Letters to the Editor published in the Aug. 2, 2023 issue of the Tomahawk Leader.

Call your Supervisor requesting due diligence

Over 900 signatures have been collected from citizens who are against the selling of Pine Crest. However, on June 28, the Administrative and Legislative (A&L) Committee (Julie DePasse motion/Jesse Boyd second) chose a Broker to sell Pine Crest. After watching the recorded meeting, Chairman Friske congratulated the Broker and announced that the information would be taken to the board.

I attended the July 18 County board meeting to voice frustration of how the Chairman and Supervisors are not listening to their constituents. I received the agenda which states: “All Public Comment is Limited to Current Agenda Items… .” Pine Crest was not on the agenda preventing me from voicing my concerns. Chairman Friske did allow me to speak but would not hear comments about Pine Crest.

According to the A&L meeting, Pine Crest should have been on the agenda and comments from the public should have been heard. By not adding it to the agenda resulted in the loss of my freedom of speech.

Pine Crest recently received a “Five Star” rating for its outstanding facility and staff. Residents are alarmed and confused about their future, we need to slow down and examine all the alternatives. One Supervisor indicated options to stable funding including grant writing and endowments. Why haven’t we explored these options?

I urge you to watch the recorded A&L meeting (June 28) and call your Supervisor requesting due diligence before finalizing the sale of Pine Crest.

Judy Woller

Pine River and life resident of Lincoln County

Explained the situation very well

Thank you Mr. Jim Torgerson for your letter in July 26, 2023, Tomahawk Leader. Coming from someone who worked in nursing home management, you explained the situation very well in terms everyone should be able to understand. It was short and addressed different areas of nursing homes.

Thank you.

Leona Vander Sanden

Gleason

It can be done

Response to Jim Torgerson’s letter on July 26:

My husband and I did two separate signature collections, in Tomahawk, in opposition to the sale of Pine Crest Nursing Home. We knew almost all of the people who signed. Regardless of their political bent –  conservative or liberal – they all understood the consequences of taking a publicly-owned, highly-rated nursing home and selling it to a for-profit venture. 

No one voiced support for the sale. Time limited us from obtaining more. Other Tomahawk people also gathered Tomahawk signatures and relayed similar results.

The supposed taxpayer backlash to keeping Pine Crest as a county-owned facility surfaced recently and suspiciously from that quarter promoting the sale.

The fact is that Pine Crest accepts the highest percentage of Medicaid recipients where other facilities will not.

It is an insult to the average citizen to state that no one should worry about the quality of operations because all homes are under state and federal statute. In spite of those statutes, non-partisan organizations still find enough differences in performance levels to issue ratings. Pine Crest has the highest.

The sale of Pine Crest has been a priority for some board members as they proceed to eliminate as many services as possible. At the May 2023 county board meeting, Supervisor and State Assemblyman, Calvin Callahan, moved to begin the process to find a broker for the sale of Pine Crest. Supervisor Ken Wickman then asked for an amendment to that motion to include the sale of the Social Services building. The motion passed but without the amendment to sell the Social Services building. The minutes stated, “… this exploration could be determined at a later date and once the broker was retained.”

At that same board meeting, Supervisor Elizabeth McCrank submitted a resolution asking for an advisory referendum to determine the course of action on Pine Crest. Supervisor Calvin Callahan motioned to table the referendum resolution indefinitely, which passed, 13-8.

At the June 28 Administrative and Legislative Committee meeting, Item 5 listed Review and Award RFP – Broker for Pine Crest Nursing Home. Supervisor Julie DePasse motioned to award the bid to Marcus & Millichap, which passed.

The July 18 county board meeting agenda listed no reference to the sale of Pine Crest. Those members of the public waiting to address the board were told by Chairman Don Friske that unless an item was specifically on the agenda, they could not address it. Fortunately, those waiting did address the board’s agenda tactics, budgeting and questioned: 

What will be done with the county’s approximate $1 million in remaining ARPA funds? Why wasn’t the broker selection brought to the whole board when Friske said earlier that the broker selection was made and would be brought to the board? When pressed, Friske assumed that it might be at the August board meeting. Regardless, the 300 additional signatures were presented, bringing the current total to approximately 900 in opposition to the sale.

In its rush to dispose of Pine Crest, the board should instead explore a foundation to assist Lincoln County with finances and grants for Pine Crest. Marathon County faced the same situation with its Mount View Home and worked to keep it under county control. It can be done.

Diana C. Smith  

Tomahawk