Public Safety Support for New LLUH Hospital Decided by Council

A compromise on the amount of public safety support Loma Linda University Health will pay the city was decided upon last Tuesday. The city council members Mayor Pro Tem Phill Dupper and Councilmen Ron Dailey and John Lenart approved the revised payment structure and LLUH’s building plans for a 16-story hospital building at Tuesday’s meeting with Mayor Rhodes Rigsby and Councilman Ovidiu Popescu recusing themselves from the vote. The discussion points at this meeting was a continuation from the June 14 council on how the new hospital’s calls for service may affect the city’s public safety services. Dupper has been reported as saying, “My faith has been renewed that we have accomplished something very positive and will benefit everyone involved.” The agreement that was agreed upon states that LLUH will pay for an officer to be on duty at the hospital 18 hours a day, every day. The shift hours would be from 10:00 a.m to 6 p.m., and 7 p.m to 5 a.m. The hospital will contract for services from the city and the city will then contract with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to provide the officers. The cost will be approximately $923,000. The agreement will start on July 15th. In addition, any funds collected through Loma Linda Mercantile, that are above the past three-year average of $850,000 may be used to help pay for law enforcement. This possible could be used to increase the patrol hours to 24 hours a day. Also, the hospital will be paying the city $900 per bed per year to assist with fire services starting Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec., 2021. The agreement is structure on the basis of 633 beds, that equates to approximately $570,000. The city will be responsible for equipment purchases. This agreement is the same as the one between the city and the Veterans Affairs hospital in Loma Linda. The hospital is putting forward approximately $1.5 million to try to address both fire and public safety issues. The city has indicated that they may review the hospital’s impact again, once the new building is open and the reuse of the existing hospital is decided upon.