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Hays County ponders government center in Wimberley
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 by Jacob Cottingham
The Hays County Commissioner’s Court on Tuesday got its first glimpse of the much-discussed
City Administrator Don Ferguson presented the converted church project, which would become a joint governmental center housing the Precinct 3 and Wimberley offices and designed to be a “one-stop shop for taxpayer services.”
The acquisition of the church would fit into the stated goal of
Among the public services, the proposal included a tax office, sheriff’s department evidence locker and station, offices for the precinct constable, county extension service, probation department, public health, Wimberley Fire Department,
Wimberley Crossroads, LLC, currently owns the property, but the congregation will be occupying the buildings until March of 2009. According to Commissioner Pct. 3 Will Conley, the broker is asking $2.4 million for the property and though the phase one inspection did not turn up “any red flags,” renovations would cost between $600,000 and $1 million. However, he said, it would be possible to move in right away, if needed.
Conley said the asking price had been $3 million and the appraisal was $2.7 million. He and
Under the proposal,
Pct. 2 Commissioner Jeff Barton liked the project and said, “I don’t have a problem fronting the money.” However, he cautioned that due to the financial situation, “we are in a difficult position.” Judge Liz Sumter was more direct, citing what she called a “fundamental question, ‘Does the Court want to be in the position of funding the entire project? If in the end, the partnership did dissolve, would you be comfortable with this?”
The commissioners declined to take action, and instead deferred a decision until hearing back from two other scheduled public hearings to take place on the project this week.
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