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Comal County approves ESG renewal for Crisis Center as center seeks $200,000–$250,000 from county
Summary
The Comal County Commissioners approved the county's renewal application for Emergency Solutions Grant funding for the Crisis Center of Comal County and heard a public request for $200,000–$250,000 in county support for a capital campaign to rebuild and expand shelter capacity.
The Comal County Commissioners Court voted to approve the county's application for the 2025 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) to support shelter activities by the Crisis Center of Comal County, and during public comment the center's representatives asked the court to consider a separate $200,000–$250,000 contribution to a capital campaign to rebuild its facility.
The ESG renewal application was presented and approved as action agenda item number 3. Commissioner Webb moved to approve the application; Commissioner Crownover seconded the motion. The court voted for the motion by voice and the judge said the motion carried, and the court authorized the county judge to sign the application.
The request for county support came during the citizen-comment portion of the meeting. Janice Parsley, identified as a board member and chair of the capital campaign for the Crisis Center of Comal County, described survivors' needs and the planned expansion, saying, "Imagine escaping in the middle of the night, beaten and bruised with nothing but your children and the clothes on your back, only to find there's nowhere to go." Parsley asked the court to consider a $200,000 to $250,000 contribution to the center's "Beauty from Ashes" capital campaign.
Tiffany Verrett, chief development officer at the Crisis Center of Comal County, also addressed the court during the petition for county support and in support of the ESG renewal. "ESG is a vital resource that enables us to support some of the most vulnerable individuals and families in our community," Verrett said, asking commissioners to approve the ESG application so the center could "continue providing emergency shelter and rapid rehousing services." The court approved the ESG application and authorized the county judge to sign.
Parsley told the court the Crisis Center's building burned in 2022, forcing the agency to operate from temporary facilities for approximately three years while rebuilding. The center told commissioners the rebuilt facility would expand bed space from 24 to 90 and would add a dedicated sexual assault nurse examination room and transitional living services. The center stated the City of New Braunfels has committed $1,300,000 to the capital campaign and requested the county's contribution to complete fundraising.
The transcript included an unclear reference to the number of unduplicated clients served last year; the speaker's phrasing was garbled and a precise figure was not specified in the record. The ESG action approved by the court will allow the Crisis Center to continue emergency shelter and rapid rehousing activities through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs program for nonprofit organizations conducting ESG shelter activities.
The court’s action authorizes staff to submit and sign the ESG application; no county appropriation for the Crisis Center's capital campaign was approved during this meeting. Commissioners did not take a separate vote on Parsley’s capital-request during the session.
Looking ahead, any county funding decision for the capital campaign would require a separate agenda item and formal action by the Commissioners Court.
