PINEVILLE -- McDonald County recently purchased the old U.S. Bank building, located at 408 Harmon Street in Pineville, as well a property located at the junction of EE and Business 71. The County will renovate the building on 408 Harmon Street, moving offices from the courthouse to the renovated building. The property located at the junction of EE and Business 71 will eventually be home to the new McDonald County Health Department.
Kimberly Bell, 50, is the McDonald County Clerk. Bell said moving offices to a separate building as well as building a new health department increases public safety.
"As far as purchasing those buildings or property, it's not going to impact the county or Pineville financially at all," Bell said. "What it will do is increase our ability to keep the public safe."
Bell said she believes covid-19 jump-started the purchase of these properties because it became evident that the McDonald County Health Department lacked space, as well as the McDonald County Courthouse.
"With covid last year, we were kind of caught off-guard," Bell said. "I say 'we,' the health department, the county, was a little caught off-guard on the magnitude of that situation."
The U.S. Bank building, a 4,300 square foot building and parking lot, was purchased by McDonald County for $90,000. The property price for the upcoming McDonald County Health Department has yet to be released to the public due to seller preference.
Jamey Cope, Eastern Commissioner, said there is not a set start date for building the new McDonald County Health Department due to the current increased price of construction. Cope said renovating the U.S. Bank building offers a similar situation, with the cost of renovation being higher than usual. Cope said some of the renovations to take place in the old U.S. Bank building include moving and adding walls, painting, and installing a new roof, which is set to be replaced within the next few weeks.
"It's obvious the county is growing; it's obvious the county is going to continue to grow," Cope said. "We're going to see some growth, and with growth, you have to have more room to accommodate that, so that's a lot of what we're planning on."
Cope said one misconception about property purchases on behalf of McDonald County is what tax dollars pay for projects such as these. Cope said McDonald County, a Class 3 county, works with sales tax, not property tax.
"People don't realize their property taxes do not benefit the county," Cope said. "Ninety-seven percent of that goes strictly to the school district. If people will shop locally in McDonald County, and pay more sales tax, we would be able to do more for them."
Paige Behm, administrator of the McDonald County Health Department, said the new health department will allow for expansion. Behm said the new building will provide room for a drive-through, more parking, more exam rooms, and a larger lobby. Behm said vaccines, such as the covid and flu vaccine, can be administered in the drive-through.
"We just don't have the capacity here [current health department] to accommodate more than 10 or 20 people at a time," Behm said. "That really helped us to realize that we've got to do something when the opportunity arises."
Behm said the new building will be a blessing, Behm said she feels that she will be able to better serve the community once the new health department is built.
"It is just such a blessing to be able to accommodate people in a more professional and convenient environment," Behm said. "I think McDonald County deserves that. Our residents deserve a nice health department that is just convenient for them."
It has yet to be decided what will happen with the current health department once the new McDonald County Health Department is completed, Cope said the county will likely find a purpose for the building.
