Hays County Food Bank requests $1.2 million for new facility

Hays County Food Bank, Inc. has requested approximately $1.2 million in American Rescue Plan  Funding to address growing food insecurity in Hays County.

The Hays County Commissioners Court will hear a presentation regarding HCFB’s request for ARPA funding during Tuesday’s meeting.

HCFB — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in 1984 — seeks to upgrade its existing 2,250 square foot facility to a 15,000 to 30,000 square foot facility on its four-acre property located by The Village of San Marcos.

The Village is a $4 million, 22,000 square foot facility housing four social service organizations and serving more than 30,000 Hays County residents.

The share of Texas households experiencing food insecurity increased from 13% in December 2018 to 22% in June 2021, and HCFB saw an average of 700 households utilizing its services each week in FY2021, according to the ARPA funds proposal packet.

“Through a subrecipient agreement for the amount of $1,188,000, HFCB will be able to hire a consultant, perform a feasibility study, and construct a [15,000 or 30,000]square foot facility to address increased food insecurity in Hays County. $88,000 for the professional services and $1,100,000 for construction,” the packet reads.

Broken down, the estimated construction cost is $250-310 per square foot. The total project cost is estimated between $3,838,000 and $9,388,000.

Commissioners will hear three other ARPA funds presentations at Tuesday’s meeting.

The first presentation comes from Wimberley EMS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity with a service area of more than 150 square miles of western Hays County.

Wimberley EMS has requested $242,157 to add another ambulance to its emergency vehicle fleet.

According to the Wimberley EMS Ambulances ARPA SLFRF Project packet, Wimberley EMS currently operates two Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances (24/7), one backup (three total), and 14 full-time paramedics.

Wimberley EMS identified several constraints with its current emergency vehicle fleet, including excess mileage on fleet vehicles by traveling to underserved areas and faster deteriorating equipment due to longer response times.

Another 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Friends of the Pound House (FPH), is asking for $89,900 to mitigate FPH’s financial hardship from pandemic-related revenue loss.

Due to decreased revenue, FPH has had to put on hold repairs to restore the farmstead’s irrigation system, crucial to maintaining its historic grounds, according to the ARPA SLRF Project packet.

FPH raises funds to restore and maintain the Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead, a state landmark and museum about the life and times of Dr. Pound, his family and descendants. Dr. Pound settled present day Dripping Springs back in 1854-1855 and became the first doctor in Hays County.

The last funding request is from the Maxwell Special Utility District (SUD).

Maxwell SUD has requested $50,000 for a 200kw generator to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 3, a bill passed following the February 2021 winter storm that left more than 200,000 Texans without operational water systems.

SB 3 requires water utilities to develop and implement emergency preparedness plans to keep their services operating during an extended power outage, according to the ARPA SLFRF Maxwell Special Utility District Project packet.

Roads discussions occupy a large part of the Commissioners Court agenda this week, with the commissioners set to discuss and take possible action to authorize an Advanced Funding Agreement (AFA) with TxDOT relating to the county’s RM 3237 Phase 2 project between RM 12 and RM 150.

Safety improvements to these intersection locations are part of the County’s 2016 Road Bond Program in cooperation with TxDOT.

Hays County would contribute an estimated $2,108,000 under the agreement, which would “memorialize the roles and responsibilities of TxDOT and Hays County for the proposed improvements under Phase 2,” according to the agenda item summary.

Phase 2 improvements include the addition of two-way center turn lanes, left turn lanes, and shoulder widenings at various intersection locations on RM 3237 between RM 12 and RM 150.

Hays County has moved forward with the project development of the RM 3237 Phase 2 safety improvements, including engineering and environmental clearance. Execution of the AFA would allow these phases to be completed and favorably position the project for Hays County to seek construction funding through CAMPO or other funding opportunities as they arise, the item summary states.

In other business, the commissioners will consider a Professional Services Agreement for improving ADA accessibility at the Hays County Government Center.

Commissioners will consider an agreement with HDR Architecture, Inc. to develop schematics for ADA modifications to building and employee entrances and two district courtrooms.

The amount proposed in the agreement is $49,995 and would come from the Civil Courts Building Fund and Infrastructure Improvement Fee Fund.

The commissioners court meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Hays County Historic Courthouse located at 111 E. San Antonio St.

Those looking to participate in public comments can submit a public participation/witness form to the county clerk before 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

For those not attending the meeting but are still wishing to submit public comments to be read during commissioners court, visit the Hays County website to fill out and submit a PDF form to publiccomments@co.hays.tx.us no later than 5 p.m. the evening prior to a commissioners court meeting.

To view the full meeting agenda or watch the commissioner court livestream, visit https://hayscountytx.com/commissioners-court/court-video.