Baker City moves ahead with City Hall interior repairs; repairs pending insurance negotiations

Baker City Council voted June 24 to proceed with interior repairs at City Hall and to continue negotiating line-item coverage with the city’s insurer.

Staff reported the roof repair is complete and that an RFI for interior contractors produced a single responsive bid from Sid Johnson. Staff said the insurance company has verbally agreed to cover some items, including a council desk replacement, but written approval is pending and the insurer will review each line item before final payment decisions are made.

Staff described the work done to date: Garland provided materials and Upson (of Boise) performed the roof repair. The interior repair bid is conditional on the insurer’s line-by-line review; staff said that if the insurer declines some line items those costs could become the city’s responsibility. Staff estimated work could begin in July if remaining items are negotiated.

Councilors discussed preserving historic materials such as brick but were told refurbishing brick would be expensive and likely not covered by insurance. Councilor discussion emphasized doing a proper repair rather than a temporary fix to avoid creating further damage if another roof penetration occurs.

A motion to proceed with the recommended contractor was made and seconded; the motion carried with no opposing votes. Staff said they will continue negotiations with the insurer and return to council with any material changes or uncovered line items.

Present in the discussion were Mayor Dorte, multiple councilors and staff who presented the bid and insurance status. The packet included photos of interior damage and the contractor’s bid for council review.