Back again: voters to decide CBH $30M bond proposal
EPHRATA – It’s Tuesday morning at Columbia Basin Hospital and tables in the nursing home dining hall have been pushed aside to clear space for a dozen participants in a SAIL exercise class.
Led by Jan Chamberlain, they’re working up a sweat moving to the beat of Katrina and the Waves’ “Walking on Sunshine,” Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl,” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”
“You’re rockin’ it today,” retired teacher Rosemary Stump, 69, yells over the music to a perpetually smiling 91-year-old Dorene Frick, who is rehabilitating after experiencing a stroke several months ago.
“They’re a little unruly today,” quips Chamberlain, referring to her class.
Stump replies, “We’re just doing what our leader does.”
Later, during a brief break in their workout, Stump commented on the friendly banter and social interaction of the class, saying, “These guys motivate me … It’s all good.”
SAIL – Stay Active and Independent for Life – is a fitness program for adults age 65 and older. At times, up to 18 seniors attend the twice-weekly SAIL sessions hosted at CBH. Only a few are residents of the hospital’s Garden Oasis assisted living facility; the rest come from the community to take part.
Despite the hassle of rearranging the dining hall’s tables and chairs and stowing away workout gear in a corner of the room after each session, it’s a benefit for participants to have access there because, says fellow SAIL instructor Kathy Hamlett, “the hospital is always open.”
But improving that public access is a big pitch to hospital district voters who are being asked – for the second time in three months – to approve a $30 million renovation bond measure in the upcoming Nov. 4 general election.
In a low-turnout Aug. 5 primary, the bond proposal failed with 48.5% of the vote. To pass in November, the measure needs at least 60% approval plus – for validation – at least 40% turnout by voters who cast ballots in the last general election (2024).
Currently, the hospital district collects an estimated 34 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation for its base levy rate, plus about 61 cents per $1,000 for repayment of a $13 million renovation bond approved in 2012 that will be paid off in 10 years. For the owner of a $200,000 home, the combined taxes amount to about $184 annually. If Proposition 1 passes, the same homeowner would see that amount nearly double with collection beginning later in 2026.
Following the primary election outcome, critics said the tax increase is too high or unwarranted right now. Others incorrectly claimed taxpayer dollars are being spent to support a private business.
They’re not. Columbia Basin Hospital and its associated clinic, nursing home, and assisted living facility are all part of Ephrata-based Grant County Public Hospital District No. 3, which is governed by a voter-elected, five-member board of commissioners. The not-for-profit hospital district, like the City of Ephrata and Grant County itself, relies significantly on property taxes to fund maintenance and operations.
If approved, a portion of the bond monies will be dedicated to opening a new local pharmacy with drive-up capability to make it easier and faster to get prescriptions filled. Many residents have found long wait lines elsewhere since the Rite-Aid pharmacy closed this spring.
Other revenues would be used to:
-- build a new outpatient clinic with additional provider space, more appointment availability, increased specialty care, and expanded walk-in access. Weekday clinic hours would be extended into the evening and Saturday service would be added.
-- offer same-day hospital outpatient procedures, including wound care, IV infusions, injections, and minor surgical procedures.
-- add new “community spaces” for wellness programs – such as the SAIL program – along with caregiver support and public education.
In separate conversations earlier this month, commissioners Amanda Green and Amy Paynter both insisted the board and hospital staff work hard to maximize the use of taxpayer money to provide modern healthcare services locally in a community that continues to grow.
“The need is still there. That hasn’t gone away,” said administrator/CEO Rosalinda Kibby.
About 200 people work at CBH and its associated facilities. Along with the hospital itself, the district operates a family medical clinic, nursing home, and assisted living care, and offers emergency room, laboratory, imaging, and rehabilitation services. “All are full,” Kibby said last month. “We need more space.”
Grant County elections officials mailed out ballots to voters last week. To be counted, ballots must be returned to collection sites or postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
