Board closes MHC to out-of-county patients The resolution is aimed at cutting costs By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle Out-of-county patients whose counties don't pay their way will get the boot from the Brown County Mental Health Center after a vote by the County Board on Wednesday. The board voted 22-2 to pass a resolution to discontinue serving voluntary out-of-county customers at the center. Studies had shown the county lost $500,000 last year on such patients. The county loses money because many of those patients are funded through state medical assistance, which does not cover county costs. Opponents of the resolution argued that a study of the county's Human Services Department by an outside firm was due in six weeks and would provide more financial information. But the majority said the county was being taken advantage of by other counties that do not have their own centers, and the county should use its resources on its own residents. Sup. Patrick Evans called the move "a bargaining chip" in efforts to regionalize mental health care. And County Executive Carol Kelso said delaying the resolution would delay rehabilitation or remodeling of the Mental Health Center. An attempt to refer the resolution to a later date to get the consultants' report lost on a 18-8 vote, and only Sups. Mike Fleck and Kevin Kuehn voted against the resolution. Sups. Jane Hansen and Mary Marquardt, both attending their last County Board meetings before leaving the board, abstained. - The board also had a lengthy debate over the transferring of money from the sale of the old De Pere library. The money had gone to the fund for the new Kress Family Library in De Pere, but the Education and Recreation Committee had voted to transfer $237,815 of that to asset maintenance. The transfer eventually passed 20-6. Opponents wanted to keep the funds with the Kress building for completion of an area to be leased out to a business. But the majority voted for the transfer, saying there were no immediate lease prospects and the money could be used elsewhere in the library system for upkeep. There will be $100,000 from the sale left in the Kress fund. - Along with Sups. Hansen and Marquardt, Sups. Merlin Vanden Plas and John Gower attended their last meetings Wednesday. Vanden Plas retired after 14 years on the board, saying he had not missed any of about 170 meetings. Gower, who lost a primary election in February, cited his work on trying to cut back the Sheriff's Department in his one year after being appointed to the board to replace Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt. Hansen and Marquardt both thanked the voters in their districts, and Marquardt noted that the two candidates to replace her were both in the audience. She urged them to remain independent and represent their constituents to the best of their ability. A new board will be elected April 6.