County plans to contest $50,000 state fine

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By Wood

Monday, December 10, 2007 2:12 PM CDTURBANA – Champaign County could have to pay

a $50,000 fine for paperwork violations in connection with repairs to the

ventilation system in its $24 million nursing home, which had been plagued with

mold.

The county plans to ask for a hearing to contest the fine.

On Nov. 28, the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board fined Champaign County

for cost overruns and unauthorized alterations, posting the $50,000 fine for

alleged violations of the Health Facility Planning Act and Rules.

The planning board, which is part of the Illinois Department of Public Health,

requires facilities it licenses to have proper paperwork approved for each

change made in the planning of a facility.

In December 2006, the Health Facilities Planning Board unanimously renewed the

county's permit for the nursing home after it had been delayed about a year from

its original opening date, first by the discovery of moldy wood, then by a

failure of the ventilation system to move enough air.

Mark, the executive secretary of the Illinois Health Facilities

Planning Board, said at the time that the county could face fines for not

properly seeking approval for changes.

, a spokeswomen for the board, could not be reached for comment

late this morning.

Champaign County Board Chairman C. Pius Weibel said he was " irritated " that the

county was being fined for alterations that successfully repaired the HVAC

system.

He said the repairs were life-safety issues because mold could have imperiled

nursing home residents, especially those with respiratory problems.

The system did not generate enough airflow when it was turned on in May 2006.

Additional blower fans and other changes over the next few months made the

system work, at a cost of about $700,000, $150,000 less than expected.

Under the law, Champaign County has the right to request a hearing before an

administrative law judge to contest the fine and to appear before the planning

board.

Weibel and Champaign County State's Attorney Rietz directed her staff to

request a hearing and seek an appearance before the planning board, to tell the

board that " Champaign County has acted at all times in good faith with Illinois

Health Facilities Planning Board and its staff and will continue to do so to

address and resolve this issue, " according to a statement today from Weibel.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2007/12/10/county_plans_toconteststate_fi\

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