So far, no one’s used the Personal Isolation Facility the city of Greeley and Weld County agreed to pay for

By Kelly Ragan

About two months ago, the city of Greeley and Weld County agreed to pitch in funding to set up a Personal Isolation Facility for COVID-19 patients. So far, no one has used it. 

Bonell Good Samaritan Center, 708 22nd St. in Greeley, offered up an empty, 30-unit apartment complex to COVID-19 patients not sick enough to need bed space at hospitals but who can’t yet return home because they live in a communal setting and might spread the virus, or for people experiencing homelessness. 

The city agreed to pay for building repairs, site security and management, and food provision. In April, the city projected it would contribute $181,240 to the facility – with most of the costs covered by dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. JBS USA, the company that owns the meatpacking plant in Greeley where eight employees have died from COVID, donated $90,000 to help with the costs of managing the isolation facility. 

So far, the city has actually invested just $5,500 in the facility, said Dan Frazen, Greeley’s emergency manager, in an email to the NoCo Optimist. Donations from JBS and the HUD Cares Act CDBG-CV grand funding have covered the costs. 

“We will also be submitting for FEMA Public Assistance reimbursement when we get into the recovery phase of this disaster,” Frazen wrote.  

The county agreed to cover the cost of the lease and some additional repair fees, an estimated $69,000. 

So far, the county has actually spent:

• $18,000 on a pre-paid lease through August 7th 

• $1,645 plumbing repairs

• $2,500 on cleaning  

But as of May 20, not one COVID-19 patient has stayed in the facility. The NoCo Optimist asked why. 

Frazen said it essentially comes down to paperwork. 

“Weld County Public Health receives referrals from our nonprofits like the United Way and Homeless Coalition, and Greeley hospitals,” Frazen wrote. “We have received information about homeless COVID patients being released from the hospitals, but in the last week the care managers at the hospitals and our nonprofits have not submitted paperwork for their patients to come to the (Personal Isolation Facility).” 

Two weeks ago, Frazen wrote, several people experiencing homelessness were staying at the Rodeway Inn in Evans. The inn served as the county’s temporary place for those experiencing homelessness to stay during their quarantine. 

Frazen wrote he anticipates the health department will soon get referrals and the facility will have its first guests. 

“But obviously we have no crystal ball,” Frazen wrote. 

Preliminary research shows warmer weather will help lessen the spread of the virus, Frazen wrote, but hospitals and the NOCO Healthcare Coalition are talking about a surge in the fall. 

At a city council meeting Tuesday, Councilmember Kristin Zasada asked if there were ongoing conversations regarding the cost to the city versus the benefit of keeping the facility open in case of a surge. 

Frazen said he had a meeting about the subject Tuesday. 

“We want to be good stewards of the city’s money,” Frazen said at the meeting. “We want to proceed with caution.” 

As it stands, an oversight committee met for the first time this week to discuss and brainstorm the future of the facility, Frazen wrote.  

The Ranch alternative care facility,  5280 Arena Circle in Loveland, will open June 11. It’s run by the state of Colorado and Larimer County.

As Wednesday afternoon, Frazen said the facility might see its first two guests, but he didn’t confirm their stay by publication time.