Deadline's a'comin' – San Mateo Times

There's less than a week to go on the special all-mail election for Measure V in the Peninsula Healthcare District, and as of Monday, the Elections Office received more than 24,500 ballots. That represents about a 24 percent turnout, with more than 101,000 eligible voters in San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo and parts of Foster City and South San Francisco. Ballots must be in the Election Office's hands by 8 p.m. Tuesday to be counted; an Aug. 29 postmark will not suffice. If you're pushing the deadline, ballots can be dropped off at the Elections Office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

– Written by Fiona

Burlingame, Calif. – A citizens' group is pursuing a legal challenge against a deal to rebuild Peninsula Medical Center, even as ballots pour in for an election seeking approval of the deal.

The Peninsula Guardians announced Wednesday evening that they're still pursuing a lawsuit against the chief county elections officer, Mills-Peninsula Health Services and the Peninsula Health Care District, a legal fight that promises to go beyond the time frame of an election regarding the new hospital. The lawsuit was filed after a July 28 San Mateo County Court ruling denied the Guardians' request to stop the special election that is now in progress on the project.

Mills-Peninsula, the company that runs the Peninsula Medical Center, has offered to pay for the construction of a brand-new $488 million hospital at 1783 El Camino Real in Burlingame. The hospital building at that location does not meet seismic safety standards for hospitals that will take effect by 2013.

Voting is already under way for Measure V, a special mail-in ballot asking some 101,000 residents within the Peninsula Health Care District to vote on the project and a lease agreement between Mills-Peninsula and the Peninsula Health Care District, which owns the land on which the hospital sits. Ballots are due Aug. 29.

Though all parties involved have approved the plans and the 50-year lease agreement which includes a provision that the district can buy back the hospital when the term expires with money saved from annual rent the Peninsula Guardians remain skeptical that the lease agreement represents a good deal for the taxpayers.

The Guardians, a nonprofit watchdog group formed in response to the hospital project, argue that the agreement doesn't give the district, a public agency, enough control in the deal, the group's attorney, Mitchell Green, said. For example, it doesn't prevent Mills-Peninsula from demanding or receiving more public property, assets and financial support from the district without voter approval. Additionally, it grants a 50-year lease for public hospital property, which is more than the 30 years permitted by state law, Green said.

Green said the group is also suing the county elections office because they think election materials don't properly explain what voters are deciding.

If the group's legal efforts are successful, a court decision could invalidate a majority vote for Measure V, Green said.

The voters can't approve something that is illegal,? Green said.

The district has until Aug. 27 to respond to the lawsuit. Though the group has requested meetings with district officials, board member Susan Smith said members of the public had plenty of time to air these concerns.

I personally think we've spent six years getting to this point and [the Guardians] were present at many of our public meetings,? Smith said. [The lease agreement] is by no means perfect, but there are a lot of controls built into it and I think this will work for the future.?

Mills-Peninsula officials agreed, saying negotiations are complete.

As far as we're concerned, the deal is done,? said Margie O'Clair, MPHS vice president of Planning and Marketing. The final say-so is in the voters' hands.?

tramroop@examiner.com

– Written by Jen

New hospital legal challenge to continue – Daily Journal

A legal challenge to a ballot measure that seeks to rebuild Peninsula Medical Center at no cost to taxpayers will continue, a nonprofit watchdog group announced yesterday. The Peninsula Guardians announced it will continue to challenge Measure V until it includes adequate safeguards to protect San Mateo County taxpayers and patients. In late July, a San Mateo court denied a request by the Guardians to stop a special mail-in election on the measure by the Peninsula Health Care District, seeking public approval for a private entity to construct and operate a new hospital in place of the District. If approved by voters in an all-mail ballot, the new proposed $488 million hospital is being paid for by Mills-Peninsula and its affiliate, Sutter Health, but requires ultimate approval by voters because it is on district-owned property. It will have about 243 beds, a new medical office building and a multi-level parking garage. Planned to be constructed just east of the 1954 building, the new medical center must be built by 2013 to comply with earthquake safety standards. In a press release yesterday, the Guardians said it decided to continue the legal action because voter approval will not eliminate many of the objectionable provisions of the underlying agreements, including a 50-year lease term for public property, which exceeds the maximum 30-years permitted by state law. The group also said it supports rebuilding the hospital. According to the Guardians, the terms of these agreements are objectionable because, among other reasons, they do not limit or prevent Mills Peninsula from demanding and receiving more public property, assets and financial support from the tax-collecting District in the future without voter approval. Proponents of the measure, however, contend the hospital will have to be shut down if the measure does not pass

– Written by Fiona

Hospital measure 'not a hot topic' Ballots were mailed out on July 31 to residents – in San Mateo Times:

BURLINGAME Up and down Broadway and Burlingame Avenue, there isn't any buzz about Measure V, the mail-in election to approve a new hospital but there doesn't seem to be any opposition, either. Ballots were mailed out beginning July 31 to residents in the Peninsula Health Care District, which includes Burlingame, San Mateo and other cities in the mid-county region. Voters are being asked to grant a 50-year lease to Mills-Peninsula Health Services, which wants to build a $488-million Peninsula Medical Center on the site of the current hospital. On the streets of Burlingame, people seem supportive of the new hospital, which would be built and financed by Mills-Peninsula, a Sutter Health affiliate. But the midsummer timing of the vote and the fact that a garage for the new hospital is already under construction may have contributed to some confusion and detachment on the part of voters.

"It's just not a hot topic," said Mike Pallak, standing on the sidewalk of Burlingame Avenue. "If it were on the November ballot, there might be more discussion." Pallak, a research psychologist and Burlingame resident, said he thoroughly supports the new hospital, but it's not something he and his friends discuss. Mills-Peninsula decided to construct a new hospital rather than perform a total seismic upgrade of the current facility on the corner of El Camino Real and Trousdale Drive. Hospitals face a 2013 deadline to meet state seismic-safety standards. "It just makes sense," Pallak said. "We've got the land; we've got the financing. Sometimes it's easier to just start fresh rather than retrofit." At Starbucks Coffee on Broadway, Foster City resident Laura Fabela said residents in the health care district deserve a world-class facility, especially given the cost of living in the area. When her father was suffering from a terminal illness in 2000, Fabela spent a lot of time at the Peninsula Medical Center, and the hospital "looked like it was falling apart." If you're in the hospital for a long stay, you really want to feel comfortable in your surroundings," said Fabela, who mailed in her vote in favor of Measure V.

Though the opposition to the proposed 50-year lease is limited, district Board Member Dr. Daniel Ullyot acknowledged he is concerned that Measure V isn't getting much attention. At acommunity forum the district held last week in San Mateo to answer questions about the hospital, only three members of the public showed up, Ullyot said. "It's completely possible that there is so little opposition to what is manifestly a terrific deal for the district that there isn't a controversy; people are simply going to vote for it," Ullyot said. Pat Giorni was the only member of the public in the audience Wednesday night as Mills-Peninsula CEO Bob Merwin gave a PowerPoint presentation during another district-sponsored community forum. Giorni, a Burlingame resident, said the fact that the new garage is already under construction gives many residents the idea that the hospital has already been approved. "Most of them … are under the assumption that the thing started being built, because they're seeing construction," Giorni said.

The district gave Mills-Peninsula the go-ahead to begin work on the parking structure before the rest of the hospital was approved so that the hospital could buy construction materials like steel and concrete before the prices went any higher. If voters don't approve the lease with Mills-Peninsula, the district will come up with another plan for a new hospital, so the garage will be used in any case, said Ullyot. Lou Castelli, a retired small-business owner who lives in Millbrae, voted "yes" on Measure V. He said Mills-Peninsula should be allowed to finish what it has started. "It's kind of asinine to vote against it now," said Castelli, as he took a break on Broadway from his morning walk. "I don't know who the hell's against it, but they must have their reasons." Most of the opposition to the hospital has come from Peninsula Hospital Guardians, whose members argue that the district's lease agreement, which calls for Mills-Peninsula to pay $1.5 million in yearly rent, does not do enough to guarantee the quality of service at the hospital. The Guardians did not include an argument against Measure V on the mail-in ballot, however. Dan Anderson, a director of the group, said it plans to contest the election once it's complete. A San Mateo County Superior Court judge denied the organization's emergency appeal last month to forestall the vote. At Starbucks, business consultant Hunter Middleton said he could understand why the group is focused on the lease agreement, since it is "the primary leverage the public has to ensure that the hospital in the future meets the needs of the community." But Middleton, who moved to Burlingame last week with his wife and two children, said he supports the idea of a new hospital.

Ballots must be mailed back to the San Mateo County Elections Office by Aug. 29. Elections officials say voters should have their ballots in the mail by Aug. 22 to ensure that they're counted. The Peninsula Health Care District comprises Burlingame, Hillsborough, Millbrae, San Bruno, San Mateo and parts of Foster City and South San Francisco. Mills-Peninsula hopes to open the hospital early in 2010. The six-story hospital would contain 243 beds.

– Written by Fiona

Opinion Piece in the Daily Journal re Measure V

The 1994 Northridge earthquake devastated the region and crippled its hospitals that were much needed in the aftermath of the natural disaster. It was that earthquake that prompted the state to mandate that all hospitals meet certain earthquake standards by 2008. That deadline was extended to 2013 when it was clear many hospitals would fail to meet it. There is also some discussion of extending it again to 2015 or even as late as 2030 for some hospitals that meet certain new minimum earthquake resistance specifications. However, there are two problems with extending the deadline. One, it is extending the risk for loss of life in the event of a major earthquake and repeating the dire scene that happened in Southern California more than 10 years ago. Two, extending it means any retrofit or new construction will be pricier as construction costs rise.

Already, construction of a new 242-bed Peninsula Medical Center is slated to cost $488 million and rising costs caused the Peninsula Health Care District Board to agree to the possibility of scaled back plans to meet the budget earlier this year. Now, through Measure V, voters in San Bruno, Burlingame, San Mateo, Millbrae, Hillsborough and parts of Foster City and South San Francisco have a choice to approve plans to construct the new hospital on El Camino Real in Burlingame. Though Sutter Health is agreeing to foot the bill for the new facility and provide the district with rent of $1.5 million a year for 50 years, the plan needs to be approved by voters in the district. Those driving by the hospital site may see construction of a new garage and piles of dirt and think that the hospital is a done deal but Sutter is taking appropriate steps to get what work it can get done sooner to keep costs low while awaiting the voters' decision. The current facility was built in the 1950s and served the community well. However, it is not seismically safe and does not have the capability to effectively house new state-of-art medical equipment. Retrofitting the current hospital would cost $20 million more than reconstruction and will create disruption to the staff and patients who need a stable environment.

A handful of people labeled the Peninsula Hospital Guardians are in the midst of a legal battle to change the result of the election based on its belief that Sutter Health should pay more in rent and has the ability to come back and change the terms of the lease agreement at a later time. However, the Health Care District Board has gone through scores of meetings for six years to get to the point in which a deal like this can be made. No deal is perfect, but this one is pretty close. The Guardians should be applauded for keeping a vigilant eye on this process. It is its watchful eye that helped the community get to this point. However, the community will get a brand-new state-of-the-art hospital at no cost to taxpayers, with $1.5 million a year to be placed in the bank should there ever be a need to provide any future funding. The district will receive $75 million over the life of the agreement. With interest, that money is sure to be enough to cover future needs. Simply put, Measure V, is the best final offer to be made for the reconstruction of Peninsula Medical Center. The community deserves a safe and state-of-the-art medical center and Measure V provides that with little risk and no cost to taxpayers

– Written by Fiona

The "Dear Friend" postcards have started on Ballot Measure V for a new earthquake-safe hospital. Bullet points are (1) expanded 24-hour emergency services (2) advanced 21st century medicine and (3) No new taxes.

The ballot will come to us in the mail and need to be mailed back by August 29.

– Written by Fiona

The Examiner – Ballots for new hospital mailed to voters next week

Burlingame, Calif. – Taxpayers will finally get to vote on plans for a brand-new Peninsula Medical Center, with special mail-in ballots set to hit homes early next week. Mark Numainville, a county elections officer, said ballots for the hospital vote, Measure V, are set to go out on Monday to the 101,000 registered voters in the Peninsula Health Care District, which includes Burlingame, San Mateo, Millbrae, San Bruno and parts of Foster City and South San Francisco. Voters have until Aug. 29 to return their ballots by mail or in person, but should mail them by Aug. 22 to make sure the votes arrive on time. Mills-Peninsula Health Services, which runs the Peninsula Medical Center, wants to build a state-of-the-art, $488 million hospital to replace the Burlingame hospital because the current facility doesn't meet state seismic regulations. Construction can't begin on the hospital which sits on land owned by the Peninsula Health Care District, a public entity until the voters give the OK. Mills-Peninsula, an arm of Sutter Health, is funding the project and the election. Construction is slated to begin in the fall, and officials are anxious to keep things on track as building costs continue to climb. The project should be finished by mid-2010. Hospital higher-ups in May released a list of potential cuts and items to be deferred should the project costs continue to climb, including nonessential items such as a helipad, fountain, several conference rooms and three of the 10 operating rooms. The election is the last hurdle in a long public process that saw a lawsuit, construction cost increases, changes in the proposal from Mills-Peninsula and difficulty in finding board members without conflicts of interest. The district and Mills-Peninsula agreed on a 50-year lease, where Mills-Peninsula pays the district $1.5 million per year in rent for 21 acres of land. The hospital reverts back to the district at the end of the lease.

Dan Andersen with Peninsula Guardians, a nonprofit watchdog group for the hospital project, said that though he will likely vote for the new hospital, he remains unhappy with the current lease agreement. We want to make sure this is taxpayer-controlled, not Sutter-controlled,? Andersen said. District board member Rick Navarro said that while the lease isn't perfect, it still presents a good deal for taxpayers. He said keeping tabs on hospital operations is one of the board's top priorities.

– Written by Fiona

The Rotary Club OF Burlingame and The City Of Burlingame Present a Community Forum Featuring Robert Hortop Vice President for Strategic Development Mills-Peninsula Hospitals

Come and learn more about:

• The need for the new hospital
• The design of the new building
• The new technology
• Limitations we may have to face

When: June 7, 2006
Time: 7:00 pm 8:30 pm
Location: Burlingame Recreation Center
850 Burlingame Avenue

Admission is Free

– Written by admin

The next Planning Commission meeting on Monday, November 14 at 7:00 pm will include the following, as stated in the Daily Journal today:

The Burlingame Planning Commission will vote on the formation of a community group that would ensure the Peninsula Medical Center project stays in compliance with conditions and address neighborhood issues on Monday. The commission will also review the general construction schedule and specific scheduling of the new water line, landscaping and construction of the parking garage.

At the same meeting the commission will vote to approve a conditional use permit allowing a real estate and travel office at 1199 Broadway

.

– Written by Fiona

This Thursday, August 25, at 5:45 PM, the Peninsula Health Care District will hold its regular monthly meeting at 5:45 PM in the Sierra Meeting Rooms, in the basement at Peninsula Hospital, 1783 El Camino Real, near Trousdale Ave., in Burlingame. This is the last opportunity for the public to make comments and submit questions to the Board regarding the restructured long term lease relationship between the Peninsula Health Care District and Mills-Peninsula Health Services (a Sutter Health Corporation affiliate.) A 50 year lease between the District and Sutter is being proposed and while we all know that the community needs a new hospital, there are still many unanswered questions about the terms of the lease and how District taxpayers will be affected.

Concerns have been raised about pricing, access to quality health care and future financial obligations that will be passed on to local residents. The Board is elected by Health Care District voters. It has said that it will answer all questions before making a decision on this proposal, so now is the time to get involved.

– Written by nancyyar