Engineers: McCall public‑works building can be retrofitted; cost estimates remain rough

Jacobs engineers presented a tier‑1 seismic evaluation of the City of McCall’s public‑works facility, outlining structural deficiencies, retrofit approaches and a rough order‑of‑magnitude cost estimate. The screening was funded by a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant administered through the Idaho Office of Emergency Management.

The evaluation found that the building’s roof diaphragm and vertical concrete‑masonry‑unit (CMU) walls “are there, as a diaphragm to spread that load,” but several crucial connections are missing, Jeremy (Jacobs) said: “the roof and the walls aren't properly connected, and the mezzanine and the walls are not properly connected.” The engineers flagged unreinforced, ungrouted CMU walls and the building’s reuse of railroad‑car frame members as important issues to resolve before design‑level seismic events.

Why it matters: councilors said the study gives the city a ballpark for planning, and staff noted the grant money covers planning work while larger federal construction grants could help pay for retrofits. Michelle Grunewelt, community and economic development director, reminded the council that the FEMA program typically requires a planning step before construction funding and that the initial grant covered the study work.

Key findings and next steps - Tier‑1 scope: Jacobs performed a screening visit (site visit Feb. 10) and a checklist‑style review to identify…