Hays County Government Center consolidates county offices

"Just on the little diagonal between the Records Building, which was the county clerk, the Courthouse [and] the Courthouse Annex, where the tax assessor was, people were constantly back and forth asking, 'Which building did they point to?' You can't see one building from the other, so it was very confusing to people."

Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe has been at the center of the effort to consolidate government services since she took office in 1997.

"Committing to a plan took much longer than we anticipated," Ingalsbe said. "It's been 16 years ago that we told our department heads and elected officials that the old H-E-B building was only a temporary facility."

The $64 million, 232,000-square-foot facility came in under budget and was completed on time, she said.

"Even though this has been a very long—and, at times painful, process—it turns out that we've had some really good savings financially," she said. "Because of the economy, we've been able to come in with lower construction costs and material costs."

Many construction materials were locally sourced, reducing transportation emissions. The builders also used recycled content when possible.

Ingalsbe highlighted the fact that the county did not have to raise taxes to pay for the facility. Instead, commissioners set aside money in each budget for the building's construction.

"We have been in very inadequate facilities, both for our employees and the public regarding meeting and storage space, our parking and just the overall safety of our facilities," she said. "I'm really honored that I had the opportunity to lead this process, and I really believe that this facility is going to be one that we can all be proud of."

Moving days

All told, 390 people moved into the new center, with the district attorney's office moving the largest number, 43.

"The DA's office, we literally had boxes and filing cabinets stacked in the hallways," Hays County District Attorney Sherri Tibbe said. "There were a couple of hallways where only one person could walk down the hallway because of all the stuff we had stacked in the hallways."

One of the services provided by the DA's office is representation for victims of domestic violence.

"Prior to coming into this new building, our applicants would sometimes have to sit in a public hallway, waiting to come into our office. And once they even came into our office, they would have to conduct question-and-answers with our intake people in a hallway," Tibbe said. "It was right by our microwave and our coffee machine, so people would be heating up food and Brandy [Cox] would be there talking to people about protective orders.

"It really just did not seem like a courthouse," she said. "A courthouse should have a certain aura of authority around it, and it was difficult to have that in a converted grocery store. The county did the best that they could with the resources they had at the time. Nobody anticipated that it would take [this] long to get to where we are."

Tax Assessor-Collector Luanne Caraway has one of the most visible changes to a county office—a drive-thru.

"People love it. Having the drive-thru, it has been constant cars coming through. Busy, busy. We need another lane almost," Caraway said. "That's been the main thing for the handicapped and the elderly. The drive-thru is there for them."

At the drive-thru, residents may complete all business with the tax office except title transfers, Caraway said.

"[If] they need a handicapped placard, or they need to pay their taxes or renew their vehicle [registration]—it all can be done at the drive-thru," she said.

Transition period

The Government Center has required some adjustments on the part of both staff and visitors, mainly in regard to the security procedures.

Visitors must pass through a metal detector, and bags are scanned as they are at an airport. There is no pat-down, however, and visitors do not need to remove their shoes.

The usual slate of items is not allowed in the building. Visitors with prohibited items must return the items to their cars before passing through security.

Caraway said any confusion will end "once everybody gets used to the security in little old San Marcos, little old Hays County. They think we're still the country county, and we're not the country county."

Joyce Cowan, Hays County elections administrator, said the security measures will have to be navigated for early voting, which will be held at the facility.

"I have to work some things out with security. We can't go through the security that they have for voters. They can't deter voting," she said. "I understand the security to a certain extent, [but] I think there's some kinks that need to be worked out."

Another possible hurdle for visitors will be traffic-related. Making a left turn onto Wonder World Drive from Stagecoach Trail can often take several minutes.

The county and TxDOT are working together to install a traffic light at the intersection, but officials said it could take three months before that installation is complete.