Commissioners move forward with renovations
Milam County Commissioners are moving forward with renovations at the old Professional Building at the hospital.
Commissioners elected to move forward with more extensive plans for renovations on the 9,000-square-foot professional building located on the old Cameron hospital complex during a meeting Oct. 13.
Milam County Judge Steve Young said asbestos abatement has been completed on the building at a cost of $110,000.
“We decided some time ago to use the COVID funds we have to renovate the former professional building,” Young said.
The building has three parts. Young said the urgent care would be put in the north building.
“This building as built in 1974,” Young said. “We had it inspected and they said there was asbestos. We hired a firm out of Houston for that. Turns out there was a lot more in the building than had been reported to us. The tile on the floor was glued with asbestos, some of the walls were built on top of the tile, so we had to take out the walls. Good news is that since they had to take out a lot of stuff it will save us money on demolition.”
Young said he sees the rest of the building being used for the County Health Department in the future.
The county previously approved a basic plan to renovate the building, but needed approval to move forward with more extensive plans that will accommodate the needs of a medical care facility to include hazardous waste disposal, radiation protection, and other electrical needs.
Young said he has asked the Texas Division of Emergency Management for an extension to get this project done while using CARES Act grant funding to pay for it. That extension has been tentatively approved.
“We have $610,000,” Young said. “Seventy-five percent of that money must be used on medical. The original guidelines said that if you undertake a project you have to be finished by Dec. 30. That has changed, which is good.”
Young said since the county has entered into a contract and the failure to complete the project before the Dec. 30 deadline will not effect the funding.
“At the end of the day we have to go forward or forget about it,” Young said. “We do have quite a bit of funding available and if we don’t use it we send it back.”
Young said the county has about $500,000 of the COVID funds left to spend on this project and funds from the City of Cameron and the City of Buckholts will also be used for the project. Total funds for the project are about $740,000.
The county has used about $49,000 of those funds for the COVID testing going on throughout the county. They have tested about 460 people. Young said the cost through the end of December will be around $100,000. He said the county has spent $110,000 of the COVID funding so far.
Commissioners also learned they could hear final approval on their request for a $4.7 million grant to pay for renovations to the former hospital building itself by the end of the year. The county plans to use in-kind work in lieu of paying a $1 million match to get the grant funds.
In other business commissioners also: approved a resolution proclaiming Domestic Violence Awareness month; presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Terryn Adams who is leaving the Tax Office to join the US Navy; approved utility; and moved to convey property held in trust to get it back on the tax roll.
The court also entered into executive session to discuss personnel matters related to the arrest of Community Supervision and Community Service coordinator Roy Willard last week, the county tabled any action. The Judge did say that Willard has already been suspended with pay for the time being.