Grant County Senior Center Needs New Freezer

Ludivina Gonzales, Director of the Grant County Senior Center, appeared before Grant County Commissioners Marty Long, John Martin and Mark McGaughey at their March 7 meeting, to request permission to purchase a new walk-in freezer for the Senior Center facility.

Gonzales said the existing freezer was having issues with maintaining temperatures, which caused the cooling system to unexpectedly shut down several times.

Gonzales reported that Montezuma Hardware had been contacted about the problems some time ago. They had repaired a leak in the coolant line, and replaced the refrigerant at a cost of $4,000. With continued problems with the system, she had investigated replacement costs and other options for the 8x10 unit.

Gonzales said after conversations with the director of ElderCare, the company that prepares/provides the daily meals for the senior center, ElderCare would share costs for the freezer replacement.

It was estimated with the help of Fire Chief John Crosby the unit was possibly 25 years old. Design-style and placement of a drain and the evaporation unit could possible require other construction with additional costs.

Commissioner Long asked Gonzales to seek bids from local companies providing cooling repair and unit services, and after receiving those recommendations, to look into bids for the additional construction costs. McGaughey and Martin agreed with that suggestion, and with all three commissioners claiming experience with equipment similar to the freezer unit, agreed to visit the senior center with Gonzales after lunch.

Gonzales also informed commissioners the stove hood system had failed a state Fire Marshall inspection and would need to be repaired and re-certified.

On a positive note, she told commissioners participation in the lunch program was growing, depending on the published planned menus, which are decided by ElderCare. Currently, in-house prepared meals are served twice a month. Gonzales said those meals are met with more satisfaction, and she would like to eventually increase the number of “homemade” meals offered each month.

Commissioner Martin inquired if the Senior Center Yard Work program was covered under existing Workers Comp conditions. Gonzales deferred to County Clerk Sheila Brown who said she believed so, but would double check the details.

Grant County Commissioners meetings are open to the public. They are held the first and third Tuesday of each month at the Grant County Courthouse, 108 S. Glenn. Meeting agendas and the official minutes of each meeting are available on the Grant County website: www.grantcoks.org.  To be placed on an upcoming meeting agenda call the Grant County Clerk’s office at 620-356-1335.