Winfield council approves $10,000 check for Telepharm

By KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

WINFIELD ? The City of Winfield is hoping investing in a pharmacy will be an investment in the city itself.

The city council approved Monday night, in a 3-0 vote, to put down a $10,000 deposit to have a TelePharm Pharmacy to come into the community.

During a special session council meeting on Monday, May 4, Alex Graber, a pharmacy solutions consultant for TelePharm Pharmacy, which is based in Iowa City, approached the council with the idea of bringing a pharmacy to the city.

A TelePharm looks like a traditional pharmacy, but is operated by one or two certified pharmacy technicians. A pharmacist at another location would speak to customers through a secure video call, similar to Skype or Facetime.

Graber told the council that besides looking for communities with a population of fewer than 4,000, not already having a pharmacy in town and having an operating clinic, Telepharm wants to make sure the community is 100 percent on-board. That comes in the form of a $50,000 buy-in.

Graber explained that in exchange of the $50,000 buy-in, the city would receive 25 percent of net profits for the lifetime of the pharmacy. Also, if the pharmacy were to fold before any kind of profit were made, the city would receive its $50,000 back.

?It sounds too good to be true,? said councilman Roger Sharp.

Sharp had his reservations about the $50,000 buy-in. However, after a short discussion and a reminder that previously the city had done a $20,000 buy-in before with another company, the council decided to at least write the $10,000 deposit check to get the ball rolling. Mayor Chris Finnell said the council would look to the community to help come up with the remaining $40,000.

?I kind of see this as the wave of the future,? resident Pam Johnson said of TelePharm?s format. ?There are not enough pharmacists in the state of Iowa. They graduate from the University of Iowa or Drake and then they go out of state. I don?t know much about the financial end, but I think it?s an opportunity you guys need to look at.?

Councilwoman Jan Walter said she spoke to several residents following last Monday?s meeting and she was met with positive feedback.

Finnell added he?s hoping once the pharmacy opens the clinic would go to five days a week.

?This would be great for Winfield,? he added.

The council also heard from Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee regarding call statistics and the need for more beds at the jail.

McNamee said of the 21,914 calls generated in Henry County, 493 were for Winfield. Of those calls, the Winfield Police Department handled 269 and Henry County Sheriff?s Office took care of 199. The remainder calls required no assistance.

The Winfield Fire and Rescue received 134 calls.

McNamee told the council the Henry County Jail only has eight beds and with housing on average 22.5 prisoners a day, the county has paid a lot to house inmates at other prisons. The county pays $40 per day per person to farm an inmate to another jail. In recent years, the county has spent anywhere from $150,000 to $180,000 in housing inmates at other jails.

McNamee, who said he is preparing to approach the Henry County Board of Supervisors about a jail expansion, is looking for support from city officials as well as Henry County residents.

?We?re wasting our tax dollars in other counties,? said McNamee.

Although planning is not complete, the jail expansion is looking to cost about $1.5 million, roughly half of what similar counties, like Washington, have spent on their new jails.

In other business, the council:

? Approved a contract from L.L. Pelling Co. for sealcoating work and asphalt paving and patching for summer 2015

? Approved ordinance 319, zoning regulations

? Approved the closing of West Ash Street from the alley east of the library to North Olive Street for Family Activity Day on June 5

? Approved cigarette permit for Casey?s General Store

? Approved a building permit variance for Ben and Pam Johnson at 110 South Olive Street.

? Approved the purchase of a new copier

The Winfield City Council will meet again at 7 p.m., Monday, June 8, at Winfield City Hall.