County orders Pinedale clinic appraisal
Action is first step toward modifying USDA application
by Holly Dabb, Pinedale Roundup
April 20, 2018
PINEDALE – Sublette County Commissioners have ordered an appraisal for the Pinedale Medical Clinic as a first step toward "putting skin in the game" and successfully meeting the demands set up by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development division for a critical access hospital loan application.
"This package as presented will not be approved," Lorraine Werner, USDA program director for Wyoming, told the Sublette County Rural Health Care District Board and staff last week. However, she added, they have time to modify their request as they await a final application that requires a springtime wetland assessment at the proposed site.
One reason the initial application would be denied, according to Werner’s letter to the board, was a lack of visible community support. "The district currently leases the clinics from the county and prior negotiations to expand the clinic failed," Werner said. She asked at the meeting, "Did you ever try to negotiate to buy the current site?"
Because possible alternatives, such as expanding the existing Pinedale Clinic, were not included in the current application, the existing application is targeted for denial, she said.
She gave another reason, "The proposed facility is not modest in size, design and cost." She called the proposed 12 exam rooms, four registration offices, multiple locker rooms and 13 offices "excessive" compared to the number of full-time employees. Werner encouraged the board to do some "value engineering," to determine if there are things that could be phased in or left at the current clinic.
Finance fees were also cited as excessive and she claims the board never tried to negotiate lower fees for agreements.
On April 13, Scott Scherbel, chairman of the district’s board, sent a request to county commissioners. "Will the county deed the entire 5-acre property and all buildings, etc., that are on the property to the district as a donation to the hospital project?"
Commission Chairman Andy Nelson responded in the meeting, "We are disinclined to do that."
A second question posed by the district in the letter, "If not willing to donate, will the county sell the entire property to the district? If so, what would be the selling price?"
Nelson said, "We’ve been willing all along to sell if you can come up with a fair offer for the properties."
He said the next step is to find out what the property is worth.
"We’ll get an appraisal," Nelson said. "Then we’ll have some information and share. You can certainly come with an offer."
While there is a need to do this quickly, Nelson said, "We move at the speed of government." The commission meets every two weeks and must find an appraiser familiar with medical facilities.
Scherbel said the clinic was appraised at the start of the loan process and he offered to provide the contact information.
Nelson added an older building on the clinic property houses several agencies and what to do with those agencies or that building must be discussed in any potential sale.
Scherbel’s third question asked if the county could commit funds, if the district got into financial trouble during construction, to maintain services at the clinics’ current service levels?
"We’ll address that later," Nelson said.
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