The Van Buren County Commission unanimously approved spending $11,117 in grant funds Monday night to replace the failing heating and cooling systems at the Van Buren County Historical and Heritage Museum.
Van Buren County Historical and Heritage Museum Representative Jimmy Hodges presented the project to the board after an inspection revealed severe hazards in the existing units. Hodges said the building relies on equipment manufactured nearly three decades ago that poses risks to both the structure and the artifacts inside. Commissioner Tabitha Denney said it was important to address issues now.
“And we need to take into effect that this this building stores all of our historical items now,” Hodges said. “The last thing we need is water leaks and it backing up.”
Hodges said the museum recently received a $25,000 grant and already spent a portion of the funds on necessary brick repairs. An inspector found the upstairs gas furnaces are emitting carbon monoxide into the attic space due to holes in the exhaust ducts. The remaining grant balance of $20,883 will easily cover the cost of the new system.
“And if you turn the air conditioner on upstairs, it leaks because there’s no drip pan, because they’ve been rusted into, it just leaks right down and destroys the tiles down there,” Hodges said.
Hodges said the approved bid includes replacing two heat pumps, two air conditioners, and the ductwork with a five-year warranty. The contractor advised against trying to repair the old units because replacement parts will soon be obsolete.
“But for $11,000, the county can replace everything in the old courthouse in the museum and have a new system,” Hodges said.
Hodges said the museum initially struggled to find a company willing to take on the project, with one contractor failing to return calls and another wanting to charge an estimate fee. The chosen contractor spent several hours evaluating the equipment for free.
“It’s an older building so it needs to be updated,” Hodges said.
The museum has until June 30 to spend the remainder of the grant money before it must be returned with interest.