Kerr County Courthouse closed indefinitely; county lays out full relocation plan for every displaced office

The Kerr County Courthouse, at 700 Main Street, will be closed to the public for the foreseeable future due to severe flood damage, county officials announced Sunday, laying out a detailed plan to temporarily relocate every displaced department across six county-owned facilities.

All county offices not physically located inside the courthouse will operate as usual Monday, July 20. But departments that do operate out of the courthouse face a staggered, floor-by-floor timeline for reopening, driven by how severely each level was damaged.

How long each floor will be displaced

• First floor — offices including the county clerk, county commissioners’ court staff, and the tax office are expected to be relocated for an estimated one to two weeks.
• Second floor — offices there will remain in temporary locations until the courthouse elevator can be repaired, a process officials say could take a minimum of two months or more.
• Lower level (basement) — hit hardest, with more than six feet of water inside the building. Though the structure itself has been deemed sound, the entire basement interior will need to be cleared, reconstructed and re-equipped before departments can return — a process officials estimate could take up to a year. Affected offices include the county attorney’s office, human resources, and the treasurer’s office.

Where each office is moving

Hill Country Youth Event Center — 3785 TX-27, Kerrville
Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1; Constable, Pct. 1; County Clerk; District Clerk; District Court

Allie Burton Annex — 550 Earl Garrett St., Kerrville
Victims Services; Human Resources; County Treasurer; Justice of the Peace, Pct. 3; Constable, Pct. 3; Grants Coordinator; Information Technology

AgriLife Extension Office — adjacent to the Hill Country Youth Event Center
AgriLife Extension Agent

Old Municipal Court Building — 301 McFarland St., Kerrville
County Attorney; Commissioners’ Court

Former Kerr County Juvenile Detention Center — 3501 Legion Drive, Kerrville
County Auditor; County Court at Law

West Kerr County Courthouse Annex — 510 College St., Ingram
Tax Assessor/Collector

Kerr County Road & Bridge — 3766 TX-27, Kerrville
Emergency Management Coordinator

Kerr County Maintenance — 500 Hays St., Kerrville
Courthouse Custodial

The move itself is a major undertaking. County officials say the displaced offices plan to be moved and reopened for business as soon as possible, tentatively targeting Wednesday, July 22. Updates on reopening timelines will be posted at kerrcountytx.gov and on the county’s Facebook page.

Kelly: “Best possible plan” amid a second catastrophic flood

County Judge Rob Kelly acknowledged the relocation will be difficult for residents trying to track down a specific office in the coming weeks and months.

“We understand that, over the coming weeks and months, this may be confusing or disorienting for some members of the public when they need to find a specific office that has been relocated,” Kelly said. “But this was the best possible plan we could develop to deal with these circumstances.”

“We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation as we, too, take the necessary steps to recover from this second catastrophic flood in as many years,” Kelly said. “One thing undamaged is our commitment to serving the community we love.”

Kelly credited county staff for their attitude heading into the transition. “We are proud of our Kerr County team, because our employees have had very helpful attitudes and are ready to get back to work as soon as possible,” he said. “We are optimistic that we — just like so many others in our community — will build back better and stronger, together.”