The Sullivan County Legislature officially voted 5 to 4 to close the Senior Care Center at Sunset Lake on Thursday. Before the vote, residents pleaded with officials not to close the senior center.
Patty Melisowkis from Grahamsville, said losing the senior center will only hurt the county.
“Allowing the nursing home to close and remain closed just adds to Sullivan County decline as the younger generation continues to move out. Because what is the draw to stay here? The now older generation also no longer wants to stay. There is no draw to stay here other than their families. And guess what? They're not staying,"
Melisowkis said Thursday.
Legislators Cat Scott, Matt McPhillips, Luis Alvarez, and Terry Blosser-Bernardo voted not to close the 146-bed facility. Legislators Brian McPhillips, Nicholas Salomone, Nadia Rajsz, Joe Perrello, and Amanda Ward voted to close the Liberty facility, Radio Catskill reported.
Most of the 93 residents at the care center have already left, despite a restraining order by an Ulster County Judge for residents and employees not be removed.
That order came in response to a lawsuit by care center residents, families, and employees, alleging that the initial vote to close the care center was done essentially in secret at a closed-door executive session that violated Open Meetings Law.
