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October 16, 2014
NCFPD approves $18 million budget for 2014-15 Joe Naiman Village News Correspondent
50¢ Sales tax included at news stand
Volume 18, Issue 42
Community to lose traditional hospital
The North County Fire Protection District (NCFPD) approved its final 2014-15 budget. The 3-0 board vote Sept. 23, with Paul Schaden and Kathleen Thuner absent, adopts a $18,036,936 budget for the July-June fiscal year. “We really do appreciate the support of the board of directors,” said NCFPD deputy fire chief Ed Sprague. “They do a very good job of looking over the details.” The NCFPD board had adopted a preliminary budget at its June 17 meeting. The final budget
see NCFPD, page A-8
Fallbrook native James Orcutt voices his concern about the fate of the hospital and skilled nursing facility at the Oct. 8 Fallbrook Healthcare District meeting.
Blaise Jackson, legal counsel for Fallbrook Healthcare District, explains the extraordinarily high financial risk of the Strategic Global Management proposal at Oct. 8 board meeting.
Local resident Orolie Gubser expresses her concern regarding the future of Fallbrook Hospital during the Oct. 8 Fallbrook Healthcare District board meeting.
Shane Gibson photos Stephen Abbott, president of the Fallbrook Healthcare District, talks about how difficult the decision has been in regards to the future of hospital services in Fallbrook.
SANDAG approves final 2014 Regional Transportation Improvement Program Joe Naiman Village News Correspondent The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) approved the final 2014 Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP). A 15-0 SANDAG board vote Sept. 26, with representatives from four cities absent, approved the RTIP which will cover fiscal years 2015 through 2019 and will include approximately $12.6 billion of projects funded by federal, state, local, and private sources.
see SANDAG, page A-10
thisweek
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Healthcare district to pursue JPA with Palomar and Tri-City Debbie Ramsey Managing Editor The decision was a grim one Wednesday night, Oct. 8, when the governing board members of Fallbrook Healthcare District (FHD) unanimously voted to reject the lone proposal, submitted by Strategic Global Management (SGM), to keep Fallbrook Hospital operating as customary and instead to pursue a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) agreement with Palomar Heath and Tri City Healthcare Districts. With a 50-year history in the community, the decision, destined to lead to the closure of
the existing hospital acute-care, in-patient operation was landmark. “[The Strategic Global Management proposal] is just not going to work for us; I am very disappointed in their final proposal,” said FHD board member Gordon Tinker. “I move that the board proceed to work out an [JPA] agreement with Tri City and Palomar.” Fellow director Richard Levering seconded the motion. “When we reviewed the first proposal from SGM in August, it was different,” added Levering. “This new proposal puts all the risk on the healthcare district. We
couldn’t operate the hospital in 1998 when the previous situation came up and it would be even more difficult now, given the difference in managed care.” The remainder of the board agreed unanimously to pass the motion. “ T h e J PA d o e s n o t k e e p [Fallbrook Hospital] open in its present form, but there is value in the three healthcare districts joining together,” explained FHD president Stephen Abbott. While the FHD board voted to pursue a JPA with Palomar and TriCity, the proposal clearly stated that Palomar Health and Tri-City Healthcare District would have to
obtain final approvals from their respective board of directors to move forward. What was in the Strategic Global Management proposal? In complete transparency, the FHD board presented copies of the final proposal made by Strategic Global Management (SGM) concerning Fallbrook Hospital. The proposal had been altered significantly over the past two weeks, compared to what was originally presented by SGM. It also contained a termination
see HOSPITAL, page A-11
Stagecoach fun helps preserve open space
Village News George Liblin drives his stagecoach along Stage Coach Lane during the Fallbrook Land Conservancy’s annual Stagecoach Sunday Ken Seals photo on Oct. 5. Liblin and his team of four horses gave rides to many people during the annual fundraising event. See more photos on page B-1.