Island County has a problem. So does Whidbey General Hospital. One has the solution to the other’s, and now they have to meet in the middle.

Island County operates the Oak Harbor Resource Center off of Regatta Drive, of which the hospital rented a portion. But the hospital has relocated to Whidbey General North, even though its lease runs through June, 2006.

Meanwhile, the county pays $900 a month to rent a separate building in Oak Harbor for its public health staff. Under a proposed agreement, the hospital can end its lease early and the county can save its $900 each month.

By paying for certain repairs to the facility, the hospital is poised to save itself approximately $8,000 over the next year.

Under the county’s proposal, the hospital would pay to replace the floor in what was the dental clinic, repair a floor in a storage room and fix the walls where the wiring was for the dental clinic. The hospital would pay $4,178 for the repairs and two months of rent.

If the hospital continued its lease, it would be paying $12,532 in rent. Doug Bishop, the hospital’s chief financial officer, said that nothing is finalized yet and would not comment further on the issue because it is still being negotiated.

“I’m happy they’re working with us,” he said.

Betty Kemp, the county’s risk assessor, said that would allow the county to develop the rest of the facility and save both parties money.

“We would be able to get in there a lot quicker if some things are fixed that we don’t have to wait for,” she said.

Kemp said that health department personnel would move their offices from a separate rental into the revamped space off of Regatta. This would consolidate the nursing services into one location as well, she said.

After that move is complete, the county would still have open space left at the resource center. Kemp said that a new low-income dental clinic could be a possibility for that space.

You can reach News-Times reporter Eric Berto at eberto@whidbeynewstimes.com