Sobriety center nearing the light of day

Thanks to a higher power, Austin’s sobriety center is mere steps away from formally pulling itself together. On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted 4-0-1 to approve the bylaws of the local government corporation that will operate the center. Another 4-0-1 vote approved the county’s inaugural appointees to the board that will oversee that corporation. The Downtown Austin Alliance’s William Brice, attorneys Craig Moore and Jana Ortega, and Judge Nancy Hohengarten will join four other appointees selected by the city of Austin. Attorney Andy Brown – who chaired the committee that laid the groundwork for the sobriety center – will serve as the designated joint appointee by the city and county. Once the corporation is able to walk on its own, it will hash out an interlocal agreement with the county and the city, which should be the last major bureaucratic hurdle. After that, it will only be a matter of time before the Medical Examiner’s Office building at West 12th and Sabine streets becomes available for the center to set up shop.