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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOS responses to OIH work group questions draft as of 012717QUESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN FROM THE OIH FUTURE WORK GROUP January 11, 2017 The work group is of the opinion that in order to pass a warrant article seeking more than thirty million dollars for the construction of a new facility for Our Island Home, Nantucket voters need answers to the following questions: RESPONSES FROM TOWN ADMINISTRATION FROM DISCUSSIONS AT 1/11 AND 1/18 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETINGS AS OF 1/27/17 1) If Our Island Home were to be moved from its current location, what would happen to the current land and building? In all likelihood a group would be established to review reuse possibilities. The Board of Selectmen will be discussing this at its meeting on February 1st. The current Board has no intention of selling or transferring the property to any private entity. 2)Upon building a new facility, will the town seek to privatize it, sell it, or merge it with Sherburne Commons? No. 3)Will the town commit to funding for the continuing operation of a skilled nursing facility? The current Board has committed to continue funding the operation of the current facility with endorsement of the FY 18 proposed budget which still requires town meeting approval. The current Board intends to continue seeking town meeting approval of annual budgets for continued operation of a skilled nursing facility at the Miacomet Road location; however, the Board cannot commit future Boards to this. Ultimately, continued funding is up to the voters. 4)With only 40 beds to begin with, will the new facility be able to expand to more beds if needed? Will the new facility over its lifetime be adaptable to changes in community needs? One of the benefits of the small house model is that it can be flexible both with number of beds and “type” of beds. All 45 beds at the current facility are generally not filled 100%, 100% of the time. 5)With regard to the model, can we commit to a more home-like atmosphere without necessarily committing to a small house/GreenHouse® model? Can we go forward with a flexible hybrid design to be developed by the building committee and then implement the operational plan? The home-like atmosphere is one of the guiding principles of the Small House model and it can certainly be flexible within a range of possible designs. 6)Can we, in more depth, revisit with architects and engineers the possibilities of the current location to see what could possibly be done with the current building in place? The Board of Selectmen is not inclined to spend additional funds revisiting the current site. While it is within the realm of possibility to construct the new facility at the current site, the operational and logistical challenges of doing so while operating the current facility are significant, not realistic and advice from industry professionals indicates that DPH approval would be unlikely. The work group is not comfortable with the presentations to date concerning both the current site and the site abutting Sherburne Commons and what could be placed on either one. Moreover, dependable demographic information is needed in order to build a facility that can adjust to potential changes in size and use over the next thirty years. Just as Nantucket Cottage Hospital has adopted the motto ”Building the Right Hospital for Nantucket,” we must build the right Our Island Home for Nantucket.