Posted: 11/17/04
By MaryHelen Swanson
A place to call home in the later years may be in the hands of a company called Ecumen now. The Chisago County Board of Commissioners approved, on a 3-2 vote, the sale of Green Acres Country Care Center to Ecumen (formerly known as Board of Social Ministry) which has been operating the facility since 1996.
The action came at a special county board meeting Nov. 10, and after significant discussion about the purchase agreement. In favor of the sale were commissioners Mike Robinson, Rick Olseen and Bob Gustafson.
Commissioner Ben Montzka objected to the approval of the agreement without a written opinion letter from legal counsel. Comm. Olseen said the attorneyís opinion was in the work on the document.
County Administrator John Moosey noted that four days were spent reviewing the purchase agreement.
County Attorney Katherine Johnson said she felt the contract was a solid document and that it takes the county in the direction in which is wants to go - that being getting out of the nursing home business.
The agreement includes the sale of the current GACCC home and property for a price of $1. Ecumen will also purchase the 20-acre site west of I-35 as the site of the new facility. That price is $123,000, exactly what the county paid for the land from former owners, Evelyn and Clayton Anderson. It is hoped and expected that closing on the deal will occur at the end of January.
Under the agreement, Ecumen will be allowed 60 days as a due diligence period to review documents, inspect the property, perform inventories, observations, tests and investigations, review zoning, building, fire, environmental, ADA and other governmental requirements, make market studies and investigations, economic evaluations, title evaluations and investigations, appraisals, real estate tax analyses, investigations of potential least transactions and of potential financing. During the due diligence period, Ecumen will have full access to all personnel, books, records and facilities pertaining to the property.
The board was reminded that as of April 1, 2005, Ecumen will terminate the current operating lease. The nursing home would then, if the purchase is not completed, be the countyís responsibility for operating.
Commissioner Lora Walker was not satisfied with contractís promise. ìWeíre hopeful it will result in a nursing facility for our seniors,î she said.
The board was assured by John Racek, of Larson Allen, that if the sale is completed, and the new facility project falls apart, GACCC will be Ecumenís responsibility.
If Ecumen chooses not to complete the sale, the county may consider steps to close the current facility. Montzka noted that it would be a tough decision, but he said if Ecumen canít operate the nursing home, the county couldnít do it either.
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