The Independent Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee is appointed by the Washington Township Health Care District Board of Directors and oversees the disbursement of the Measure FF bond proceeds and reports annually on the expenditure of the funds.

Click here to download the 2008 Measure FF Annual Report

2007 Measure FF Annual Report

The oversight committee includes: Jack W. Balch, owner of Balch Enterprises; Al Huezo, Newark City Council Member and former City of Newark City Manager; Kevin Hom, Lead Pastor of Fremont Community Church and President of Fremont Community Church School; John Low, Global Chief Financial Officer for Plasticon Industries, former Washington Foundation Board member , past president of the Newark Chamber of Commerce and Newark Rotary; Garrett Yee, Manager, Rating and Statistical Department of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau, Ohlone Community College Trustee and Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Oversight Committee Meetings
The Independent Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee meets on a quarterly basis. The meetings are held in the Anderson Auditoriums, 2500 Mowry Ave., in Fremont, which is located on the first floor of Washington West. Meeting Notices and Agendas are posted below:

2011 Notices and Agendas
Notices          Agendas
01.18.12      01.18.12
10.05.11      10.05.11
07.20.11      07.20.11
04.06.11      04.06.11
01.19.11      01.19.11

2010 Notices and Agendas
Notices        Agendas
10.21.10     10.21.10
07.21.10     07.21.10
04.07.10     04.07.10
02.03.10     02.03.10


2009 Notices and Agendas
Notices       Agendas     
10.07.09    10.07.09    
07.29.09    07.29.09    
04.01.09    04.01.09    
02.18.09    02.18.09    

2008 Notices  and Agendas

In November 2, 2004, the residents of Washington Township Health Care District passed Measure FF -- the general obligation bond that authorizes critically needed expansion and seismic upgrades for Washington Hospital. We've posted several questions and answers as well as three presentations which were made at past Board Meetings which provide factual background as to the need for Measure FF and what the proceeds from the general obligation bond will be used for.

If you have additonal questions that have not been addressed by the information provided, feel free to contact Washington Hospital's Community Relations Department at (510) 791-3417 or via e-mail at feedback@whhs.com.

Resolution 1005

Frequently Asked Questions

About Washington Hospital's Measure FF
A Local Bond Measure to Upgrade & Expand Hospital Facilities

What is Measure FF?
Measure FF is a local facilities bond measure, passed by voters on November 2, 2004, which authorizes the rehabilitation, expansion and improvment of hospital facilities at Washington Hospital.

Why are new hospital facilities needed?
Washington Hospital faces two critical challenges:

1) Washington Hospital facilities are aging, outdated and overcrowded.
Washington Hospital has provided quality healthcare services to the community by effectively planning and expanding to meet community needs. However, after decades of constant and growing use, the hospital's core facilities-originally constructed in the 1950's-1970's-have grown deteriorated and overcrowded. Our challenge is to meet the community's growing demand for quality health care in an age of advancing medicine and aging hospital facilities. At the same time, the growing communities we serve have placed added strain on the important medical services Washington Hospital provides. In fact this hospital operates the second busiest emergency room in the County, but our facilities are among the oldest and are inadequate to handle the growing population.

2) State Mandated Seismic Upgrades for Earthquake Safety.
The hospital's second critical challenge is to ensure that Washington Hospital will be safe in case of a major earthquake. California Senate Bill 1953 (SB 1953), the legislative response to the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, mandates that by the year 2030 all California hospitals must be built to withstand a major earthquake. The SB1953 requirement is an "unfunded mandate"; when the law was passed no government funding was allocated to facilitate the process. While the cost and effort of meeting this goal is great, it must be addressed so that Washington Hospital will remain fully operational in the case of such a natural disaster.

What is Senate Bill 1953?
SB 1953 is the State law requiring hospitals to implement tough new seismic safety standards. Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which caused 23 hospitals to suspend some or all of their services and resulted in more than $3 billion in hospital-related damages, the California Legislature approved Senate Bill 1953 (SB 1953) requiring all general acute care hospitals to meet stringent new earthquake standards. The State deadline for completing non-structural hospital improvements is 2013. The deadline for making structural improvements is 2030.

Will the State pay hospitals for seismic safety construction projects?
SB 1953 is an "un-funded" mandate, which means that state and federal dollars are not available to assist hospitals in paying for necessary improvements.

How old are Washington Hospital facilities?
Nearly 50 years ago the people of our community came together to begin the process of creating Washington Hospital. In an effort to ensure quality hospital facilities close to home, they voted to establish a local publicly owned and operated hospital district. After a period of careful planning and construction, the original Washington Hospital facility opened in 1958. As times changed, the District responded proactively to ensure adequate hospital facilities. Today facilities planning and improvement continues to be an integral part of our efforts to provide quality health care.

What specific upgrades are needed? What specifically will Measure FF do?
Measure FF includes only essential repairs and upgrades, including:

* Provide state required upgrades for earthquake safety
* Upgrade and expand the hospital's Emergency Room facilities, including more operating rooms and patient beds
* Upgrade and expand Washington's Intensive Care Unit to increase our capacity to provide life-saving medical services to the most critically ill patients
* Expand rapid state-of-the-art cardiac care facilities, including operating rooms and patient beds for those who are at risk of or who have suffered heart attacks
* Add patient beds and operating rooms to serve our growing community
* Expand up-to-date laboratory and x-ray facilities
* Improve building systems and capacity, to increase the operational performance and reliability of electrical, technology, energy efficiency and other building systems
* Upgrade walkways, pick-up and drop-off zones and parking lots for improved safety

When was the last major renovation completed at Washington Hospital?
After constructing and opening its original hospital in 1958, the District added a six-story structure in 1974 to serve an even faster growing community. Later, in the 1990's the former Emporium Capwells building across the street from the Hospital was acquired and upgraded to become Washington West, which now provides essential laboratory, medical diagnostic, outpatient, and community services. Other less visible improvement projects also helped maintain and extend the life of the Hospital over the years.

Washington Hospital has always been dedicated to providing quality healthcare to our community. Will the hospital's facility improvement plans change this mission?
In 1958, our community created Washington Hospital Healthcare System to ensure quality local health care would always be available. In order to continue our mission of meeting the healthcare needs of District residents, we must continue to grow as our community grows. By expanding and upgrading our current facilities, we will further serve our community by providing the latest in medical technology, treatments and services available.

What opportunities will the public have to review and comment on the Hospital's plan?
The public is invited to share their views on any and all hospital related issues at the Washington Township Health Care District Board's regular monthly meetings.

How does the Hospital District intend to pay for these upgrades?
These projects will be financed through a combination of sources including the Hospital's existing budget, cash reserves and revenue bonds. Measure FF has been placed on the ballot to ask for supplemental community support to help complete these very important projects.

How much will the bond cost taxpayers and for how long?
Measure FF will cost a taxpayer, on average, less than $10 dollars a year per $100,000 of assessed valuation for no more than 40 years. (Assessed value should not be confused with market value. The assessed value of property may be much lower than its market value.) Measure FF will be deductible on state and federal taxes.

What about Measure FF fiscal controls?
Measure FF requires strict fiscal control and accountability. Annual performance and financial audits and an independent Citizens Oversight Committee are required to monitor expenditures and ensure all funds are spent properly. The Citizens Oversight Committee will be appointed by the Washington Township Health Care District Board of Directors and will serve without pay. By law, bond proceeds can only be used to upgrade facilities, not for salaries or administration.

What is the difference between Washington Hospital Healthcare System and Washington Township Health Care District?

Washington Hospital Healthcare System is the SYSTEM-including hospital facilities, healthcare programs, and services-that provides healthcare services to our community.

The Washington Township Health Care District owns and operates Washington Hospital Healthcare System. The District is governed by a publicly elected Board of Directors.

Have voters of the Hospital District approved a bond measure before?
Yes. Fifty-six years ago in 1948 voters of our community approved $3 million in funding to build the original Washington Hospital via general obligation bonds. The initial funding of $3 million is conservatively valued today at $208 million. The investment the community made in its future has been returned many times over.

When will construction begin to upgrade the hospital?
If voters approved Measure FF, planning will begin immediately with construction to follow on an aggressive timeline starting with critical safety projects first.

Who can I contact if I have more questions?
Please contact Washington Hospital with any questions you may have.
* Website: www.whhs.com
* Contact: Community Relations Department: (510) 791-3417 or via e-mail at feedback@whhs.com.

Following are video links to past Board education sessions that were related to the general obligation bond measure and the need to expand and improve hospital facilities: