County gets no taxes, no lease payment

The Nodaway Nursing Home facility, located at 22371 State Highway 46, which is west of Maryville, is an asset of Nodaway County, sort of.

There is not a revenue stream coming from the asset neither in lease payment and the taxes on the equipment and “personal” property such as fixtures and furniture have not been paid since 2022. In fact, no assessment sheet has been submitted for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The building and the 4.94 acres that surrounds the facility are owned by Nodaway County. Its beginnings dating back 100 years. The facility was used for indigent citizens who had no other means for housing and care. Commonly called the “County Poor Farm,” it was not unusual in those days for the county to operate such a facility. Several decades ago, the administration of the nursing care and housing of people was transferred to companies through a lease of the premises from the county. The original plat had an additional 145 acres of farmland that was sold in 2007.

In 1986, a new lease for 50 years was drawn up and accepted by a company for $50,000. It was the only payment required by the company and that lease is still in effect and will continue until it expires in 2036. The present company with the lease Prime Home Care 24/7, Matawan, NJ which has other counties’ facility leases for operation, purchased the lease from a Holt County company, Tiffany Care Centers, four years ago. Prime Home Care 24/7 has requested the county now take on capital improvements to the nursing home. An official of Prime Home Care 24/7, Sam Wdziekowski, who resides in Miami, FL, met with the county commission on October 21 at the facility, where he outlined a number of projects that the facility needed, some were required to maintain licensing and others would be considered cosmetic. Items such as replacing two generators that are no longer functioning, an addition of a fire sprinkler system in the kitchen area; both are required for the nursing home facility state licensing while siding on the front of the building is needing a facelift from past storm damage. The estimated total of $80,000-$100,000 was given with the request for the county to pay for half of the amount. Wdziekowski noted to the commissioners that the facility is not solvent financially to pay for these improvements totally. In the past, commissioners noted there had been a sewer drainage issue that the management asked the commission to help with the cost of repair. It was denied.

It is understood and documented that the company the property is leased to is required to have insurance on the facility.

Earlier on October 16, three other officials from Prime Home Care 24/7 made a zoom call to the commission and inquired if the county would consider selling the property outright.

Associate Commissioner Chris Burns said the response from the local elected officials was a “hard no” to both the capital improvements’ cooperative costs and the selling of the facility and land.