Collier County approves amended land and naming agreements for David Lawrence behavioral health center after contentious debate

The Collier County Board of County Commissioners voted 3–2 on June 10 to approve an amendment to a vacant land contract and an amendment to a naming-rights agreement with the David Lawrence Center, clearing the way to construct an 87‑bed central receiving facility and to clarify permitted uses of naming‑rights revenue.

The vote follows a multiyear review and extensive public comment. Commissioners and staff debated project scope, operating shortfalls, donor commitments and whether the location adjacent to the existing David Lawrence Center was the best choice.

County Community and Human Services Director Christy Sontag told commissioners that the operating agreement requires that Collier County be allowed to audit records related to the central receiving facility and that the David Lawrence Center "must maintain accounting, operating, and administrative controls." Sontag said the county has set aside $460,000 per year for capital replacement and that the county’s locally mandated 25% match for mental‑health and substance‑abuse services remains the county’s statutory obligation.

Scott Burgess, CEO of David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health, told the board the center will maintain 33 permanent crisis beds at its Bathy Lane campus and open 87 new central‑receiving beds, for a combined total of 120 crisis beds. Burgess said the projected per‑bed construction cost for the central receiving facility is about $644,000, "which is below the low range for behavioral health in this range," and he cited the center’s recent fundraising track record and pledges to help cover capital needs.

Opponents, including neighborhood speakers and several public commenters, urged the board to reissue the project for competitive proposals and to get clearer, written donor commitments before approving county obligations. Penelope Hayes, speaking on behalf of nearby residents, said the project scope and cost had shifted repeatedly and argued the county should require a fresh request‑for‑proposals. "The math has collapsed," Hayes said, citing differences between earlier and current bed and cost figures.

Commissioners pressed both staff and the David Lawrence Center on the operating pro forma and contingency plans if revenue sources fall short. Sontag said the operating agreement allows the David Lawrence Center to request operational deficit funding from the county only after the center has sought other revenue sources; the board may approve, deny or change levels of service, and termination grounds are included if the county declines to fund shortfalls.

After discussion the board approved the amendments with a 3–2 vote. No vote roll call with individual names tied to yes/no was recorded in the staff summary provided in the transcript; the clerk’s office minutes will record the formal roll call. The approved documents include the operating agreement exhibit that specifies bed counts, reporting, audit rights, and the requirement that permanently licensed crisis beds at Bathy Lane be maintained unless the board approves a change.

The board recessed for lunch after the vote; staff and David Lawrence Center representatives said they will continue community outreach and that construction planning will move forward under the county’s construction‑management oversight.

County management and DLC representatives emphasized that additional funding sources — philanthropic pledges ($1.27 million cited during the meeting), opioid settlement funds and previously budgeted county allocations — are expected to reduce the county’s share of operations and capital costs. But staff and the center acknowledged a projected operational shortfall in out years and described the pro forma assumptions and fundraising plan as the basis for moving forward.