The Wayne County Health Department will move back home soon.
Early in 2020, the department left 203 E. Main St. when the public health department separated from the health clinic that became Well Care. The county ended its lease with Well Care on May 31, and the clinic has moved to a new building on West Main Street.
That will enable the health department, which has outgrown the 100 S. Fifth St. location where it relocated, to move back into the larger facility and reunite the environmental side, which has moved into first-floor space in the Wayne County Administration Building, with the clinical side.
On June 1, county officials walked through the building Well Care vacated, and during their June 3 meeting, the county’s commissioners received input from the health department, IT, and buildings and grounds about immediate needs prior to a move later this year.
Commissioner Jeff Plasterer said he’d like to have lists of needs and costs by the end of June to establish a reasonable move-in date. Beth Newton, the health department’s clinical deputy director, said the department would wait to begin self-dispensing 340B drugs until after the move, avoiding hassles related to beginning the program then changing addresses.
Dan Burk, the health department’s director, said the clinical side would need an “L”-shaped countertop to greet patients as they enter. Other furniture that’s currently in storage could be used along with the department’s current furniture.
Craig Eason, the county’s IT director, said the building would need rewiring for the county’s network and new voice-over internet protocol phone system. IT will solicit quotes for the project, which would be similar to rewiring projects that were recently completed in the courthouse and the admin building.
Dale Wise of buildings and grounds said the building’s mostly in good condition, but it has roof problems, air conditioning and sprinkler line leaks, vent problems, and lighting issues. The county must also deal with an HVAC system that’s always been undersized.
Steve Higinbotham, the county administrator, said it appears Well Care removed an HVAC unit it likely installed. Well Care also did not repair a furnace and handicapped door opener, and it stopped replacing burned-out light bulbs.
Ron Cross, the county attorney, will work on a draft resolution for the county to declare that the Fifth Street location is no longer needed for governmental purposes in preparation for a sale. Commissioners also decided to move forward with appraisals for that property and the adjacent county parking lot to the south. As an unlikely alternative, estimates will be sought for building demolition and conversion of that property into parking.
Landscaping and sidewalk
Commissioners approved moving forward with a landscaping plan associated with the courthouse’s front plaza project.
The proposal includes stones, grass, perennials and shrubs, using $50,000 included in the original project bid for landscaping.
Commissioners also agreed to move forward with realigning the sidewalk west of the administration building.
Excavation workers broke the lid to an underground Richmond Power and Light vault, and the replacement lid is higher and wider than the planned sidewalk.
The sidewalk will now be sloped to connect flush with the lid, and the lid will jut into the planned wider parking area. It will have a 7-inch-tall curb surrounding it in the parking area.
A version of this article appeared in the June 10 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
