Polk County expects to finalize this week the purchase of the building, located at 94 White Drive in Columbus, planned as the new home of the county’s mental health services.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners approved a budget amendment Monday, June 6 to allow for the purchase. The amendment was approved by a 3-2 vote, with commissioners Ted Owens and Tom Pack voting against it.
Owens and Pack also voted against the purchase of the building, which was approved on May 2, 2011.
Paperwork for the purchase is expected to be completed and the closing held by the end of the week, June 17. The total price of $110,583 includes the purchase and closing costs.The property includes a house on 9/10 of an acre, currently owned by Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry.
Polk County’s budget amendment to pay the $110,583 for the new mental health services building specified $83,098 be taken from the county’s mental health fund and $30,485 from the county’s undesignated capital reserve fund balance.
Family Preservation Services currently provides mental health services for Polk County and has for the past five years. In May, the county approved a 10-year agreement with Family Preservation to provide mental health services in the building. Family Preservation agreed to provide approximately $40,000 of renovations to the building.
Under the 10-year lease agreement with Family Preservation, Polk County will provide the building, pay for utilities and handle outside maintenance. Family Preservation agreed to renovate and maintain the interior, including providing cleaning services.
The county’s mental health services are currently located in the Jervey-Palmer building in Tryon, which the county is trying to vacate.
The only other county service located in the Jervey-Palmer building is the department of social services (DSS). A new DSS building is under construction off Wolverine Trail in Mill Spring. The new DSS building is scheduled to be complete in August, with the county planning to move DSS services to the new building in September.
Polk County Manager Ryan Whitson said in May that the county hopes to have the Jervey-Palmer building completely vacated by the end of Oct. 2011.