Strafford County board hears update on Hyder closure, Riverside renovations and staff moves

The Strafford County Board of Commissioners on Monday received details about the recent closure of the Hyder facility, the reassignment of staff and residents to Riverside and the status of renovation work there.

"We've completed the transition between Hyder and Riverside," said Mr. Bauer, a county staff member, reporting that two nurses were reassigned to the correctional facility and two to Riverside, where they will work 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. He said several other Hyder nurses declined the shifts that had been offered.

Bauer said staff who were working received letters required by the union contract and that employees affected by the transition "will be paid four weeks' pay plus whatever time they have on the books." He added the county pays a maximum of $200 for accrued time in the cases discussed and that some operating savings are expected to begin in the second quarter, with the majority realized in the third and fourth quarters of the year.

Jody, a county staff member who led the Riverside reconfiguration, described changes to the building to create more resident and family space. "We have 4 spaces for resident and family rooms," she said, explaining that several storage units and highlighted offices were repurposed to allow single-bath patient rooms and a family room near the elevator. She said crews have stripped walls, replaced a windowsill, and were painting and redoing floors; most work was expected to be complete by the end of next week.

Commissioners discussed a cost-saving workaround for baseboard trim that preserves a visual cue to reduce falls: using a standard 4-inch baseboard with two inches of painted trim to mimic a 6-inch baseboard, a solution Bauer said was visibly similar and materially less expensive.

Jody also said the tub room, a smoke room and the nurses' station are being readied and that IT lines are being run into the former storage spaces so rooms can be brought online quickly. She credited maintenance and other staff for accelerating the work.

Bauer told the board that Hyder "is empty; the last 2 residents left today," and reported the county expected to be COVID-free as of the next day per morning report. He said two residents had minor congestion but did not meet clinical criteria for antiviral medication, and that the county would have had to cover expensive medication for residents who did not qualify under clinical guidance from the infection preventionist, Chris Hamilton.

After the updates, the chair thanked staff and the board moved into an executive session to discuss contract negotiations; the transcript records affirmative responses but does not identify a mover or provide a roll-call.

The next public step reported was the planned completion of Riverside renovations next week and the county’s expectation that operational savings from the consolidation will appear over the coming quarters.