After a 30-minute executive session at Thursday morning’s meeting, the Brownwood City Council approved an agreement with Brown County for renovation, construction, ownership, and operation of the City of Brownwood / Brown County Health Department, which is moving to a new location at 305 Booker Street.

“The agreement for the construction and the operations of the Brownwood / Brown County Health Department was approved by the County Commissioners on Monday, so we were reviewing that agreement and some changes that had been made with the City Council, and the Council did approve the agreement this morning,” said Brownwood City Manager Emily Crawford.

After a one-hour executive session during Monday’s meeting of the County Commissioners, the Commissioners discussed the matter with Crawford, City Attorney Pat Chesser, and Health Department Director Lisa Dick. The Commissioners were hesitant to agree to a higher cost, explaining that ARPA funds were exhausted, and the current County budget had no extra money.

Crawford and Chesser explained that the construction project in the new building will take at least 290 days, and the County could pay the additional $235,562 after the new budget year begins on October 1, 2024. With that understanding, the Commissioners approved the extra funds for the Health Department by a vote of 4-0.

The County originally budgeted $600,000 for the renovations, but both entities will now share a cost of $835,562.

“The total construction cost is $1,671,152 and that will be for the renovation of over 13,000 square feet for the health department office spaces and public spaces as well as storage space at the back of the building,” Crawford said following Thursday’s City Council meeting. “That is being shared 50 percent by both the County and the City. There will be no rent payable by either of the entities. It is a City owned building but there will be no additional rent charged as long as the health department is in that facility.”