Chair approves $525,000 purchase of downtown building for juvenile probation

The Erath County Commissioner’s Court approved a $525,000 purchase contract Friday for a downtown Green Street building to house the county juvenile probation office, the court chair said.

The purchase, the chair said, is contingent on an appraisal and is scheduled to close on June 1 if the appraisal supports the contract price. The chair described the acquisition as a way to stop recurring rent payments and to secure an appreciating county asset.

The chair introduced agenda Item 3, saying the county had negotiated the potential purchase for a building in downtown Stephenville and that the contract was in front of the court. He told commissioners the property was publicly listed and that keeping the address confidential during negotiations helped the county secure a better price. The chair said, “We have a contract in front of us, for a price of 525,000.”

He identified the intended use as a permanent location for juvenile probation services, saying the building would replace a house the program currently uses, provide adequate office space and flexible rooms for future growth, and include a private secure interview room to keep juveniles separate from adults. The chair said contractors had performed preliminary inspections — including a look at the roof — and gave an initial all-clear.

The chair outlined the financial rationale: the county pays roughly $2,100 a month in rent for the juvenile probation location and, according to him, buying a property would stop that recurring expense and create an asset that could later be sold or repurposed if the county builds a new justice center. He said, “we would quit throwing away money on rent.”

The chair told the court the contract includes an appraisal contingency: if the appraisal does not support the contract price, the county would recover its earnest money and the contract would be void. He said the county would receive the appraisal and enter it into the record.

The court recorded a motion to approve the purchase contract; the chair stated, “I’ll make a motion that we, I guess, purchased the real estate property in Green Street.” The chair then said, “I second.” The chair later summarized the record as a motion by Commissioner Ray, second by Commissioner Edwards, to approve the purchase contract in the amount of $525,000. He called for a voice vote; ayes were heard and he declared the motion approved.

The chair said he would work with the realtor to sign documents and would distribute the appraisal to the court once it was received. He also said there was no need to go into executive session on the matter.

The transcript includes two different street-number references for the property: during discussion the chair referred to the building as at “240 West Green Street,” while the motion recorded the address as “2240 West Green Street.” The court record should be consulted to confirm the correct legal address before closing.

After the vote, the chair briefly checked on the county burn ban status, noted there was no new business, reminded commissioners of a Monday public hearing and meeting, and adjourned the special session.

Next procedural steps: the county will obtain and circulate the appraisal and complete closing paperwork if the appraisal supports the contract price.