NEW CASTLE, PA. Officials seek appraisal of county nursing home
Longtime election workers will be honored in August.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- An appraiser will take a good look at the county nursing home in an effort to determine the facility's future.
County commissioners agreed in a 2-1 vote Tuesday to seek appraisal proposals from companies that will tell the county the real estate value of Hill View Manor, located off Pa. Route 65 in Shenango Township.
Commissioner Roger DeCarbo said the county must have a professional appraisal before it can consider selling the property.
"It just gives us one more option," he said.
County officials have recently talked about handing over the operation of the home to a professional management company. The home is now run by an administrator hired by the county.
The nursing home sits on 40 acres of property DeCarbo estimates could bring in about $90,000 in taxes to the county if it were sold.
An Ohio company already has an option to buy 20 acres of vacant land to build an assisted-living facility. County commissioners are still waiting to finalize that deal but say they want to know the worth of all 40 acres if that plan falls through.
Commissioner Ed Fosnaught voted against getting proposals for an appraisal. He said last week that he would not consider selling the nursing home.
Honoring poll workers
In other business, county officials plan to honor longtime election poll workers.
Fosnaught said they have discovered that some people have faithfully served as judges of election or in other posts for as long as 40 or 50 years.
A program to honor those workers will be Aug. 27 at the dance pavilion in Cascade Park. The county commissioners will move their 10 a.m. meeting to the pavilion that day, and a ceremony will follow, Fosnaught said.