Marshall County Council backs health department purchase of Bowen Building

Marshall County Council members voted to support a plan to acquire the Bowen Building at 990 Illinois Street so the Marshall County Health Department can relocate preventive services there.

The council’s recommendation cleared the way for the health department to contribute $250,000 toward the purchase and to reserve $100,000 for maintenance and upgrades; the county agreed to cover a remaining $200,000 through a multi‑year arrangement, subject to a clear title transfer into county ownership.

Stan Klotz, District 1 Marshall County Commissioner, introduced the proposal as a joint project between the county and the health department, saying the plan would use “the new health department health funds that they’re gonna put up basically $350,000. $250,000 would be down payment on the building. The county would assume and then a 100,000 for some maintenance and some upgrades.”

Sandy Dunphy, administrator at the Marshall County Health Department, described the space and build‑out already completed at the Bowen Center and said the department has sought space for about four years: “We sometimes we would find space, but then the cost of the build out was, you know, what would hold us up. So when this opportunity presented itself, I mean, it was hard for me to just not drool all over the floor when we went there the first time.”

Klotz said his proposal was to offer $450,000 for the building; he reported two appraisals he recalled at about $960,000 and $980,000 and said Bowen Center contact Jay Baumgartner had indicated the center would allow the county to carry the last $200,000 with no interest for a period so the county could pay it back over several years.

Council members asked questions about title transfer, liens and deferred maintenance. One council member said it was important the property be in the county’s name before any county-funded improvements are made; Klotz confirmed those conditions would be handled during negotiation and said staff (Sean Cerise) would start negotiations if the council gave a favorable recommendation.

Klotz and other speakers discussed possible payment schedules; the council and health department discussed using Health First Indiana funds to cover the health department’s contribution and the possibility of allocating up to 10% of those funds annually for capital expenses. Klotz summarized the motion on the floor as: have the health department pay $250,000 for the building, reserve $100,000 of health‑department funding for repairs/renovations, and have the county provide the $200,000 balance over a four‑year payback, with the title placed in the county’s name.

A motion carrying those terms passed by voice vote; the meeting record does not show a roll‑call tally. The council directed that negotiations and contract drafting proceed and that any final financial approval return to the council for formal appropriation and advertising as required.

Next steps identified in the meeting included having county staff (Sean Cerise) work with the Bowen Center attorney on purchase documents, getting HVAC and building condition quotes, and returning to the council with formal appropriation language and a final purchase contract for approval.