The Davis Enterprise Wednesday, May 11, 2022

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enterprise THE DAVIS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022

Supervisors plan St. John’s purchase despite lawsuit By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

UC Davis Health’s California Tower is set to break ground in 2023 and be open by 2030. Courtesy image

UCD Health clears way for new hospital tower By Caleb Hampton Enterprise staff writer UC Davis Health began clearing the way Monday for construction on a new hospital tower, the UC Davis Medical Center’s California Tower, the healthcare system announced Monday in a press release. Crews started demolishing multiple temporary buildings on the site of the future tower this week, which is scheduled to break ground in 2023 and be open to patients by 2030. Aspects of the $3.75 billion tower will replace existing parts of the medical center that need

to be closed due to state seismic laws related to earthquake safety. Those laws “put a deadline on hospitals to either upgrade their existing facilities or construct new buildings,” UC Davis Health said in its press release. The new tower was approved by the UC Board of Regents in January. It will be constructed on the eastern side of the existing Medical Center and will include a 14-story hospital tower and five-story pavilion. In its press release, UC Davis Health described the new hospital tower as the most advanced in the region. “This

project incorporates lessons from the pandemic and those lessons will help us to deliver superior care for Northern Californians for the next 50 years,” said David Lubarsky, CEO of UC Davis Health. “The California Tower will triple our ICU capability, making half of our patient rooms ICU-ready. This investment will be a cornerstone in the critical care we provide our patients and the region moving forward.” These new features reflect UC Davis Health’s long-term commitment to education, research, patient care and community health, the healthcare system

said. “They complement the health system’s mission of improving health for all,” UC Davis Health said in its press release. The California Tower will join the Medical Center’s existing University Tower and Davis Tower, adding roughly one million square feet of new space. It will include operating rooms, an imaging center, an expanded pharmacy, additional burn care units, and approximately 400 single-patient rooms. The patient rooms will replace others set to be taken

See TOWER, Page A7

Beck, Frerichs square off in candidate forum By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer The two candidates for the Board of Supervisors District 2 seat squared off in a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters in Davis on Saturday, weighing in on everything from climate change and drought to affordable housing and social services. Davis resident and climate activist Juliette Beck and Davis Vice Mayor Lucas Frerichs are vying to succeed retiring Supervisor Don Saylor in representing a district that includes much of Davis and UC Davis, as well as the city of Winters, and stretches west to the county line. As they have throughout their campaigns, Frerichs touted his experience in local governance, both as a City Council member

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Classifieds ������B4 Green Page ������ A8 Obituaries �������� A6 Comics ������������B5 The Hub ������������B8 Sports ��������������B2 Forum �������������� A4 Living ���������������� A5 The Wary I �������� A2

and representative on numerous multi-jurisdictional agencies, while Beck focused on her climate adaptaFRERICHS tion work and the need for greater action on that front, as well as the need for female representation at the county level. The forum, held in person at the Davis City Hall community chambers, featured questions on specific topics as well as a audience-generated questions. The candidates were first asked what they believe are the three most pressing issues facing Yolo County and District 2. Frerichs cited high staff turnover recently at the county level,

WEATHER Thursday: Sunny and pleasant. High 75. Low 49.

including in high-profile positions such as county administrator and director of health and human services, saying, “there’s a BECK real need to bring some stability to the county government structure.”

Yolo County’s Board of Supervisors plans to move ahead with the purchase of St. John’s Retirement Village in Woodland despite a lawsuit filed by a group of private individuals seeking to block the sale. That group, headed by Stan Levers, has presented an alternative proposal for keeping St. John’s largely as is — a multi-level, seniorcare community — but the current St. John’s board of directors has turned down the offer and voted to sell the property to the county instead. The county would, in turn, convert the 13-acre property to uses that include housing for low-income families and seniors as well as other services primarily aimed at older residents, including adult day healthcare. Back in April, the Board of Supervisors authorized an advance of $400,000 to St. John’s to keep the facility maintained and expressed support for purchasing the site for a total of $2.9 million. But at that meeting, supervisors

See PURCHASE, Page A4

School board looks at strategic plan By Aaron Geerts Enterprise staff writer

Finally, he said, “counties really exist to provide human social services to those that need them the most,” and cited mental health, in-home supportive services, public health and childcare as key issues that need addressing.

While no earth-shattering decisions were made at a low-key Davis school-board meeting on May 5, the trustees did begin taking steps towards a future filled with opportunity for the community and county. They began Thursday’s meeting with Superintendent Matt Best’s presentation on the district’s strategic plan renewal. It includes an action timeline that begins with interviewing and selecting a strategic planning consultant partner by May or June. The coordination of strategic plan activities is scheduled for completion between June and August. After that, the timeline slates community outreach and goal development to be complete between September and December. Finally, action-team plan development will take place between

See FORUM, Page A4

See STRATEGIC, Page A7

Additionally, he said, are climate change issues impacting the county like drought and wildfires.

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