4 Corners Health Department gets extra state funds for repair, board reappoints physician amid worry about state cuts

York County commissioners approved an amendment to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)‑funded renovation project for the 4 Corners Health Department and reappointed the health district’s board physician, after a public‑hearing presentation outlining higher repair costs and additional state funds.

Laura McDougall, director of 4 Corners Health Department, summarized the status of a two‑phase renovation project and said phase one (the south wing) is complete and the center section is gutted because of termite damage and other structural problems. "They've gutted the center section of our building, and it is full of termites," McDougall said, describing electrical, load‑bearing and HVAC work needed to make the building safe and code‑compliant. She said nine of 11 furnaces are being replaced and that the project encountered collapsed sanitary sewer piping that required jackhammering and replacement of the slab sewer.

McDougall told the board that rising material and labor costs forced the health department to seek additional funding. She said the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) offered excess funds from completed projects and the department submitted a rapid proposal to cover remaining work so it would not need to draw on reserves or take on debt. McDougall said the amendment will allow additional HVAC, accessible entrance work including a front ramp and doors, ADA‑compliant restroom remodels, soffit and exterior weatherproofing, termite repairs, lighting and electrical upgrades. "It will allow us to buy, replace a couple more furnaces, the HVAC systems... and actually put complete the front ramp and accessible entrance," she said.

Commission discussion noted the project’s earlier approved amount (McDougall referenced an original $355,000 approved previously) and that the department had been under time constraints tied to the original award. McDougall said the amended agreement extended the performance window and reduced the need to use reserves. She said the department had secured a grant earlier to cover about 75 percent of the planning process and worked with a consultant to comply with procurement rules.

A public hearing was opened and closed with no public speakers. The board then moved and seconded a motion to approve an amendment to the agreement (identified in the meeting as a CDBG amendment). The amendment motion passed on roll call with commissioners voting in the affirmative.

The board also reappointed Dr. Jillian Fickenscher as the 4 Corners Board physician for a three‑year term beginning in 2025. McDougall described Fickenscher as credentialed to allow the department to bill for certain administration fees (for example vaccine administration) and said credentialing is important to sustain services. "If we can bill for services to insurance or Medicaid, it helps us to stretch our funding," McDougall said.

During discussion McDougall warned about a pending state budget bill, LB261, that would cut $4.5 million from local health department foundational funding statewide. She said 4 Corners would lose about $207,000 — roughly 42 percent of its foundational state funding — under the bill as introduced. McDougall urged support for retaining the funding and said the bill was scheduled for hearings before the Appropriations Committee.

Motions recorded during the item: board approval of the CDBG amendment to the renovation agreement and the reappointment of Dr. Fickenscher. Both motions passed on roll call. Commissioners closed the public hearing after no members of the public came forward.

McDougall said most of the amendment work should be completed before June but some items could extend into the fall; she also said if funds allowed the department might repaint and replace 1960s carpeting in the west wing.

The board thanked McDougall and County staff for coordinating funds and oversight.