Fremont County approves settlement with Riverton Memorial Hospital, ends four 1981 agreements

Fremont County commissioners voted to approve a release and settlement agreement with Riverton Memorial Hospital and Medical Properties Trust that resolves a long‑running dispute tied to agreements originating in 1981.

The agreement settles alleged unpaid obligations for prior years and terminates four documents dated Dec. 4, 1981 — a lease‑purchase agreement, purchase option agreement, hospital lease agreement and an unconditional guarantee agreement — the county said during the discussion.

The settlement package, as described in the meeting, includes payments the county will make to resolve claims for 2020–2023 totaling $503,904 and a separate payment for 2024 of $221,000. County speakers also discussed a reimbursement submission due no later than June 30, 2025; the transcript records conflicting references to a later reimbursement cap (an initial “not to exceed $250,000” and a correction to roughly $92,004). The transcript shows commissioners and staff asking for clarity and confirming that final, itemized reimbursement claims are due by December for the January–May period referenced in the agreement.

As part of the package, commissioners authorized their chairman to sign a cancellation of the county’s notice of breach once the settlement terms are in place. The board also instructed staff to resend the notice of breach as part of the settlement process and to accept an executed settlement agreement when the final language is received.

Why it matters: The settlement resolves decades‑old obligations tied to hospital operations and ends contractual ties created in the early 1980s, removing an outstanding legal cloud over the county's relationship with the hospital.

County officials said the agreement followed months of negotiation and staff work. The board approved the settlement by motion; the transcript records the motion, a second and the vote with the result “motion passed.” The motion and authorization to sign were recorded without a roll‑call tally in the public minutes.

Implementation details noted during the meeting include the list of terminated 1981 documents and the deadline for hospitals to submit reimbursement claims by June 30, 2025, for the January–May reimbursement period. The county also discussed the timing for itemized statements and final payments; commissioners said final itemization would be provided to the county by December and that once final payments are made the county would have no ongoing obligations under the terminated agreements.

Sources: County meeting discussion and the settlement summary presented to the board; the transcript includes the settlement terms, payment figures, the list of terminated documents dated Dec. 4, 1981, and the board's motions to approve the agreement and to authorize the chairman to sign the cancellation of the notice of breach.