The Hays County Commissioners Court agreed to allocate $44,444.81 to the Lyndon B. Johnson Museum of San Marcos for interior and exterior repairs at the regular meeting on Oct. 5.
Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe said that there has been some work done on the building, which is a county-owned facility, but there are some remaining issues that need to be addressed in order for the building to look presentable.
The paint, concrete and columns of the building are among the issues that will be worked on and completed with the money requested from the manager of the museum.
Indigent population health care funding
The commissioners agreed to continue its annual agreement with Christus Santa Rosa Hospital in San Marcos to provide $2,000,000 for indigent population health care costs.
“We’ve been doing this, I believe, for 11 years now. These costs cover the expenses related to indigent [population] care throughout the county,” Commissioner Lon Shell said.
Shell said the care covered by these funds is available at the Christus Santa Rosa Hospital and at the Live Oak Health Partners Community Clinic for all residents in Hays County.
“It’s a wonderful program, judge, and I just hope that we can continue on with it. I know there’s been talk about it going away, so fingers crossed,” Ingalsbe said.
Animal shelter update
In response to a request for funding from the previous meeting on Sep. 21, the commissioners court approved a request for qualifications to perform a study in order to determine the feasibility of building a centralized regional animal shelter. With the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter over capacity, community members have requested assistance to tackle the issue.
“Anything that we can do to come together and have a better facility and [an] adoption facility is long overdue, and I’m certainly in support of us moving forward,” Ingalsbe said.
Judge Ruben Becerra said that his biggest hope for this project is to keep it moving forward so it does not “die on the vine.” He hopes the community and neighboring municipalities can participate in the study so there can be a solution for the issue at hand, not just a band-aid.
The next commissioners court meeting is on Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. at the Hays County Historical Courthouse, 111 E. San Antonio St., San Marcos.
