Hamilton County commissioners waived a rule Wednesday that would have complicated efforts to sell the county health department building and build a replacement near Engel Stadium.
In a news conference last week, Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp, along with Erlanger CEO Jim Coleman and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chancellor Steven Angle, announced plans for Erlanger Health to purchase the county building at East Third Street for $10 million. Under terms of the proposal, UTC would offer the county a replacement site for a new health department near Engel Stadium.
The commission’s decision could mean Hamilton County residents benefit from a more modern health department, Wamp told commissioners. The East Third Street building has been in use as a health department for more than 60 years, and its maintenance needs are substantial, he said.
The decision to OK the rules change might also help shift how the health department offers services to its clients. Some services, Wamp said, might be delivered more efficiently by private providers partnering with the county.
To make the sale, a combined venture among the county, UTC and Erlanger, Wamp needed the commission to suspend rules on purchasing that require a competitive bid process for potential buyers. Commissioners agreed to the waiver after questioning the timing, financing and motivations for selling the building to Erlanger.