With 14-8 vote, Lincoln County board approves Pine Crest sale

MERRILL – The Lincoln County Board of Supervisors last week approved the sale of the county-owned Pine Crest Nursing Home.

During its meeting at the Lincoln County Service Center in Merrill on Tuesday, June 17, the board gave the thumbs up to an Asset Purchase Agreement and an Operations Transfer Agreement that will see Ensign Group Inc., and its subsidiaries, Merrill Health Holdings LLC and Jack Pines Healthcare LLC, take over ownership of the Merrill facility.

The purchase price is $9.5 million, with an anticipated closing date of Friday, Aug. 1.

The county’s Administrative and Legislative (A&L) Committee conducted the negotiations, with much of the process taking place in closed sessions, per State statute. The committee approved the agreements earlier this month, setting the stage for last week’s board vote.

According to the resolution, having Pine Crest off the county’s books is estimated to save about $1 million annually.

Prior to the vote, ten-plus people utilized the meeting’s public comment period to speak out against the sale, while two others voiced their support for it.

The board ultimately voted 14-8 to approve the sale.

Voting in favor were District 2 Supervisor Lori Anderson-Malm, District 5 Supervisor Andrew Zelinski, District 8 Supervisor Laurie Thiel, District 10 Supervisor and Board Chair Jesse Boyd, District 11 Supervisor Randy Detert, District 12 Supervisor and Board Vice-Chair Julie DePasse, District 14 Supervisor Marguerite Lyskawa, District 15 Supervisor Marty Lemke, District 16 Supervisor Dana Miller, District 17 Supervisor James Meunier, District 18 Supervisor Ken Wickham, District 20 Supervisor Angela Cummings, District 21 Supervisor Eugene Simon and District 22 Supervisor Greg Hartwig.

Opposed were District 1 Supervisor William Bialecki, District 3 Supervisor Elizabeth McCrank, District 4 Supervisor Derek Woellner, District 6 Supervisor Norbert Ashbeck, District 7 Supervisor Donald Dunphy, District 9 Supervisor Christine Vorpagel, District 13 Supervisor Alan Bishop and District 19 Supervisor Joseph Dorava.