(June 26, 2023-Wheeler, OR) – The recent Tillamook County certification of the May 16, 2023 election allows the Nehalem Bay Health District to move forward with plans to implement the voter approved bond measure that will support construction of a new Nehalem Bay Health Center and Pharmacy, as well as renovation of the Nehalem Valley Care Center and initial steps toward developing work force housing alternatives for health care and other essential workers.
At its June 14, 2023 meeting, the Health District board approved two resolutions, one confirming the outcome of the May 16 election and a second “authorizing the issuance, sale, execution and delivery of general obligation bonds” to finance the upgrade and enhancement of local health and senior care facilities and services.
Board members, according to Health District president Marc C. Johnson, expressed profound appreciation to voters and residents of the Health District for the strong show of support for the May bond measure. The measure received nearly 70% support from District voters, including 75% support in Wheeler. Voters also re-elected board members Jacki Hinton, Anupam Narayan and Johnson in May.
The Health District’s immediate efforts include:
• Close coordination with the District’s municipal bond advisor David Ulbricht and bond counsel from the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe to prepare for the bond sale that will likely take place in late summer 2023.
• Authorization for the District’s architects, Scott Edwards Architects (SEA), to undertake production of detailed construction drawings for the new Health Center and Pharmacy facility. SEA has already completed schematic design drawings for the facility.
• Development of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to retain a project manager/owner’s representative for the Health Center and Pharmacy project.
• Production of detailed plans and timelines for the phased renovation and modernization of the Nehalem Valley Care Center.
• Work with Business Oregon, the state economic development agency, to facilitate an update of work done in 2016 to assess hazardous materials contained in the old Wheeler hospital building. The hazardous material assessment is necessary to develop bids for the eventual demolition of the building that is the District’s site for future work force housing.
The Health District also continues to evaluate its future staffing needs.
For more information on the Nehalem Bay Health District visit the District’s website: www.nehalembayhd.org
