Van Buren To Take First Step In Health Department Renovations

Van Buren County Commissioners approved using some federal grant funding to pay for an asbestos study at the health department.

The approval comes as the first step in potentially remodeling the department, starting with electrical and plumbing. Public Health County Director Angela Slaven said this does not obligate the county to pay for anything, just an agreement to start the process.

“Since we have cinderblock buildings, they think what they will find will be in the pipes or around the piping which is what we’re replacing anyway,” Slaven said. “So hopefully when they do the study all the things they find that need to be replaced are what we’re replacing with this funding anyway.”

Slaven said if the study comes back and asbestos is found, the county can use appropriations for any damage. She said if it’s over the allocated for work, the county can decline to take the process further.

Slaven said should the project move forward to the plumbing and electric work, the $295,000 for the work will be funneled through a special county budget. She said the county would receive monthly invoices to be paid back by the state within 30 days.

“The other $100,000, that’s for the drug room, it’s also federal funding but it’s not part of the first part,” Slaven said.