While construction of the new St. Vincent’s St. Clair hospital continues, local government is taking action to ensure that the process goes along as smoothly as possible.

Recently the St. Clair County Commission adopted a second amended hospital agreement, which includes St. Clair County Medical Office Building, LLC, almost a party to the original contract.

Commission Attorney Bill Weathington said when the agreement was first written, details of the medical office building, which will house medical offices nearby the hospital, were not yet developed. Now, the contract agrees to cooperate with the medical office building construction, which also gives SCMOB, LLC, the authority to require site preparations of the land in order for them to start construction.

Weathington said the contract amendment doesn’t cost the county anything more, but allows the SCMOB to start construction, which is already roughly a month behind.

The city of Pell City also awarded bids Monday for the hospital’s sewer and water lines to Robert Granger, Inc. for a total of $110,160. The contract includes installation of 500 feet of water and sewer lines from Hospital Drive to the new hospital building site.