The Bell County Fiscal Court approved a resolution on Tuesday that would support co-signing a loan for the Bell County Senior Citizen Board.

“Back probably a couple of years when the coal severance basically bottomed out, we had helped subsidize the Senior Citizen Center with the coal severance funds,” said Bell County Judge-Executive Albey Brock. “That became more difficult. They had a change of leadership and were kind of in a bind.”

Brock explained that one of the ways Bell County was able to help them was by co-signing for a loan.

“Basically, we co-signed for a loan for them for $25,000 and the bank required that we pass a resolution showing that support for that,” he explained.

Brock then explained the Senior Citizen Board has done really good with the payments.

“They have got it paid down to around 14 or $15,000, so they are doing well with it,” he said. “They have now set it up on payments instead of just paying what they could.

“I’m really proud of them,” Brock said. “I’m proud of the new leadership for turning that around, and you know it was a way we could help them.”

The Senior Citizen Board is renewing their loan and will be setting it up on payments.

“We need to pass a resolution again supporting their efforts to do so,” he explained.

The resolution for the Bell County Senior Citizens Board passed unanimously.

Brock also introduced an item regarding a Bell-Whitley project.

“We’ve got a project that’s tied to Bell-Whitley,” he said. “It’s for a multi-use, multi-income facility that is going into, and I don’t know how far off the ground it is. It should be completed by the end of the year.”

Brock explained that Bell County allowed Bell-Whitley to use their Community Development Block Grant funds for the project.

“We are anxious to get this project done so we can go back and apply to CDBG funds,” he said.

The project is on 34th Street in Middlesboro, and the fiscal court approved the Pay Resolution Number 2 for the Community Development Block Grant unanimously.

Other items that passed in the Bell County Fiscal Court meeting include:

• Pay bills and make necessary transfer;

• Accept treasurer’s financial statement for last month;

• Accept sheriff’s claim sheet for fee account for last month;

• Approve resolution adopting and approving the execution of a county road aid coop;

• Permission to advertise for bids;

• Change in full-time/part-time status for deputy jailers;

• Accept checks from Sheriff Mitch Williams and County Clerk Debbie Gambrel.

The next meeting of the Bell County Fiscal Court will be May 14 at 11 a.m. at the Bell County Court House in Court House Square in Pineville.