Niles mayor, others sick from mold; city facing high-cost repairs

NILES

Three offices in city hall including the mayor’s office have been closed and isolated after the discovery of mold attributed to a leaking roof long in disrepair.

Two city workers and Mayor Thomas Scarnecchia reported ill effects as a result of the mold, which led to the closure of the building earlier this week and all workers being sent home.

Now the city, which already has myriad financial issues because of its fiscal emergency designation, will have to scramble to find money to cover repairs, particularly for the roof.

“The architect who looked at the roof this week said it was the worst he’d ever seen,” James DePasquale, safety-service director, told city council Wednesday. “I expect the repairs just to the roof to be in the six-figure range.”

In addition to the mayor’s office, the income tax offices and the basement have been sealed off. DePasquale said scrubbers have been running throughout the building continuously, but nothing can be done to the isolated sections until the roof is fixed.

“This is a health and welfare issue,” he said

DePasquale said Lewis Construction of Warren, the firm that assessed the damage, advised him that the roof problems are too big to be covered by a tarpaulin. “There is no temporary fix,” the director said.

DePasquale said the issue with the roof has been known for years, but ignored by the previous administration.

Read more about the situation in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.