Island Nursing Home leaders ask Stonington for emergency support as town seeks details

Representatives of the Island Nursing Home told the Stonington Selectmen that the facility cannot re-open without outside support and asked the towns for financial help.

At a November meeting, INH representatives Skip Greenlaw and Leon Weed said the facility faced a budget gap they characterized as roughly $500,000 annually and asked the board to consider a $100,000 town contribution to restart residential care operations. Greenlaw said the facility’s finances had not been clarified and urged the towns to act, saying, “we needed to put up or shut up because we petitioned them to open the facility.”

Town Manager Billings and board members repeatedly pressed INH for current financial statements and for a clear plan showing how municipal contributions would be used and whether the need would recur in subsequent years. Selectmen emphasized that any direct appropriation would need to be placed on a warrant for town meeting and that the board could not authorize ongoing annual support without voter approval.

Board members also discussed related housing needs raised by INH and community members, including whether municipal housing or other local projects could supply workforce housing to help staffing for the facility. Several Selectmen said they were open to exploring housing solutions but required firmer cost projections and documentation from INH before drafting a town-article proposal.

The Selectmen did not approve funding at the meetings recorded in the transcript; instead, they requested that INH provide updated financials, a petition or warrant language if they wished to pursue town meeting consideration, and clearer proposals for one-time versus recurring costs. The matter was left on the board’s agenda for follow-up and for presentation at future selectboard meetings.