By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

Orange County Commissioners Court will discuss, on Tuesday, approving the temporary relocation of State Representative Dade Phelan’s office.

Commissioners Court will meet at 2 p.m. , On Tuesday, Dec. 5, in the Commissioners Courtroom of the Orange County Administration Building located at 123 South 6th Street in Orange.

With Commissioner Barry Burton’s office damaged during the flooding of Hurricane Harvey, it also destroyed the office space Phelan rents from the county for a local office in Orange County.

Burton has temporarily relocated to an office in the Countryland Properties LLC building in Mauriceville.

“We just got the insurance payout numbers this week,” Burton said on Friday.

With the numbers, the court can discuss viable options such as build new versus restore the current facilities. One option includes moving Justice of the Peace 2’s office and locating it in the same building as Commissioner Pct.2.

The current buildings are several years old had housed many offices over the years. Constructing a new building, according to Burton, would also allow for raising the elevation to prevent flooding in the future.

Insurance funds could be sufficient to build a new building while not touching the general funds.

“The insurance monies could allow for a zero impact on the general funds,” Burton said.

The court will discuss relocating State Representative Dade Phelan’s Office to the Orange County Veteran’s building located at 10984 F.M. 1442 in Orange. This action shall include approval of a new lease contract and authorizing County Judge or Judge Pro Tem to sign the same. The rent will remain the same as it is for space in Commissioners Pct. 2 office.