Operator asks county for 3-month lease relief

By MaryHelen Swanson
Green Acres Country Care Center in North Branch needs to have 95 percent occupancy to survive financially. It has been running at about 80 percent full. This has put a strain on finances.
For that reason, the nursing home operator, the Board of Social Ministry, (BSM) asked for and got a three-month reprieve from paying the monthly lease payments to the county.
The three-months payments, $45,000, would ordinarily be put into the countyís Green Acres fund. As the county continues with plans to pursue a new nursing home, the money in that fund is essential to help cover the costs of construction.
Where are the residents? Changes in occupancy have been noted at the board room in recent months.
While it was not so very long ago there was a waiting list to get into nursing homes, today, with other care options, and assisted living facilities springing up all around, people who would have entered a nursing home are not going there.
Changes in the Medicare and state nursing home payment system have, according to the adopted resolution, ìfurther eroded the financial viability of the Green Acres Country Care Center.î
Commissioner Ben Montzka, who moved the resolution to allow the three-month waiver, said he didnít want to punish BSM, but pointed to the fact that they are breaching their lease agreement. And in doing so, he said, they are jeopardizing the new facility.
Commissioner Rick Olseen agreed to give them the three months to see if they could turn the financial situation around. If they donít get straightened out, he agreed, the county project is in jeopardy.
Commissioner Bob Gustafson suggested a visit with the BSM people (they were not in attendance at the meeting last week). He reminded the rest of the board that when BSM was hired originally, the county was in dire need of expertise to operate the nursing home.
The vote to approve the release from lease payments for three months was 3-2 with Commissioners Gustafson and Mike Robinson opposed.
In other business June 25, the county board:
ï on a 3-2 vote (Montzka and Commissioner Walker opposed) moved to give the Overlay and Essential Services (ES) task force final report to the comprehensive plan steering committee. Walker said she supported the report, but not portions regarding the area by the freeway. The board agreed to send letters of thanks to the OES task force members.
ï agreed not to get involved in any mosquito control program. Montzka passed on the suggestion from citizens in the Wyoming area who are concerned about the spread of the West Nile Virus.

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