (2) representatives of the medical staff.

Manager shall mean the single entity that has been appointed as the sole and exclusive manager of the operations and business functions of El Centro Regional Medical Center pursuant to the management agreement.

(Ord. No. 22-08, § 2, 11-15-22)

A municipal hospital has been established in the city to operate under the name of El Centro Regional Medical Center.

(Ord. No. 22-08, § 2, 11-15-22)

Governance responsibilities of the hospital shall be vested in a board of trustees established and appointed pursuant to the provisions set forth here (the "board"). The board of trustees is a public agency separate and apart from the city council and neither is responsible for the debts or liabilities of the other nor are the employees of the hospital employees of the city.

(Ord. No. 22-08, § 2, 11-15-22)

(a) City council trustees: At all times, the city council members shall constitute the board of trustees of the hospital.

(b) During all periods when there is a management agreement and appointment of a manager in place for the hospital, the board of trustees of the hospital will be compromised of seven (7) trustees as follows: the five (5) city council trustees shall be plus the two (2) management trustees.

(Ord. No. 22-08, § 2, 11-15-22)

(a) The term of a city council trustee is the same as the term for that council member. There is no limit to the number of terms that may be served by a city council trustee as long as the council member remains in office. When a new council member is elected and takes office, that council member shall become a member of the board of trustees without further action of the council at the time that person takes office.

(b) The term of office of any city council trustee shall end at such time as the council member no longer holds office.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the term of any city council trustee on the board of trustees shall expire if that city council trustee is absent from three (3) consecutive regular meetings, or from three (3) of any five (5) consecutive meetings of the board (including but not limited to committee meetings), and thereafter the city council by resolution declares that a vacancy exists on the board. At that time the city council at its discretion shall determine how to proceed to fill the vacancy.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this ordinance or state law, the service of the city council trustee on the board of trustees does not constitute a conflict of interest or incompatibility of office.

(Ord. No. 22-08, § 2, 11-15-22)

(a) The chief medical officer of the hospital or other representative of the medical staff appointed by the mayor with the consent of the council shall serve as a management trustee.

(b) The manager also shall nominate for appointment to the board one (1) other management trustee who: (i) is employed by the manager, (ii) has at least five (5) years of experience in either hospital administration or the practice of medicine; and (iii) serves in a leadership role within the manager's organization. If the individual nominated by the manager meets these criteria, then the mayor shall appoint that nominee to the board. The manager may change the appointed management trustee at their sole discretion.

(c) There is no limit to the number of terms that may be served by any management trustee.

(Ord. No. 22-08, § 2, 11-15-22)

(a) If the management agreement and/or the appointment of the management are terminated or amended to eliminate the management services, then the management trustees shall be deemed to have been removed from the board of trustees concurrently with such termination or amendment unless the city council specifically states to the contrary.

(b) The city council trustees shall remain on the board.

(c) At that time the city council at its discretion shall determine how or if to proceed to fill the additional two (2) positions on the board.

(Ord. No. 22-08, § 2, 11-15-22)

(a) The board of trustees has the powers and duties prescribed by law (Govt. Code Section 27600 et seq.) and Section 37650.2 et seq.

(b) The board may make and enforce all regulations for the administration, protection, and maintenance of the hospital and hospital property as provided by law.

(c) The board of trustees shall meet at least once per month in a place and on the day(s) and time(s) it fixes by resolution.

(d) The board of trustees shall maintain bylaws for the operation of the hospital, appointment, and governance of the medical staff, and conduct of its meetings (among other provisions) which shall govern unless inconsistent with this chapter of the provisions of state law, including, but not limited to, the Ralph M. Brown Act (Govt. Code Section 54950 et seq.) and conflicts of interest as those may be amended from time to time.

(e) The city clerk or designee shall function as the secretary to the board of trustees.

(f) All trustees shall serve without additional compensation.

(Ord. No. 22-08, § 2, 11-15-22)