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BSM bows out of Green Acres projectBy MaryHelen Swanson Residents of the Green Acres Country Care Center in North Branch will continue be taken care of during this time, but the county will seek the proposals for the project, which includes a new nursing home, assisted living opportunities and a medical clinic. BSM cited changes to the original proposal for financing and ownership, reductions in occupancy at Green Acres, freezes in state reimbursements and changes in their own business strategies as reasons they are not prepared to proceed with the Green Acres project as proposed. Payments from BSM to the county for the lease of Green Acres have been waived for six months due to the financial struggles the nursing home has been experiencing. The county commissioners agreed last week to seek proposals for the nursing home project. Commissioner Rick Olseen, who represents the county on the Green Acres committee, said proposals could include taking over operations of the current Green Acres facility during a phasing out period while a new home is being built. Commissioner Lora Walker, who also is on the Green Acres committee, remarked that it was an incredible step for BSM to take. Charles Zimmerman of BSM told the commissioners he hoped to continue as smooth a relationship as possible during the transition period. Green Acres administrator Steve Mork said it was time to move forward and that he hoped, for the sake of the county, they get a proposal they can work with. Formal responses to the countyís RFP are due Dec. 31. They will be reviewed early in 2004. There is some urgency in finding a different provider, noted lawyre John Racek of Larson Allen, which represents the county. There is a timeline with the state in which the county has to transfer the moratorium exception from BSM to a new provider, he said. County Administrator John Moosey said there is a lot of excitement about the nursing home project although he did not know the interest that would be generated by the request for proposals. Plans could include groundbreaking for a new home in September 2004. Under the stateís moratorium exception program, the county has until December 2005 to begin construction of a new long-term care facility. ©ECM Post Review |