Comcare outlines Second Light renovation, asks county to cover 37.25% of $1.1M to expand mental‑health services
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Summary
Comcare told commissioners Second Light will provide mental‑health wraparound services and seeks Sedgwick County to fund 37.25% (about $409,000) of a $1.1 million renovation to create de‑escalation, telehealth and respite space; staff said the money would come from CCBHC fee revenue, not general property tax dollars, and Comcare will return when private partner commitments are secured.
Chantelle Westbrook, with Comcare, told the commission on Jan. 6 that Second Light’s operations are expanding and that county support is requested to finish first-floor renovations enabling mental‑health services on site. "The facility houses a 170 for shelter, and then during the winter months, an additional 125 for overnight shelter," Westbrook said, and she described two positions funded through a Mental Health Association partnership — a clinical therapist and a case manager — that will begin Jan. 19.
Scope and funding: Staff described a proposed $1.1 million renovation of the First Floor at 1025 North Main (the former Park Elementary). Comcare requested the county pay 37.25% of that renovation (about $409,000) to create a de‑escalation room, two meeting/telehealth rooms and a 25% portion of respite space. Comcare said private partners (health systems and donors) are expected to provide the remaining funds, but those commitments remain unsecured and conversations with Via Christi, Wesley and private benefactors are ongoing.
Why it matters: County leadership and Comcare framed the renovation as central to offering on‑site behavioral health services that complement shelter operations. County staff emphasized these funds would come from CCBHC fee‑generated revenue and not from general property‑tax dollars; finance reported a related fund balance of roughly $30.9 million as of Sept. 30, 2025, which includes fee revenue and approximately $12 million in grant funding.
Operational and governance points: Comcare and staff said operations at Second Light will be run under an operating agreement (Comcare has entered into a partnership agreement with Second Light), and the county’s requested contribution is a one‑time payment for construction; staff reported no long‑term county maintenance obligation was identified during the meeting. Commissioners asked for clarity on future obligations, and staff said those items would be clarified in any funding agreement or resolution brought forward.
Next steps: Staff said construction documents need to be completed and private funding commitments clarified before the county returns an item for formal Board of County Commissioners approval; Second Light’s construction was expected to make the facility available for more services by March, and the county’s contribution would be part of a standard new‑business agenda item when presented for approval.
