Hamiltons press city to finish CDBG‑funded restoration of 1895 church after contractor disputes

Robert and Olga Hamilton told the Community Redevelopment Agency on Sept. 22 that work on their CDBG‑funded historic rehabilitation project for the 1895 church on Southwest Third Street remains incomplete and, they said, damaged by prior contractor work. The Hamiltons asked the CRA, staff and Florida Commerce to allow a contractor they prefer to finish repairs, arguing the building needs a specialist to restore historic materials and to avoid further damage.

The nut graf: the dispute centers on CDBG procurement rules, alleged subpar construction and the need to reconcile grant rules with the homeowners’ request to use a specific contractor. Retired judge and attorney Shirley Brennan, representing the Hamiltons, asked the board to request a noncompetitive procurement under the federal grant rules cited in the record (referred to in the meeting as “200.32(c)(4)”), saying the situation fits the rule’s intent.

What happened in the meeting: Olga Hamilton described a long restoration process and said contractors installed windows and roofwork that, in her words, produced “gaps,” off‑center windows and a sealed ridge vent that prevented attic ventilation. She told the board staff and the contractor had refused repeated re‑inspections and that some work was paid despite what she called incomplete or improper installation. Olga Hamilton said, “They sealed our roof ridge vent completely. They just kept it,” and asked the board to allow McKee (a local contractor the Hamiltons identified) to finish the job because he has restoration experience and had prepared drawings and a bid for the work.

Guardian CRM representative Antonio Jenkins and other staff described the procurement and grant constraints: Florida Commerce maintains an approved contractor list and reimburses work to an awarded scope. Jenkins said Florida Commerce allows homeowners to choose a contractor as part of the bid process if the contractor qualifies; if McKee bids within Commerce’s allowable range, the homeowner can select McKee. Jenkins also said the roof “has what they call a cobra style ridge vent” and that staff were prepared to add a raised ridge vent to the scope to address the Hamiltons’ ventilation concern.

Retired judge Shirley Brennan urged the board to pursue a noncompetitive procurement route under the federal rule (as she characterized it), saying: “This case is what this law was written for” and that the engineer’s independent report documents damage and recommended repairs. Brennan told the board the State Historic Preservation Office and Florida Commerce had raised concerns about the Patriot work and that the Hamiltons wanted the repairs completed without further delay or litigation.

Board discussion focused on two paths: (1) finalize and sign a scope of services, submit it to Florida Commerce, go out to bid using the Commerce process with a historic‑qualified scope, and allow the Hamiltons to select McKee if he bids and qualifies; or (2) seek a noncompetitive procurement waiver from Florida Commerce if competitive responses are inadequate. Multiple staff members and commissioners said they preferred to finalize the scope and proceed with the Commerce bid process because that could result in McKee being selected if his bid is acceptable; staff also said that if bids show inadequate competition, the board could then request a waiver.

What the board directed: while there was no formal vote, the transcript shows the Hamiltons agreed to sign the proposed scope of services (with staff adding a raised ridge vent to address ventilation), and staff said they would submit the signed scope to Florida Commerce and SHPO for approvals and proceed with the Commerce RFP/bid process. Staff also said they would include historic restoration language in the scope and follow Commerce’s procurement rules; if the resulting bids do not provide adequate competition or McKee cannot be selected through the competitive process, the board could pursue a noncompetitive procurement option under the federal rule.

Background and next steps: the Hamiltons said the matter dates to 2023, has involved multiple inspections and communications with Guardian CRM, Patriot Response Group (the contractor that previously performed some work), the State Historic Preservation Office and Florida Commerce, and that portions of the project remain incomplete. Staff told the board they will not proceed with construction until Florida Commerce and SHPO approvals are in place and the scope is signed by the Hamiltons. The parties recorded an agreement in the meeting to add the raised ridge vent and move the scope to Commerce for bids as the next step.