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San Benito Health Care District received favorable survey results regarding a potential ballot measure to sell or lease Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital at a special meeting March 4. The board then agreed to set an April 2 deadline to receive additional letters of intent from interested buyers or lessees and gave a timeline for deciding which suitors it will consider further.
Survey results presented by True North Research showed that 77% of 474 likely voters in San Benito County said they would support a ballot measure seeking approval to sell or lease Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital. Critics of the survey said it lacked transparency.
San Benito Health Care District Marcus Young consultant told BenitoLink that if there would be a ballot measure regarding the sale of the hospital, it would include particular details such as the price and the firm proposing to buy.
True North Research President Timothy McLarney shared results of the survey to the health care district board of directors. A timeline showing steps the district could take to get the measure on the Nov. 5 ballot was presented by TeamCivX partner Jeremy Houser.
McLarney said a random sampling process was used to determine the voters based on when they registered, what elections they participated in, and demographics such as age, gender and political party affiliation. Invitations to be surveyed were sent via email, text and telephone—the text and email options provided a hyperlink “unique to each respondent” to ensure only one vote per participant was conducted.
“The survey is also an opportunity to help us understand how information changes voters’ opinions about your proposal,” he said.
After receiving information from arguments in favor of the measure, the percentage of support was 78%, slightly higher than the initial survey. After receiving arguments against the measure, the percentage of support was 67%. According to McLarney, a majority of 50% plus one vote is required for passage of the measure in California.
Hollister resident Robert Bernosky was one of four attendees who criticized the survey, claiming it lacked transparency to likely voters.
“You didn’t list any alternatives,” he said. “Of course people want the hospital open. That’s what they’re responding to. They’re not responding to the alternatives that are out there, and some of them are really good alternatives.”
Hollister resident Roxy Montana said she thought the question to ask voters is whether they want local control of the hospital or outside control.
“If that was the question, I think you’d have gotten way different results from that. I’m surprised that we haven’t heard more about the JPA [Joint Powers Authority]. There is more information to be had.”
BenitoLink asked Hazel Hawkins for details on how likely voters were selected, but the hospital only provided the information that was presented by True North Research.
San Benito Health Care District President Jeri Hernandez told Montana the district’s ad hoc committee has met with the county regarding its proposed JPA, and has scheduled a special board meeting with them for March 18.
“So the communication is there,” Hernandez said.
Houser also presented the board with a sample timeline for the board to follow if it decides to place a measure on the November ballot. He said the deadline to submit the measure would be Aug. 9.
As a member of the ad hoc committee creating a timeline for the submission of transaction proposals or letters of intent, board trustee Devon Pack proposed April 2 as the last date for substantive terms or letters of intent to be submitted.
He reminded the board that San Benito Health Alliance said in its letter of intent its business plan would be submitted by March 25.
“I think just as we are either working on communication and talks with [proposer] Insight and with the county, we should also be completely willing to put in time, including possibly special or the ad hoc committee meetings, to meet with San Benito Health Care Alliance or AAM [American Advanced Management] if they want to have further talks,” Pack said.
In response to trustee Rick Shelton’s question of whether AAM is still interested in leasing the hospital, board president Jeri Hernandez said the company has gone “back and forth” with the district.
“There’s no final word on them,” Hernandez said. “But the timeline we’re setting is for all four of these LOIs, for them to bring to the table what it is that we feel is going to be the very best option for this hospital.”
“The meetings across March that we have with the county and with Insight are going to be towards finalizing the terms and what the proposals are,” Pack told the board. “Then essentially April is going to be when we’re going to be making our decision.”
Pack moved that all letters of intent be submitted by April 2 and be “in a relative state of completion with a business plan.” Trustee Josie Sanchez seconded the motion and the proposal was unanimously approved.
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