(SANILAC COUNTY) – Officials with the Sanilac County Health Department have pitched an idea to County Commissioners which if approved, could mean the construction of a new building in Sandusky.
Health Department Director Bryant Welke made a presentation during the Commissioners meeting Tuesday, saying a very preliminary study has been done between the pros and cons of fixing their current building on Dawson Street or building a new facility.
According to the Health Department Director, the current building on Dawson Street was built in 1992 with an addition built in 1995. Other agencies, including Sanilac County Medical Control and MSU Extension, also have offices in the building.
Welke, and Board Chairman John Block, who both serve on the Health Department Board, said the department is working on details to enter into a conditional purchase agreement on 19 acres of land that currently has the Maple Valley School and the Sanilac County ISD buildings located on it.
Chairman Block said the Health Department Board has expressed their full supports and have drafted a letter of support for the new building proposal.
However, Welke told Commissioners the department has been working long hours on a strategy, on how best to proceed including the total cost of renovations to the Dawson Street building which is expected to be well into the six figure range, if not more.
The current building is in need of extensive repairs, both inside and out, that would be extremely costly, Welke told the Board. The Director said they have been able to get by with their current facility, but the time is rapidly approaching that something has to be done.
He called the current layout “choppy” and said they do not meet HIPPA requirements when it comes to counseling appointments or other private matters. Welke went on to say the current building, as it sits, is not HIPPA compliant.
Welke said with the availability of ARPA funds, there may be no time better than now to pursue a new facility. Preliminary plans call for the demolition of the Maple Valley School, with the exception of the Sanilac County ISD portion.
The ISD has 30 years left on a 50-year lease for their space located on the southern part of the Maple Valley building.
Ultimately, Welke said, it is going to come down to do they spend millions of dollars on an older building that is not compliant with State and Federal guidelines, and would take millions of dollars to remedy the needs of the building, or construct an entire new facility?
It was acknowledged that there would be a need for multiple funding sources, including a potential low-interest USDA loan to construct a new building.
Further talks will be held in the coming months before a final decision is made.
