A local government corporation will be formed to operate the long-discussed sobriety center for the county and city of Austin, Travis County Commissioners Court decided Tuesday. Here are three things to know about what the court approved: 1. The county and city have been considering establishing a sobriety center that could open in 2017, which would aim to provide an alternative to the emergency room and jail for publicly intoxicated residents of Austin and Travis County to sober up. A working group has recommended that the sobriety center be located in the Travis County Medical Examiner building, which is located at 1213 Sabine St., Austin. That location will be evaluated 5 years after it opens. 2. The governing body formed through the court's approval will help guide staffing, management and spending. During its first 10 years, the sobriety center is slated to have total expenditures of $23 million. The city of Austin will cover about 78 percent of that cost, while the rest will be paid for by the county, according to county documents. The governing corporation will also have to comply with the state's Open Meetings Act and the Public Information Act. 3. The court approved the items 4-0-1. Commissioner Ron Davis abstained from voting. Commissioner Gerald Daugherty said he is supporting the sobriety center because it has potential to make needed changes in the community, including keeping people out of the emergency room. “I really think that this has the potential to save us money at the same time [as] helping people that, quite frankly, do need help,” Daugherty said. The court also approved appointments to the center's board of directors.