Nursing home sale shows why transparency matters » Urban Milwaukee

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, the Sauk County Council voted to spend $40,500 to purchase a sheriff’s department vehicle to replace one destroyed in an incident in July. The resolution printed on the agenda included details about the incident, the car dealership and a tax note explaining that the money would come from insurance accounts.

This show of transparency came a week to the day after the same county board approved contracts to sell the county-owned nursing home to a private entity. That agenda said the board would meet behind closed doors to discuss the sale. It did not name the buyer and did not include the sale price. Although the name of the buyer was revealed during the 45-minute public debate that followed the closed session, the sale price was not. The $5.1 million price tag was revealed the following day in a press release attachment. There was no tax note on the agenda.

A memo could have explained why the county accepted an offer $3.4 million less than the $8.5 million sought when the nursing home, which has 48 residents, was first marketed. The county also did not explain why the price was much lower than the $19 million value for which the county insures the nursing home. All these numbers come from the recordings I obtained.

The December 2023 resolution that started the process included as a condition: “Prospective buyer must demonstrate a history of 5-star care ratings in the senior health care industry.” » That was the county’s nursing home assessment at the time.

Medicare’s star system for rating nursing homes is based on regular inspections and citation history. Five stars is well above average, 4 stars is above average, 3 stars is average, 2 stars is below average, and 1 star is well below average. The buyer, Aria, operates three nursing homes in Milwaukee’s north suburbs, currently rated one and two stars.

The five-star requirement was interpreted by most to mean that the county would seek a private buyer with a history of high-quality care similar to that provided by the county’s nursing home, which had a 5-star rating as of December 2023 This was the county’s official public position regarding the sale, until September 10, when the board voted to approve the sale to Aria. In the motion passed on September 10, all conditions of the December resolution were replaced by the sales contract.

Between December and September, the council held two closed meetings. The only information that came out of those meetings was that the county had chosen to negotiate with a single interested buyer, whose name was kept secret, although it was disclosed in late July. A petition garnered 1,300 signatures opposing the sale of the nursing home which were presented to the county.

After many citizens expressed dismay over the assessment of Aria’s care in public comments on September 10, the board met behind closed doors with an Aria representative, which was considered reassuring. After the board returned to open session, a proponent of the sale turned to the audience and said, “I really wish you all could be here for the meeting.” »

Yes. The audience – made up of citizens, taxpayers and people with loved ones at home – would also have liked to hear the presentation. The fact that it was not allowed was typical of the entire process, during which the public was given less information about the sale of the home of 48 Sauk County residents than about the replacement of a damaged police car.

Why is the state’s tradition of open government important? Just ask the citizens of Sauk County, who have been treated as if this is not the case.

Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (wisfoic.org), a group dedicated to open government. Jeff Seeringretired journalist, resides in Sauk County.