Hays County Discusses COVID Relief Funds Allocation, Mobile Testing Sites

Corridor Staff

On Tuesday, the Hays County Commissioners Court discussed how they would allocate the first 20% of the $4.8 million of the Coronavirus Relief Funds.

The allocation was sparked from a recent announcement that state-supported COVID-19 testing sites are coming to an end in August.

According to Emergency Management Coordinator, Alex Villalobos, CPL, the lab supporting state testing efforts, has temporarily closed in order to catch up on processing tests.

CPL, like large labs across the region, are backlogged and still processing first responder tests; the lab hopes to reopen next week but is currently limiting the number of tests for citizens.

“It has really put us in a bind with them being closed down for general public testing,” Tammy Crumley, Director of Operations, said. “As far as the total number of tests we have 251 of the 1300 tests remaining.”

Crumley said the county will have to replace tests for the health department soon.

Villalobos said he is looking into potential partnerships between the county and private medical providers like Premier ER and others to supplement testing on behalf of the Texas Department of Emergency Management.

“We see the demand for testing, and we’re going to have the same demand if not a greater demand for testing especially once university students arrive here in a week or two,” Commissioner Lon Shell.

Villalobos said the county is going to have to figure out how to effectively test and maintain that and manage those resources.

“I think that one of the ways that we’re able to do that is to provide an opportunity for us to deploy mobile testing sites,” Villalobos said, “Partnered with local private organizations that can do the testing.”

Villalobos suggested deploying up to four moveable buildings, which could be used for testing sites and later vaccines or isolation facilities.

Villalobos said the mobile sites could be deployed in phases, which would allow the county to potentially “pull back” on the number of buildings they asked for.

Commissioner Walt Smith said he believed mobile testing sites would be a positive thing for the county, but he was concerned that over time the mobility of these particular proposed buildings would become an additional expense.

Villalobos noted if the county wanted to implement a rent, utility or mortgage assistance program, they would have to reduce the number of mobile buildings they procured.

According to the Auditor’s Office, the county will have to receive permission from TDEM and the federal level to use CARES funding to purchase something long term for other uses; they will have to substantiate that there is not a more cost-effective route.

The county will have to develop a plan for what the pods will be used for and do a lease vs purchase analysis.

Staff said the county will simply have to show that the pods are not a temporary solution.

Commissioners approved the acceptance of the initial 20% of ($966,152) Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) for COVID-19 Response and Recovery efforts.