Island Nursing Home leaders seek town funding and housing support as officials press for clearer finances
June 29, 2026 | Stonington, Hancock County, Maine
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Representatives of the Island Nursing Home (INH) repeatedly asked Stonington selectmen in 2022 for financial and housing support as the facility struggled to cover operating deficits and staffing shortages.
At an Nov. 21 meeting, INH representatives Skip Greenlaw and Leon Weed asked the towns for $100,000 to restart the facility as residential care only; board members pressed for current financial statements and whether the budget reflected post-2019 inflation. TM Billings told the board a town-meeting petition would be required to place a funding request on the warrant.
The issue returned in August, when INH board members reported persistent operational shortfalls and urged housing assistance as a root cause of staffing problems. Skip Greenlaw told the board beds had not been sold and estimated about $700,000 would be needed to keep skilled nursing beds operational; the board recorded the request and asked for clearer, current financial details before considering town action.
Selectmen repeatedly sought documentation. At the Aug. 22 meeting, TM Billings and others asked for audited or updated budgets; the board emphasized it needed reliable, recent numbers before committing municipal funds. Board members and staff discussed whether towns could support housing units or other targeted assistance, but no specific town funding was approved in the minutes.
The board also noted process constraints: recurring references in the minutes say that any direct appropriation would require a town-meeting article, and TM Billings advised the INH representatives that petition language and timely financial disclosure would be necessary to place an article on a warrant.
Next steps recorded in the minutes: INH representatives were invited to provide updated financials and to return with a formal petition if they seek voter approval for municipal funding; the board continued to discuss broader housing options on town-owned parcels as potential long‑term solutions.
The Selectmen did not vote to provide immediate operating funds in any of the recorded meetings; the matter remained under discussion in the minutes and would require a formal town-meeting petition and precise financial documentation before any appropriation could be placed before voters.
At an Nov. 21 meeting, INH representatives Skip Greenlaw and Leon Weed asked the towns for $100,000 to restart the facility as residential care only; board members pressed for current financial statements and whether the budget reflected post-2019 inflation. TM Billings told the board a town-meeting petition would be required to place a funding request on the warrant.
The issue returned in August, when INH board members reported persistent operational shortfalls and urged housing assistance as a root cause of staffing problems. Skip Greenlaw told the board beds had not been sold and estimated about $700,000 would be needed to keep skilled nursing beds operational; the board recorded the request and asked for clearer, current financial details before considering town action.
Selectmen repeatedly sought documentation. At the Aug. 22 meeting, TM Billings and others asked for audited or updated budgets; the board emphasized it needed reliable, recent numbers before committing municipal funds. Board members and staff discussed whether towns could support housing units or other targeted assistance, but no specific town funding was approved in the minutes.
The board also noted process constraints: recurring references in the minutes say that any direct appropriation would require a town-meeting article, and TM Billings advised the INH representatives that petition language and timely financial disclosure would be necessary to place an article on a warrant.
Next steps recorded in the minutes: INH representatives were invited to provide updated financials and to return with a formal petition if they seek voter approval for municipal funding; the board continued to discuss broader housing options on town-owned parcels as potential long‑term solutions.
The Selectmen did not vote to provide immediate operating funds in any of the recorded meetings; the matter remained under discussion in the minutes and would require a formal town-meeting petition and precise financial documentation before any appropriation could be placed before voters.
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