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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNursing Home Advisory Referendum Committee 07-02-08 NOTICE OF MEETING AND AGENDA ST. CROIX COUNTY Nursing Home Advisory Referendum Committee July 2, 2008 10:00 a.m. St. Croix County Government Center Room 1281 1101 Carmichael Road, Hudson CALL TO ORDER - Convener ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF AGENDA ACTION ON PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES: June 4, 2008 DATE OF NEXT MEETING — August 6, 2008 OLD AND NEW BUSINESS 1. Referendum Question ADJOURN (Items may be taken in different order) ** Additions /Changes /Corrections Items for County Board approval must be submitted to the County Clerk's office by Wednesday morning preceding a County Board meeting. 6/24/2008 9:30 AM MINUTES OF THE ST. CROIX COUNTY NURSING HOME ADVISORY REFERENDUM COMMITTEE JULY 2, 2008 OFFICIAL Meeting called to order by convener Ruetz at 10:16 AM. MEMBERS PRESENT: Present: Daryl Standafer, Esther Wentz, Julie Speer and Eugene Ruetz. Absent: Dick King OTHERS PRESENT: Administrative Coordinator Chuck Whiting, County Board Chair Roger Rebholz, Health & Human Services Director Fred Johnson, Corporate Counsel Greg Timmerman, Bill Cranmer, Loyla Waskul & Administrative Secretary Amy Sabelko. ADOPTION OF AGENDA: Motion by Wentz, 2nd by Speer to adopt the agenda. Motion carried unanimously. DATE OF NEXT MEETING: August 6, 2008 at 10:00 AM. ADOPTION OF MINUTES: Motion by Standafer, 2 by Wentz to approve the June 4, 2008 minutes. Motion carried unanimously. REVIEW OF OLD & NEW BUSINESS 1. Discuss Referendum question. The Committee discussed how many questions they should ask and how they come up with a question that will not appear to be biased? The Committee also stated that they need to determine what has to be learned from the referendum before they start working on the wording? Whiting indicated that one way to deal with the question would be to discuss what it isn't. It isn't a principle issue. Is it a matter of not being in the business because the Private sector can provide this service or is it more a scope of money. The Committee asked Johnson what the deficit could be at the end of this year? Johnson stated that the numbers were not final but the capitol costs could be $800,000 and operational expenses could be approximately $1M (which does not include depreciation). We receive depreciation on the Medicare side. Cranmer asked about depreciating the nursing home and what the expenses would be if this took place? Johnson indicated that it would be in the $100,000's. If the County loses money based on a new nursing home because patient's are lost to the private sector Medicare folks, the facility may pick up the Medicaid patients, which means that the nursing home would go back to the County levy for funding. There is about $180 — $190 that does not come to us from the Medicare funding. Wentz asked if the Health & Human Services referendum question was going to be discussed at the next board meeting. Rebholz said yes that everything will be on the table. MINUTES OF THE ST. CROIX COUNTY NURSING HOME ADVISORY REFERENDUM COMMITTEE JULY 2 2008 OFFICIAL If the Board approves building a new nursing home perhaps this could be a part of the referendum. Does this Committee determine how to provide better operational expenses? If the County Board approves building a new nursing home it takes a majority vote. The question this Committee is trying to come up with would no longer be necessary. However, Whiting brought up that there will also be discussion regarding how to pay for the nursing home. This Committee needs to determine if they want the opinion of St. Croix County employees also. There are currently 2 different Committee's working on the issues, and the referendum question and whether or not to build a new nursing home do need to be looked at and discussed. Ruetz took a random poll of his own and asked people in the County whether or not they were opposed to funding a nursing home. Out of 400 persons, 3 said no. Ruetz then asked if they should be taxed to pay for it — of the 400 they all said yes. Speer said that we have to be simple and general about the referendum question. Standafer offered that perhaps our question could be, "Should St. Croix County continue to operate a public nursing home if property tax dollars are needed to fund its operation ?" If yes , If no All agreed that an explanation paragraph is needed. Johnson added that we can adjust revenues or capitol expenditures, but when looking at 5 & 10% budget reduction requests he can't look at employees without looking at changing the number of beds that can be serviced — therefore reducing operational expenses. Johnson said they are working toward LT Care facilities. The other discussion item that the Health & Human Services Committee has been looking at is what population the County cares for? Does the County need to look at specialty care units? If the County develops a resource Johnson said that other counties that already have issues with specialty care patients would be willing to work with our facility. Johnson provided a facility analysis for the group luokuig at 77 beds and 50 bed facilities. This at least gives the committee a range to determine what the additional costs could be. The Committee agreed that they could use Timmerman's question and then determine what the additional explanation questions should be. Suggestion made by Standafer that the committee assumes that the question on the table is the recommendation and they then determine what the explanation should look like. Before the August meeting all of the committee members should write up their ideas of what the explanations could be. At the August meeting the explanations will be finalized and recommendation brought to the full County Board. All members agreed. Meeting adjourned at 11:40 AM. Julie Speer, Secretary Amy Sabelko, Recording Secretary