JOHN COFFELT Contributor

Coffee County Child Care Center, an independent nonprofit operated from a county-owned building, approached the Capital Outlay Committee during the Oct. 23 meeting with concerns about the building’s deteriorating flooring.

Community Child Care Board Member and volunteer CEO Rebecca French said the building has two big areas with damaged vinyl composite tile flooring and other places that require rugs to cover cracked areas.   

“We have purchased carpet tiles for high traffic areas to help especially in the child play areas,” she said.

County Maintenance Director Rick Soucy said the repairs are an expensive fix that has been overlooked year after year.

He said the VCT floors, like the tiles in schools, are usually used over concrete subfloors. Additionally, normal maintenance for tile includes annual stripping and waxing, which these floors have had neither.    

“The issue is this is an old building and as it starts to settle in places, the VCT starts to crack,” Soucy said. “Any water that gets into those cracks get into the subfloor and makes tiles loose above. If the floor is not waxed regularly they wear down and water breaks it down and it starts to crack.”

Soucy said the current floor needs to be removed, new underlay installed, the floors leveled with self-levelers and new glue down luxury vinyl plank (LVP) installed. He estimated the cost to run $35,000-40,000.

“It definitely needs to be done,” he said. “It needs to be done right.” 

The other concern is the repair would displace the daycare for about three weeks, impacting about 18 families during the potential downtime.

Capital Outlay Member Frank Watkins said trustees could move the furniture to be stored in another location.

Capital Outlay Chairman Terry Hershman suggested Soucy write a scope of work to accept proposals.

“I’d like to see a real number before we go any further with it,” Hershman said. “I know we need to fix stuff there and take care of our building for the safety and heal of the children there.”

The county owns the building, located at 707 Oak St., and allows the center use of the building. French said Coffee County Child Care is Manchester’s oldest day care, and it was founded by teachers to provide affordable child care in Manchester.