Members of the hospital board at St. John’s Health are appealing to the county to support the Gill project south of town in the interest of seeing more housing for local workers become available. In a letter sent out this week to the planning commission and county commissioners, Hospital Board Trustee and Finance Chair Scott Gibson wrote, “63% of St Johns workforce live in Teton county. That equates to 479 employees. 60 of those employees are already over the age of 60, and with average turnover rate, we anticipate that within the next three years we will need 160 housing units within Teton county.” Keeping employees in the valley, he points out, is critical so that staff that can respond rapidly to the hospital emergencies regardless of weather conditions. Trustee Debby Hopkins added, “We believe the Gill Project represents a responsible approach to allow us to make progress swiftly. Core to their plans is the commitment to have 65% of the homes deed restricted for Teton County workers (hospital employees, first responders, school teachers) and includes 30-40 lots donated to Habitat for Humanity.” So far, county staff has recommended denial of the Gill project.
