All communities are looking for good health care, and in fall 2007 the expanded Kishwaukee Community Hospital will provide just that. But it comes with a sobering price tag.

“This is a $100-200 million project and we have many sources where this money is coming from,” Brad Copple said, an administrator at Kishwaukee Community Hospital.

Tax exemption is covering $60 million, while an additional $30 million boost will come from the hospital’s cash reserves. The remainder will be provided by ongoing operations, Copple said.

Some residents were concerned the cost of health care at the new hospital would rise sharply, since everything will be upgraded and all patient rooms will be private.

Copple said they’re currently asking other hospitals what their private room prices are, and they will match those prices.

“It is going to be a blended rate, the costs will not be higher,” Copple said.

Since the size of the hospital is greatly increasing, it will have to staff more physicians, and some residents expressed concern with the experience of having new physicians.

“It is very important to us that we recruit and retain quality physicians adding to depth of our medical community,” Copple said.

Another big ticket item passed with little fanfare:

The city of Sycamore will join with BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois to insure its city employees and retirees. It is 4.9 percent more expensive than last year’s plan but the city’s broker attained that figure by bartering it down from an 11.2 percent increase.

It’s a safeguard that “reduces out of pocket costs,” City Manager Bill Nicklas said.