Construction plans for the new Glendale Nursing Home are set in concrete as legislators approved the award of 15 bids for the project.
The Schenectady County Legislature on Monday, May 21, during a special meeting approved nearly $34.66 million in contracts for the construction of the new 200-bed facility. The 12 Democratic legislators in attendance voted in support, with James Buhrmaster, R-Glenville, and Holly Vellano, C-Rotterdam, voting against approving the bids. A groundbreaking is expected next month.
County Facilities Engineer Donald Scheuer also gave an updated presentation on the home (view the presentation by clicking the link to the left). The facility would include five resident neighborhoods with three household units each. Each neighborhood would also have its own dining area. There would be 170 single rooms and 15 semi-private rooms.
Minority Leader Buhrmaster said the nursing home has been a burden on taxpayers and over the last 10 years has lost more than $70 million. He said the county’s audit on the facility revealed in 2009 the home lost $11.9 million and in 2010 it lost $13.8 million. The nursing home relies on Medicaid reimbursements that frequently do not sum up to the amount of expenses.
“The public needs to know we have been losing money big time with the nursing businesses here in Schenectady County,” he said. “I’m extremely concerned, as I have been from the start, of Schenectady County being in the nursing home business.”
Glendale Subcommittee Co-Chairman Brian Gordon, D-Niskayuna, argued the need for the county nursing home is strong. Gordon said the facility often is at 98 percent capacity. He also said the 200 bed number is “deceiving” since the facility would serve more people annually than the number of beds.
“The effect of the nursing facility is much more than just 200 beds and it shouldn’t really be referred to in that sense,” he said.
Gordon said he doesn’t “have the ability put a dollar sign” on the value of the home to the community.
Vellano, who caucuses with the Democrats, expressed reservations on the project and said it would be a burden on taxpayers. She said the county has no control over Medicaid reimbursement rates.
“That liability will fall on the shoulders of our taxpayers,” she said. “We have been using our reserves for many years. How many years into the future can we utilize our reserves to fill in the hole for the expenses of the nursing home?”
Martin Finn, D-Niskayuna, said he also struggled with issue for many years. Finn said he was concerned about the potential cost to taxpayers, especially with possible cuts to Medicaid funding.
“Ultimately, for me, it comes down to I think we can’t afford not to do this,” Finn said. “There is just a group of people that they don’t get the need filled by private nursing homes. They need this facility.”
Glendale Subcommittee Co-Chairwoman Karen Johnson, D-Schenectady, said the county has always worked on having a continuum of care. She said the county does work with agencies to keep people in their homes if going into a nursing home can be avoided.
She also said there is value in keeping residents in the community instead of having families separated from each other because there isn’t a lower cost, county-run option.
“I look at this as allowing Schenectady people to stay with their families,” Johnson said. “We’re already at work at getting the cost of this nursing home down.”
Majority Leader Gary Hughes, D-Schenectady, said Medicaid would reimburse 85 percent of the project cost and a 30-year bond would cover the remaining 15 percent. He said the county’s portion would be covered through increasing the private pay rate closer to market value and the facility would be more efficient.
“This facility gets built at no cost to the taxpayers of Schenectady County,” Hughes said.
He also touted the bids coming in more than $6 million under the authorized construction budget. The county still needs to award a contract for exterior window and doors.
Johnson also said the county did a study that revealed it would be more expensive to repair the current outdated building than to build a new facility.
County Manager Kathleen Rooney said the project is going to be done in two stages, with residents planned to move into the new facility during the fall season of 2013. Following residents being moved, she said the former building would be demolished with landscaping taking place the following spring.
Chairwoman Judith Dagostino said she called for the special meeting quickly so construction wouldn’t be delayed. The Spotlight was faxed a notice at about 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 18, for the Monday, May 21, meeting.
The meeting did not include a privilege of the floor for members of the public to speak, which Dagostino said is normal for a special meeting.
