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Supporters tell supervisors El Dorado Ready could shore up wildfire funding and aid Marshall Hospital
Summary
At the July 21 meeting the board moved forward with consent items that include placing the El Dorado Ready measure on the November ballot; public speakers representing hospital and preparedness groups urged passage, warning that Marshall Hospital faces major capital needs to meet state mandates.
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors moved forward on the consent calendar July 21, a vote that carries administrative steps to place the El Dorado Ready measure on the November ballot. Public speakers urged the board to view the measure as a dedicated source of funding for wildfire prevention and local emergency services.
Maya Schneider, a principal officer with the El Dorado County Emergency Preparedness, Healthcare Access and Wildfire Prevention Initiative, told the board there is "lots of misinformation in the community" about item 18 and said her group has been working with staff to provide data for the board’s deliberations. She offered to answer questions and to help staff ensure accurate public information.
Former Supervisor Wendy Thomas said the measure is, in her view, the "most important initiative on the November ballot for El Dorado County's future," and warned of financial pressure on Marshall Hospital. "They've already spent $70,000,000 upgrading their facilities," Thomas said, and she said an additional "$125,000,000 more in capital projects" is needed to meet owner-assignment mandates. "If El Dorado Ready does not pass, they will likely be forced to close critical services and facilities," she added, saying the hospital is central to the county's integrated 911 response and is a major employer.
An interim chief executive of Marshall Medical Center also addressed the board and said the hospital's leadership is available to meet with supervisors and staff to discuss concerns and operational needs.
Supervisor Parlin recorded comments in the meeting record that she would vote to place the measure on the ballot because election law requires it but said she did not personally support the measure; Supervisor Verkamp abstained from voting on item 18 because of a potential conflict as a Marshall Hospital board member. The clerk read those notations into the record before the board approved the consent calendar.
The board did not take a policy vote on the measure itself at the meeting; staff said they will return with additional analysis in August. The action recorded on July 21 was administrative approval of the consent item and to proceed with the procedural steps required for ballot placement.
