Tuesday, February 24, 2026 |
Photo – MHCC – Bigfoot99 file photo
The State Loan and Investment Board approved a $250,000 Mineral Royalty Grant to help Memorial Hospital of Carbon County with elevator repairs.
The State Loan and Investment Board and State Board of Land Commissioners met on February 8th to discuss 19 Mineral Royalty Grant applications totaling over $7.8 million, along with other agenda items. Of the 19 requests, the Office of State Lands and Investments recommended fully funding 10, with the remaining 9 receiving partial awards.
Memorial Hospital of Carbon County was one of the entities the Office of State Lands and Investments put forward for full funding. During the February 8th meeting, Memorial Hospital Chief Operating Officer Kerry Ashment requested $250,000 for elevator repairs. Ashment said the facility’s elevators are far past their operational lifespan.
Ashment said the Board of Carbon County Commissioners has committed to a $250,000 match, bringing the total request to $500,000. The hospital CEO added that patients do not appreciate being trapped in the faulty elevators.
The State Loan and Investment Board and State Board of Land Commissioners unanimously voted to approve Memorial Hospital of Carbon County’s $250,000 Mineral Royalty Grant application.
The matter was discussed again during the February 17th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, where Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett announced the grant approval. Commissioner Sue Jones remarked that Memorial Hospital may have trouble finding a qualified elevator mechanic, citing the county’s continued difficulty in arranging repairs for the Carbon Building freight elevator.
When Vice Chairwoman Bartlett asked how much work the elevators require, Memorial Hospital CEO Kerry Ashment responded that most of the effort will focus on the mechanical systems, with the cars receiving a refurbishment at the same time. Once the repairs are complete, Ashment said the hospital will have three functioning elevators.
Ashment thanked the Board of Commissioners for its $250,000 commitment to the elevator repairs.
