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Herington authorizes insurance for vacant hospital and discusses marketing, land split and records cleanup
Summary
The commission authorized up to $22,874.24 for insurance on the 45,000-square-foot former hospital at 100 East Helen Street, heard a proposal to relist the property with a commercial broker, and discussed splitting the parcel, retaining the helipad portion, and safe disposition of records and X-rays.
The Herington City Commission on June 17 authorized payment of up to $22,874.24 to maintain an insurance policy on the vacant 45,000-square-foot former hospital at 100 East Helen Street and discussed strategies to market and manage the property while it remains in city ownership.
Why it matters: The hospital is a large city-owned asset that strains storage and maintenance resources. Insuring the structure protects the city from major liability while staff pursues a sale or redevelopment options.
City staff told commissioners the policy amount is a minimum to protect the city’s liability exposure and does not include theft coverage, which would substantially increase the premium. Staff said replacement-value estimates for the building are closer to $3.1 million; the insurance payment approved is intended to keep the building insured while marketing and cleanup proceed.
Commissioner Bates described conversations with a statewide commercial real-estate firm that specializes in South Central Kansas and recommended relisting the building with parameters that would encourage reuse consistent with community goals (for example, avoiding outright sale for low-value storage uses). The city manager and staff said a relisting likely will be open for six months to a year to actively seek suitable buyers.
The commission discussed splitting the land behind the hospital when marketing the building and retaining the parcel containing the helipad. The fire chief noted the city has alternate landing sites and that the helipad’s retention would not be a gating issue for prospective buyers.
Staff also flagged a more immediate maintenance task: clearing out two outbuildings and stored records inside the hospital. Commissioners and staff discussed sensitive medical records and X-rays; staff said some records had been transferred to the Board of Healing Arts but other documents remain and may require secure shredding. The commission directed staff to identify safe options for disposition and to progress cleanup with an eye to potential salvage value from X-rays while ensuring HIPAA and other privacy obligations are met.
What’s next: Staff will complete cleanup planning, obtain bids or options for secure shredding or salvage, supply the commission with recommended sale parameters for the broker and confirm the insurance payment and policy details.
