Riley County commissioners have approved a master lease for a COVID alternate care site.
The $21,000 lease agreement is between Riley County and New Hope Church (located at 1300 Fremont), includes a sublease with the Manhattan Retirement Foundation for six months.
Commissioner John Ford favored having the site after recent conversations with local leaders. He says this is something that might not be needed right now, but will be needed in the future months.
“It’s gonna ramp up before it gets better, and it will get better. I see a need for this, I see a need for having this spot,” says Ford.
The site will allow the Riley County Health Department to provide space for “quarantine rooms” for positive patients associated with long-term care facilities. It will not be a site for quarantine, swabbing or contact tracing. It will be available, as needed for first responders who need to quarantine, but only if no positive patients are there at the time.
“We need to be prepared for that level of need in the future,” said Riley County Health Department Director and Local Health Officer Julie Gibbs.
Before the commission could approve the site, Budget and Finance Officer Tami Robison explained the county has some projects, including the alternate care site, that might not make the December 30th deadline for CARES Act funding. She says the county would be able to pay the first month’s rent, but they would have to look elsewhere for the funding for the following months.
Robison presented three options for the un-allocated administrative fees. The commission went with the first option to designate the 5% admin fee to the county which will be allocated to those COVID projects. This would allow the county to put cash in the fund so they wouldn’t have to raise ad valorem taxes to pay for these projects.
Ford asked for an update from the health department on the respiratory clinic to see if it is getting much use. If not, he would like to have the funds re-allocated somewhere else.
After approving the Option 1 for the CARES Act funding, the commission approved the alternate care site unanimously.
