Hospital move gets
federal approval

By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Hillsboro City Council tentatively approved accepting a donation of 19 lots in Willow Glen from developer Eldred Kunkel in a special meeting Oct. 20.

Kunkel is two years behind on special assessments for the lots, Mayor Delores Dalke said. Meanwhile, the city still has to pay bondholders. The special assessments on the lots are about $350 each per year.

After the meeting, Kunkel, who resides in San Jose, Calif., was contacted and said he offered to donate the lots because he doesn’t expect demand for new housing in Hillsboro in the near future. Willow Glen was platted in 1998.

“I’m going to be 79, and it’s a little late for me to start a new subdivision,” Kunkel said. “They could take it as a donation and maybe come out ahead.”

Dalke recommended accepting the donation, so the city could possibly recover the special assessments in the future. The city has previously accepted a donation of lots that have streets in the subdivision.

With the council’s approval, Dalke said she would prepare paperwork for final approval at the next meeting, 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Progress on hospital move

Hillsboro Community Hospital recently received approval from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and United States Department of Agriculture to relocate Hillsboro Community Hospital.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires the hospital provide at least 75 percent of the services and keep at least 75 percent of the staff from the original location.

Dalke shared an e-mail from Trent Skaggs of hospital owner HMC/CAH which said finalizing architecture plans and loan documents should be the only outstanding items before the hospital is ready to begin construction at 103 Industrial Road.

In other business:

• Jay Klassen was appointed to Hillsboro Housing Authority.
• Jim Brennan and Martin Rhodes were reappointed to Salem Home Board of Directors. June Mount was also appointed to the board.
• William Morris Associates of Augusta were paid $229 for 5.3 hours of work on a project to move the historic Bartel House to town.
• Shingles for the roof of the Schaeffler House are due to arrive Dec. 17. They are being made to exact specifications to maintain the house’s historic status, Dalke said.