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Niles needs costly repairs for leaky roof and mold at city hall
By Jordan Cohen
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.
“You have to go to the source, which is the infiltration of the roof,” DePasquale said. “This is a health and welfare issue.”
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.
In addition to the roof, the city faces costs for mold scrubbing and “structural repairs” for parts of the building where bricks have come loose.
The director said he hopes the structural repair costs will be less than $50,000, and he expects a similar or less cost for mold-scrubbing.
DePasquale said the issue with the roof has been known for years, but ignored by the previous administration. He produced a 2011 report from a construction firm, which warned that the entire roof was in need of replacement. “The administration just decided to patch it rather than repair it,” complained DePasquale. “You can’t do that with a flat roof.”
At that time, Ralph Infante was mayor. He eventually lost the 2015 primary election to Scarnecchia.
City hall reopened Wednesday without the income-tax and payroll offices, which have been moved temporarily to the Wellness Center. The billing office remained open and in use since it was unaffected by the mold, according to DePasquale.
Scarnecchia remained in the building and maintained his office in the light department, but said he is still feeling dizzy and experiencing other ill effects associated with the mold in his office.
“I’m not feeling good,” he said Wednesday. “I’m going to get checked out.”
The safety-service director said architect Bruce Sekanick of Lewis Construction was asked to assess whether damages to the building make city hall irreparable.
“He told us the building is structurally sound,” DePasquale said.
Calling the situation “an emergency,” DePasquale said he will ask roof contractors to bid on the project within two weeks. He said seven contractors already have expressed interest.
Council has scheduled special meetings for Monday and Tuesday to discuss the financial situation and try to figure out how to fund repairs despite the tight reins on its general fund.