JOHNSTOWN - Fulton County received a petition signed by 212 of its employees to keep the Residential Health Care Facility and Nursing Service public instead of private.
Civil Service Employees Association Local 818 President Ron Briggs said Tuesday some of those employees will speak about the privatization issue at the county Board of Supervisors' monthly meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday at the County Office Building.
"We'll have a roomful Thursday," the Briggs said.
The county hired Rochester-based Center for Governmental Research in August for $63,000 to evaluate whether the county should sell the infirmary or nursing service. Supervisors decided Dec. 10 to send about 90 requests for proposals to health care institutions and have them returned by March 3 to explain whether they would want to take over those services.
"We've gone into this process with a totally open mind," board Chairman Greg Fagan said today. "Our main concern is three groups - the residents, the employees and the taxpayers paying the bill. I hope people aren't jumping to conclusions."
Dr. Donald Pryor, CGR's project director, said the county received "several" initial letters of intent from vendors showing interest in buying either the county nursing home or its nursing service.
The county administration has declined to make those documents available to the public until March 3 because officials fear it might corrupt any potential purchasing process.
Local 818 was also denied the information in a state Freedom of Information Law request to the county, although Briggs said the union is appealing.
The Board of Supervisors' agenda for Thursday indicates 212 county employees signed a petition supporting two letters of intent submitted to CGR from the infirmary and nursing service, which want to keep the entities public.
"By Jan. 16, they [potential vendors] had to have letters of intent in," Briggs said. "In that spirit, the employees submitted their own letters of intent to keep the facility public."
In one of the letters of intent, infirmary Director of Nursing Phyllis Rosenberger wrote, "The time is here to consider all options, one of which should be to expand the existing facility, keep present employees working and continue to improve the excellent care that our citizens deserve."
Michael Anich can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.