Building official seeks $152,000 in maintenance capital, warns city roof nearing major repair

City building official Ron White asked the Board of Aldermen on Aug. 21 to include $152,000 in the FY2026 building maintenance capital budget for four items: an auto scrubber for floors, replacement devices for an updated fire alarm system, parking‑lot sealing and striping and a roof coating for the metal roof at city hall. Why it matters: White said the metal roof shows increased failure at seams and fastener points from expansion and contraction and that a full replacement is not currently recommended; instead he proposed a coating that includes sealing screws and seams and carries a 10‑year guarantee. He presented a $120,000 estimate for a coating and said two additional quotes were pending. Details presented: White said the auto scrubber that will support in‑house custodial work is priced at about $4,500 and will pay for itself compared with commercial strip‑and‑wax costs. He said the alarm‑device replacements — to ensure the newly replaced control panel reliably communicates with pull stations, strobes, duct detectors and heat detectors — were quoted at $18,500. The rear parking lot seal and stripe project was deferred from 2025 and is proposed for 2026 after staff evaluation confirmed it could hold for another year. White described the roof coating as a high‑ticket, preventive measure rather than an immediate emergency repair: "It's not something that I think has to be done this year, not even next year, but definitely something I want on your all's radar," he told the board. He said the quoted coating provides a non‑prorated 10‑year guarantee and could be recoated at a fraction of the initial cost at the end of the decade. Procurement and next steps: White said one contractor provided a hard quote for the roof and two additional quotes were expected; projects estimated under $25,000 would be handled per procurement rules while larger projects will be competitively solicited. The board asked staff to include the items in the budget process and to return with any additional quotes or procurement details.