HENDERSON COUNTY–Commissioners’ Court of Henderson County voted Sept. 13 to approve giving $1.4 million of the county’s federal COVID relief funding to UT Health East Texas-Athens.
A portion of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the county received will go toward a Henderson County COVID-19 Public Health Expenditure Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding with the hospital.
County Grants Coordinator Jessica Brown said the agreement utilizes part of the county’s ARPA funding to assist UT Health with COVID-related medical expenses.
“Being a county of our size and having what we do here is not the norm,” County Judge Wade McKinney said, “and the partnership that Henderson County has with UT Health East Texas is greatly appreciated. This is a little different from the previous contract that we did, given the fact that we had to be very specific in the items that we fund.”
McKinney added that the agreement “will clear the way” for the county to be able to give $1.4 million to UT Health East Texas-Athens for COVID response.
Added Precinct 3 Commissioner Chuck McHam, “This is something we did about halfway through COVID and it’s taken this long to figure out how to work around all the things that we had to do to properly use that ARPA money. I’m glad we’re finally getting to this point. I’m sure the hospital is, also.”
In other business, the court:
• Approved an out-of-state travel request by the Henderson County AgriLife Extension Office to attend as a presenter the 4-H National Volunteer Conference Oct. 6-9 in Georgia.
• Approved property tax collections agreements between Henderson County and the City of Payne Springs and Henderson County Levee District No. 3.
• Approved a right-of-way permit for Bethel-Ash Water Supply Corp. to bore under County Road 3507.
• Approved the payment of fiscal year 2022 bills in the amount of $243,546.32.