Scotland Senior Center seeks grant; court pledges $8,600 local match to replace HVAC and repair stove

The Van Buren County Quorum Court voted to authorize the county judge to apply for Arkansas Rural Development grant funds to replace HVAC units and repair a professional-grade stove at the Scotland Senior Citizen Community Center and committed $8,600 as the required local match.

A community representative who approached the court described urgent, operational failures at the center: two HVAC units are out of service and the commercial kitchen range requires repair. She said the center now serves multiple age groups and not just seniors and that reliable climate control is necessary for kitchen safety and comfort. "It's 90 degrees out. We're needing air conditioners," she said.

Two written quotes for the HVAC work were discussed on the record: one for about $14,002 and a second for $15,003.50 for two units; a separate stove repair estimate of roughly $1,300 was also cited. The representative described the stove as a Vulcan industrial commercial range and said staff expect the repair to be worth the cost to keep the kitchen operational.

Sponsor Becky Paige told the court the center met eligibility requirements for the Arkansas Rural Community Grant Program and that the court would appropriate $8,600 by ordinance to complete the local match if the grant application proceeds. Members voiced support and the resolution was approved by voice vote.

The court directed the county judge’s office and treasurer to proceed with the grant application and to record the local-match appropriation in a forthcoming ordinance, marking the next step in the project’s implementation.