Carter County to seek bids for hail-damaged roofs; commissioners table further decisions until March

The Carter County commissioners on March 4 agreed to solicit bids for roof replacement work on the county events center and two museum storage warehouses and to include the courthouse cupola in bid requests, but they voted to table final decisions until the March meeting pending additional reports and insurer follow-up.

The chair opened the discussion by saying the county has received insurance settlement funds and that department reports have been submitted for review. The chair read a memo from the Carter County Conservation District and a note from the Carter County Weed District, which said it will retain its insurance proceeds and allocate them toward development of new facilities rather than repairing existing structures.

“After inspecting the 2 buildings on the property, he's decided not to proceed with the roof repairs at this time,” the chair said when summarizing the Road and Bridge Department’s report on two shop buildings; the Road and Bridge report referenced Carl Knapp as the department contact. The chair also read museum board guidance from Dr. Sabre Moore recommending that roof work be split into two packages: Warehouse 1 and Warehouse 2 (settlements reported as $55,000 and $57,000) and a separate quote for the museum proper to be submitted to Travelers Insurance.

Fairgrounds officials reported an insurance payment of about $49,500 for the Exhibit Hall roof and offered a breakdown of other fairground settlements: stock barn $33,000; sheep barn $55,000; toilet facilities $3,000; shade shed $6,000; and the concession stand $1,200. Commissioners and staff expressed concern that settlement amounts may not cover full repair costs.

A commissioner recommended bundling roofing work for multiple properties under a single bid package to avoid awarding a job to a contractor who cannot complete specialized membrane roofing. Staff said it will gather measurements and specifications before issuing requests for bids and that hospital roof work would be kept as a separate bid because the hospital reported membrane issues and insurer review is ongoing.

The chair noted the hospital reported “3 to 5 spots” of membrane damage and cautioned that any contractor doing that work should be bonded because the building represents a substantial asset. “That’s almost 1000000 dollars,” the chair said when discussing potential exposure.

Commissioner Dinsdale moved to table decisions on hailstorm damage to county property until the March meeting. The chair stepped from the chair to second the motion, called for public comment and, hearing none, the commission voted to carry the motion. The chair then asked staff to obtain written confirmation or minutes from boards (airport, fair board) and to coordinate with county staff on measurements and bid documents.

After the vote, Tessa, who had been invited to the table earlier in the meeting, gave a brief public comment explaining she was delayed because of vaccination work. The meeting then adjourned at 04:35.

Next steps: staff will collect written statements or minutes from the airport and fair boards, assemble measurements and specifications for the events center, the two museum warehouses and the courthouse cupola, and return the item for action at the March meeting or sooner if insurer responses arrive.