Board approves $462,000 purchase of Oakhurst property intended for behavioral health facility

The Madera County Board of Supervisors approved a $462,000 purchase July 15 for property at 5 Junction Drive in Oakhurst that county staff said will serve as the proposed site for a behavioral health facility.

Yvonne Kopika of General Services told the board the county negotiated the purchase after an appraisal of $442,000 and an earlier asking price of $475,000. "We were able to negotiate a purchasing price of $462,000," Kopika said.

Nut graf: County staff said the purchase is intended to support a behavioral health project for which the county plans to apply to the California Department of Health Care Services's Behavioral Health Infrastructure Program (BHI-BIP). Administration and Behavioral Health are developing the application, due in October; staff said the county may count the property purchase toward the program match and that Behavioral Health has trust-account funds to cover shortfalls if the grant award is partial or denied.

Behavioral Health director Christine Das told the board that, if needed, funds from the department's trust account could be used to cover shortfalls and that county administration, General Services and Behavioral Health are collaborating on the application. The board discussed timing: staff said the purchase option had expired and ownership was intended to strengthen the county's grant competitiveness.

Ending: The resolution and transfer of appropriations were approved on a 4-0 roll-call vote. Staff will continue to develop the DHCS grant application and, if successful, seek funding to build a behavioral health facility on the acquired site.