January decision on hospital bond

In a two-hour meeting Tuesday evening, the Finance Committee of the Sonoma Valley Health Care District Board of Directors considered, among its review of the current financial statements, the timeline presented by CEO Carl Gerlach for passage of general obligation bonds to finance the new hospital. The board had selected at its last meeting the “In-Town” site for construction, consisting of the present hospital property and the Carinelli property a half-block away.
Depending on whether the board selects an April or May ballot next year for the bond measure, counting backwards 88 days puts the decision in the board’s hands on January 2 or January 30, 2008. Gerlach told the committee that “delay costs money,” but also noted that the extra four weeks might allow for more definitive bidding by contractors, which would let the board have more accurate numbers when setting the amount to be sought from the voters.