County to push for VA home, By LISA KACZKE, Staff Writer

Koochiching County wants to be considered a location for a new Veteran’s Affairs nursing home.
County commissioners said they plan to discuss the proposal with Minnesota Rep. Tom Anzelc and Sen. Tom Saxhaug.
But commissioners also expressed concern that locating a VA home in the county would create competition for clients and staff with existing nursing homes in International Falls and Littlefork.
Commissioners said they would like the county to be considered for the VA home because now veterans must travel to VA medical centers in places like Silver Bay and the Twin Cities.
A VA home would bring people into the area, rather than serving only local veterans, according to county Veterans Service Officer Allen Kruse. If veterans were on a waiting list at other VA homes, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs would offer other sites with space available, and that could be in Koochiching County, he said.
Kruse told the board he’s discussed concerns about the proposal with Littlefork Nursing Home Calvin Olson. Olson, reported Kruse, said nurses at a VA home are paid federal-level wages, which he said the Littlefork facility can’t compete with. Olson also said local nursing homes already are experiencing decrease in residents due to an increase in options such as hospice care.
Board Chairman Wade Pavleck said there is a misunderstanding in who would be employed by a VA home, stating that the employees would be doctors and nurses already employed in the federal VA system rather than local residents hired to fill the positions.
Kruse also clarified that his proposal involves only a nursing home and would not include VA health services.
Commissioner Kallie Briggs questioned whether the VA would be able to contract with local medical facilities such as Falls Memorial Hospital or the Duluth Clinic to provide services.
Commissioner Chuck Lepper questioned whether an already existing nursing home could become certified rather than building a new facility, siting unfair competition for the existing nursing homes.
A contract depends on how many veterans the medical center serves, Kruse said. The Littlefork Medical Center had a contract to provide services for veterans, but didn’t have enough veterans to continue with the contract, he said.
If Koochiching County were chosen for a new VA home, a new building would be constructed with federal funding rather than local taxpayer money, Kruse said. He also pointed to a second option of the FMH building, should the hospital move to its proposed location near the Duluth Clinic.
Meanwhile, the board certified in a 4-1 vote the list of delinquent Rural Fire Protection Association district billings to the county auditor for collection on the 2009 tax statements.
About 255 properties out of 1,950 properties, or about 12 percent, have not paid the 2008 dues, according to Auditor Bob Peterson. The total amount to be collected is about $17,000, he said.
Rural Fire is also attempting to collect dues from 2006 and 2007, according to Randy Pozniak, a Rural Fire board member. About 163 people have not paid, which is about $15,000, he said. The next step is to pursue a collection agency, according to Pozniak. Commissioners requested a list of names of those who have not paid.
Commissioner Mike Hanson pointed out that he has constituents who would rather be covered by Littlefork Fire Department rather than International Falls because they live closer to Littlefork. Hanson said the residents feel like they are being coerced into paying the fees. Hanson stated that nothing has been done by the county to address the issue.
Hanson said he voted against the motion because it does not solve the problem.
The issue was addressed by Rural Fire, according to Pozniak, and Rural Fire agreed that residents covered by Littlefork should be included in that taxing district. But Rural Fire wants to avoid “cherry picking” with various residents being covered by Littlefork rather than the Falls.
Lepper said that the residents are being covered by International Falls right now and therefore they should be paying for the service until Littlefork agrees to cover them.
County Administrator Teresa Jaksa said the issue hasn’t been resolved because she is considering how the taxing district boundaries could be changed. She said she would like to consider if residents in Loman and Ray want to be covered by International Falls or Littlefork.
Before 2006, residents could voluntarily pay for fire coverage, with about 25 percent not paying, according to Pozniak. Since 2006, the coverage is mandatory.