Commission asked to set aside $100,000 for emergency jail and library roof repairs

County staff asked the Houston County Commission at its work session to designate recent roof problems at the county jail and the public library as an emergency and to set aside money immediately to pay contractors. The request, presented by a county staff member, said contractor H and M Commercial (based in Cadiz, Kentucky) can guarantee repairs without removing rooftop air-conditioning units and has offered to guarantee the work. The staff member said the company’s basic repair proposal is $69,000 and that a full roof removal and replacement could add about $70,000 more if needed. “If you can justify it, we’ll go with the guy with the 69,” the county staff member said. The staff member asked the commission to temporarily move $100,000 from fund 01/2001 to cover the jail and library repairs and to return unused funds when the county receives impact money in November. “We may not use the whole $100,000, but we’ll put back what we don’t use,” the presenter said. Attorney/finance staff and other commissioners discussed whether the repairs meet the emergency exception to the bidding process and whether the county auditor would accept the justification. The staff member said the library contractor, Randy Lewis, estimated being about three weeks out to start work and that the lower bid for the library came in under the packet price. No formal vote was recorded at the work session. The staff member instructed commissioners that the item would appear on the Monday meeting agenda for formal appropriation if they want to proceed. The request was tied to agenda item 23 (sheriff roof repairs) and to earlier agenda items covering jail camera appropriations and other building repairs. Background: staff said buckets had been placed inside because of active leaks and that the county’s capital repair fund is intended for building fixes. County staff also described an option to involve procurement staff (Mr. Ryan) if the commission did not deem the work an emergency. Next steps: the staff member asked commissioners to put a motion on the next regular meeting agenda to appropriate funds and, if approved, to proceed with the contractor who guaranteed the work.