Thursday June 24, 2004
As the Sequoia Healthcare District makes important appointments to vacant positions, the focus is being placed on three open seats in the November election.
After arguing against the appointment of a new district chief executive officer and being overlooked for district president, board member Jack Hickey vowed to fill the three vacant seats with new members come November. He wants to see the district dissolved and pledges to support anyone with the same views.
“The only choice we have is to vote for a new board. This board has been resistant to put anything on the ballot,” Hickey said at a board meeting yesterday.
Tension between board members is rising after board member Edward Kate resigned earlier this month, leaving a vacant seat. Since Hickey was elected in 2002, he has fought the board to dissolve the district and stop collecting taxes. With an empty seat, Hickey is focusing more than ever on his goal — while irritating the other board members.
Despite a request by Hickey, board president Art Faro chose board members Nappy McNaughton and Kathleen Kane to serve on the committee to find a replacement for Katz. The replacement must be named in 60 days and will have to run for election in November, along with McNaughton and Kane.
Hickey would like the board disbanded, tax collection stopped and the remaining bank balance returned to residents.
As it stands now, the district collects about $8 million a year and donates a portion of it to philanthropic health care efforts within its boundaries.
There are currently three names on the list of applicants. One of them is Libertarian Warren Gibson who also wants to see the district dissolved.
Hickey is vowing to find more like Gibson to run for the seat in November. He has already backed Libertarian Sonya Sigler, who came in fourth in the 2002 election for three seats.
Hickey’s drive to get the board disbanded is showing its wear on other board members — who all agreed to contribute $25 million for the reconstruction of Sequoia Hospital. Hickey was the sole dissenting vote.
“I am interested in seeing this hospital built and you’re here politicking for the November election,” said Faro.
Residents at the meeting echoed the frustration.
“Jack, you need to get out more. Go to a coffee shop, talk with people,” said Redwood City resident Dani Gasparini. “This community wants a new hospital. This community wants a district board. We started this board because we wanted this community hospital.”
The board was formed more than 50 years ago to collect and manage funds for the public hospital. In 1996, amidst financial trouble, voters agreed to allow Catholic Healthcare West to run the hospital in return for seats on the hospital’s governing board.
In other business:
• President Art Faro resigned from his role as president to take focus more attention on his new job as interim CEO of St. Mary’s Hospital in Reno, NV. With a 3-1 vote, Kane took over the position. Hickey nominated himself, with a second from McNaughton, but failed to get anyone to vote for him.
• Operations Coordinator Stephani Scott was promoted to CEO. Outgoing CEO Frank Gibson said he was grooming Scott for the position for the past year. She was appointed to the position with a 3-1 vote. Hickey disagreed with the board decision to appoint an insider and said he would rather see a consultant hired to perform a national search.
Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650)
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