Sauk County supervisors agreed Thursday to spend nearly $1 million on architectural services to replace the aging county nursing home south of Reedsburg.

Sauk County Board members reviewed a proposed contract to have the firm Horty Elving of Minneapolis plan, design and manage construction of a new Sauk County Health Care Center. Designers would begin working with county officials in March and actual construction of the center would begin in the spring of 2008. In October board members will vote on $15 million in bonding to pay for the building.

Wisconsin officials are changing the way seniors and disabled people are taken care of in the state, with an emphasis on helping people stay in their own homes as long as possible.

As a result, county officials expect the new nursing home to be smaller than the existing center’s 110 beds — probably 80 patients or fewer. However, they expect those needing care to be have more serious medical problems and need more attention.

Baraboo Supervisor Joan Fordham said the county will work with the architects to decide what sort of nursing care facility would best serve residents. Horty Elving will help them make “good, intelligent decisions” about the facility.

“We have not decided what the services should be yet, we have not decided what the final shape of the building should be like as far as number of beds,” she said. “We’re asking to have an architect involved as we make those final decisions.”

A primary issue during the discussion was whether Sauk County should continue to operate a nursing home.

Spring Green resident Louise Dotter sent a letter and newspaper article to board members pointing to federal government proposals to cut $4 billion in Medicaid payments to rural hospitals and nursing homes. She suggested such policy changes go against plans for a new center

“As a taxpayer, I urge the board to seek out expert advice on the new Medicaid funding rules before committing funds to a project that may not be financially viable,” she wrote.

Supervisor Peter Tollaksen of Wisconsin Dells announced at the start of discussion he would be voting against the architectural contract. State and county officials are predicting budgets will be tight in coming years, he warned.

“I do not feel this is the time to put out a 20 or 30-year borrowing plan to continue in a business that most counties aren’t in,” said Tollaksen.

When it came to the vote 24 supervisors supported the resolution to hire Horty Elving for the center’s construction. Four supervisors, Tollaksen, Gerald Lehman of rural Reedsburg, Joan Wheeler and Tom Kriegl, both of Baraboo, opposed the decision.

Three supervisors were not present for the meeting.

Sauk County will pay Horty Elving $25,000 for the first phase of planning the center’s services and size, Fordham said. Under the contract it will pay up to $888,000 for all services provided by Horty Elving through the end of construction. However, payments for the second and third phases must receive board approval.

The funds will be drawn from $1 million set aside for the home several years ago.

Source: www.wiscnews.com

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