No decisions made on critical access hospital
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PINEDALE – Going into Wednesday’s meeting, many expected to hear a decision from the Sublette County Rural Health District Board about the county’s offer to sell the Pinedale Medical Clinic property for $4.2 million for the new critical access hospital.
However, that specific discussion was moved down the agenda and ended being postponed for another week.
After opening the June 20 meeting at Marbleton Town Hall, board chair Scott Scherbel asked for amendments to the agenda, which already included talking about Marbleton’s $6-million loan offer to rebuild the South County clinic as a CAH and the “Sletten analysis of the current clinic property as a hospital site.”
But the board approved breaking that into separate discussions for the Sletten analysis and the county’s offer. It also added on Pinedale’s unofficial offer to consider giving up adjacent ball fields. Mayor Matt Murdock said he would put the topic on the next Pinedale Town Council agenda.
The analysis showed the CAH could fit on the existing 4-plus-acre clinic site but without much savings, according to the design team. It would also not have space for the proposed outpatient surgery option.
The proposed facility is estimated at $17 million to build and $11 million to equip.
Board members pointed out that would not include the $4.2-million purchase price for the existing Pinedale clinic.
The board did approve spending no more than $30,000 to have the clinic site plus the ball fields reevaluated for “fit” and bore test holes for no more than $30,000.
The board also heard and approved an amended offer from owner John Harber for $550,000 with the remaining $550,000 of its $1.1 million market value donated. That purchase price would also be added onto the $28-million total.
As for the RHCD’s lease that expires June 30, the county provided a month-to-month lease at $120,000 a year, a 20-percent increase. Attorney Doug Wood said he didn’t know why the rent was raised. The board approved the new lease for July 1.
After voting to adjourn the meeting at 9:30 p.m., the board set a special meeting for June 26 at 6 p.m. at Big Piney Town Hall to fully discuss Sublette County’s offer to sell the clinic.
For more, about the June 20 RHCD meeting, read the Tuesday, June 26, Sublette Examiner.
