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Commissioners raise safety and upkeep concerns for soon-to-be-vacant hospital building
Summary
Board members discussed reports of sewer-gas odors, deferred maintenance and potential liability at a hospital facility expected to be vacated; they explored rental, assisted-living conversion, and mill-levy options to fund upkeep.
Daniels County commissioners spent substantial time discussing the future of a hospital facility that is expected to be vacated, focusing on maintenance responsibilities, safety problems reported in writing, and possible reuse options.
A commissioner described written audit material and a memo from staff that documented longstanding maintenance gaps — including sewer-gas odors and electrical concerns flagged as fire hazards — and said past instructions were given to avoid doing some maintenance. Commissioners debated whether the county could accept the building, what rental terms might be fair and whether the mill levy could be adjusted to include upkeep costs. One commissioner suggested a possible temporary rental fee (mentioned as $50,000 a year in discussion) to cover utilities and grounds until a long-term plan is found.
Board members discussed assisted-living and reuse examples from neighboring communities and noted grant-funded models could make portions of the facility useful again. They also discussed practical hurdles: heating and electrical upgrades would be costly, and the county lacks staff capacity for daily building checks without a clear funding source. Staff and commissioners said these are long-range planning issues; no final decision to accept or transfer ownership was recorded in the meeting.
What happens next: commissioners asked staff to continue exploring reuse options, clarify legal authority over the facility, and prepare cost estimates and draft rental agreement language if pursuing that path.
