San Benito County residents came through for Hazel Hawkins
Hospital Tuesday, with 77 percent voting to approve the property
bond Measure L that will allow the district hospital to implement a
$31.5 million expansion over the next 30 years.
Hollister – San Benito County residents came through for Hazel Hawkins Hospital Tuesday, with 77 percent voting to approve the property bond Measure L that will allow the district hospital to implement a $31.5 million expansion over the next 30 years.
Of the 9,392 voters who returned a ballot in the county’s first mail-in election, 7,243 voted in favor of the measure that will tax residents nearly $25 per $100,000 of assessed property value in the first year. The tax, which easily cleared the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass, will appear on residents’ tax bills in December, according to hospital officials.
Hazel Hawkins CEO Ken Underwood said he was elated the measure passed while he and other hospital supporters celebrated with beer and tri-tip at the Measure L headquarters in downtown Hollister Tuesday night.
“I’m just happy it passed,” he said. “The committee chairs really got the message out.”
Underwood said hospital officials will begin working with the architects and medical staff on the interior design next week. The plans should be finished and sent to the state for approval in the next six months, he said.
Underwood hopes to have the first phase of the expansion – a remodeled and expanded emergency room that will service about three times the number of patients the current one does – complete by the hospital’s 100th anniversary in 2007. The measure will fund a 50,000 square-foot expansion, more hospital staff and advanced medical technology, Underwood said.
The committee for Measure L spent the past several months calling voters, sending out flyers and posting signs in an attempt to rally support for the antiquated hospital. Committee Co-chair Fernando Gonzalez said he had his doubts if the measure would pass because of the low voter turn out. Only 37 percent of the county’s 25,194 registered voters cast a ballot, according to the San Benito County Elections Office.
“Of course there were doubts, but ballots came in toward the end and raised the percentage,” Gonzalez said. “But with the overwhelming support, there’s no doubt the community wants an upgraded health facility. This is a really nice win for the community.”
About 15 people, both hospital staff and supporters, lingered inside the Elections Office Tuesday night waiting for the results. When the unofficial tally came in at 8pm, cheers erupted and one man even shouted “thank you so much,” while others pored over the results.
Registrar John Hodges said a little more than 200 ballots filtered in on Tuesday, which were not included in the night’s count. However about 2,000 ballots were undeliverable because residents moved within the county and failed to re-register, he said.
“This was the first all-mail ballot this office was in charge of. It was a lot easier, a lot less expensive and a lot less pressure,” Hodges said. “Pressure really takes a toll.”
The extra 200 or so ballots the Elections Office didn’t include in Tuesday’s count won’t affect the final outcome, and residents can expect approximately $24.36 per $100,000 of assessed property value in the first year, according to Underwood. But because bond rate per $100,000 will decrease as assessed value of property in the county increases, residents will pay an average of $14.95 per $100,000 of assessed property value over the 30-year lifetime of the bond, Underwood said.
Paying a little extra for better health care is worth it in the long run, said former Hazel Hawkins nurse and current board member Janet VerVaecke. VerVaecke celebrated with friends and fellow board members at the Measure L committee’s headquarters on Fifth Street. Now that the hard part’s over, she said the board will be meeting Friday at a strategic planning retreat to create a five-year expansion plan.
“I had a very good feeling about this,” she said. “I’m very committed to keeping this hospital viable here, instead of people having to go to Gilroy or Salinas (for healthcare).”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com
