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Commissioners approve HHS building reconfiguration to prioritize privacy and county services on main floor
Summary
After a multi‑hour presentation and public comment, the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt option 2 for reconfiguring the Health & Human Services building, consolidating Board of Health services on the main floor while placing WIC on the second floor to protect privacy for STI/HIV testing.
The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt option 2 for reconfiguring the county Health and Human Services (HHS) building, a plan county staff said balances public access for county services with privacy needs for public‑health programs.
Public Works Director Gene Legurski and HR Director Gary McLean presented three schemes for reassigning offices, explaining tradeoffs between putting all county services on the first floor and maintaining private clinical space for confidential services. Kim Lionberger, who identified herself as director of the HHS building utilization options and a registered nurse, urged commissioners to favor options that preserved privacy for STI/HIV testing and counseling: “Option 1 as submitted would cause significant disruption, to our day to day operations in regards to providing discreet confidential services to those residents that come to us for STI HIV testing and counseling,” she told the commission (SEG 072–079).
Legurski outlined the practical differences: option 1 would place WIC on the suite with private restrooms but force clients to traverse public space to reach private stalls, while options 2 and 3 aggregate Board of Health programs together and preserve private restroom access. Staff recommended option 2, which would put the county clerk and treasurer service window in a first‑floor suite designed for high‑volume, short‑duration transactions and leave WIC in a larger second‑floor area that better supports breastfeeding and family programming. “Option 2 would be the recommendation, given given those factors,” Legurski said (SEG 1916–1917).
Commissioner Richards moved to approve option 2 and Commissioner Jones seconded; the motion carried on a unanimous voice vote. Commissioners authorized staff to move forward with design details and to work with the county attorney and WIC on agreements and the timetable for transposition. Staff said they will return to the board with cost estimates and implementation steps once preliminary agreements and minor remodel plans are ready.
