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Burke County approves purchase, grant-backed contracts for facility-based crisis center
Summary
Burke County commissioners voted 5–0 to approve acquisition of property at 722 East Union and to accept grant-funded contracts to establish a facility-based crisis center intended to expand behavioral health urgent care and crisis stabilization services.
Burke County commissioners voted unanimously to approve a board-requested package of actions intended to create a facility-based crisis center in Morganton.
The board approved three motions: authorization to purchase real property at 722 East Union Street for use as a facility-based treatment center, approval of contracts with Partners Health Management funded by a grant the county has secured, and adoption of a capital project ordinance to move the project forward. The votes on each motion were recorded as 5–0.
County staff described the financing as centered on a $6.5 million grant available specifically for Burke County. County management said the grant would be used to acquire the site (about 2.2 acres), rehabilitate roughly 6,500 square feet of existing building and add program space, and to support clinical services operated by a private partner. During the presentation the manager said the purchase price discussed was approximately $865,000; the motion as read for approval listed $870,000. The manager emphasized there is no local match required for the $6.5 million award.
The manager described the center as a piece of an expanding recovery ecosystem the county has been building with opioid-settlement and other local funds. He said the facility would provide a stabilization and triage function — behavioral health urgent care and crisis detox — and would be operated by private clinical partners, not run long term by county government. He framed the purchase as filling a local gap: “there’s not an asset like this really in our region,” and said the site could provide a clearer entry point into treatment and recovery services.
Commissioners moved three separate actions on the item: (1) approve purchase of real property (motion carried 5–0); (2) approve contracts between Partners Health Management and Burke County (motion carried 5–0); and (3) adopt capital project budget ordinance number 2026‑03 to fund the project (motion carried 5–0). The transcript records the contract total and ordinance amount in the motion as “6,53,541” (see clarifying details); staff said they will review and finalize financial details and programmatic contracts at the work session and in follow-up paperwork.
Next steps: staff and the county manager indicated they will return with more program-level detail at the board’s work session and will complete closing documentation following board authorization. The board moved into closed session later in the meeting where land acquisition and contractual matters were listed among the topics to be discussed.
Actions recorded: county motioned to purchase the property, to approve contracts with Partners Health Management, and to adopt project ordinance 2026‑03. All three motions passed by recorded voice vote 5–0.
