By Jalen Maki
Tomahawk Leader Editor
TOMAHAWK – The Lincoln County Board of Supervisors is slated to host a pair of town hall meetings to gather public opinion on the future of Pine Crest Nursing Home in Merrill.
The first meeting will be held on Thursday, April 6 at the Bradley Town Hall, 1518 W. Mohawk Dr., Tomahawk, at 5 p.m.
The second meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 12 at the Lincoln County Government Services Building, 801 N. Sales St., Merrill, at 6 p.m.
Pine Crest, which has operated in Merrill for about 70 years and is owned by Lincoln County, has experienced financial losses in recent years.
A Friday, March 31 release from Lincoln County Clerk Chris Marlowe said Lincoln County residents are invited to attend the meetings to offer input and ask questions regarding the specific options the Pine Crest Ad Hoc Committee presented to the county board earlier this month.
The ad hoc committee, formed in June 2022, was tasked with reviewing the nursing home’s current and potential future financial obligations, the use of the building and grounds and the agreement between Lincoln County and North Central Health Care (NCHC). Lincoln County transferred management responsibilities to NCHC in 2019.
The committee, made up of District 1 Supervisor William Bialecki, District 15 Supervisor Marty Lemke, District 18 Supervisor Ken Wickham, District 20 Supervisor Angela Cummings and District 22 Supervisor Greg Hartwig, was also directed to prepare a report on its findings and provide the board with recommendations on areas for improvement regarding the county’s overall position concerning Pine Crest.
During the board’s meeting on Tuesday, March 21, committee chair Ken Wickham provided a summary of the nearly 170-page report and walked the board through several potential actions the county could take moving forward.
Wickham noted that the committee does not endorse or recommend any of the alternatives, and “none of them are mutually exclusive to themselves.”
“It really boils down to two alternatives – either Lincoln County continues to operate Pine Crest as a county-owned nursing home, or we don’t,” Wickham told the board.
Options that could be on the table if Lincoln County continues its ownership of the facility include exploring ways to cut costs and generate additional revenues, pursuing a management arrangement with an entity other than NCHC and downsizing the facility.
If Lincoln County were to cease its operation of Pine Crest, Wickham said the county could consider finding alternative uses for the facility or selling the property.
Wickham also suggested the option of holding a referendum to allow Lincoln County voters to decide whether or not the county should continue to operate Pine Crest. A potential referendum could ask taxpayers for $3 million to $4 million per year to allow the county to continue its operation of the nursing home, Wickham estimated.
These options will be discussed during the town hall meetings.
“Please help your county board supervisors determine the future of Pine Crest Nursing Home operations and the role of Lincoln County government,” the release stated.
The Pine Crest Ad Hoc Committee report and a recording of the Tuesday, March 21 meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors are available on the Lincoln County website at www.bit.ly/3G7fKME.