St. Mary's urges Grafton to slow Aurora decision

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 15, 2007

By LAWRENCE SUSSMAN

Columbia St. Mary's top executive asked Grafton on Friday to take more time to study Aurora Health Care's plans to build a rival hospital in the village.

"There are a huge number of unanswered questions about the proposed Aurora hospital," said Leo P. Brideau, Columbia St. Mary's chief executive officer and president.

Village President James Brunnquell said Friday that the decision will remain on the Village Board agenda for the meeting that begins at 7 p.m. Monday. To accommodate an expected large crowd, the meeting has been moved to the Multi-Purpose Senior Center, 1665 Seventh Ave.

"Whether that action is to approve, deny, or delay is up to the Village Board," he said.

Brideau attended a Grafton Plan Commission special meeting Thursday at which the commission endorsed Aurora's plans. In a letter Friday to Brunnquell, Brideau wrote that "Aurora has yet to place a price tag on this hospital."

Village Board approval on Monday night, Brideau wrote, "would be approving a blank check for Aurora to build such a hospital. . . . It is hard to imagine your constituents would be well-served approving a hospital without an estimate, knowing the cost burden would fall on the employers who pay for health care and their employees."

Brunnquell, though, said, "I think it is unfair to try to draw a direct connection between a project cost, and what the taxpayers of the municipality pay for health care."

In response, Jeff Squire, Aurora's director of communications, said in a statement that the plans have been properly reviewed.

"We greatly appreciate the enormous amount of time that village officials have invested since last summer in their thorough review of this project," Squire said.