Tenants urge council to delay 05/14 vacate order after sprinkler failures at 118 Bennett Drive

A group of business tenants at 118 Bennett Drive asked the Caribou City Council on May 11 to reconsider a pending order to vacate the building scheduled for May 14, saying most tenants can evacuate quickly and that several tenant spaces still have working sprinkler coverage.

Tim St. Peter, the city’s code enforcement officer, told the council he received a complaint on April 14 and reviewed an Eastern Fire inspection report showing multiple deficiencies. The report, St. Peter said, identified a sectional valve that had been turned off and left roughly one‑third of the building unprotected; the system had been tagged with an emergency (red) bulletin. St. Peter said he mailed a first notice on April 22 (deadline April 30) and a second notice on May 1 (deadline May 11) and that, as of May 1, no repairs had been scheduled and no contact had been received from the owner.

“NFPA code requires that the building be completely sprinkled,” St. Peter said, and the locally adopted International Property Maintenance Code requires building owners to maintain sprinkler systems in accordance with NFPA 25. He added that a temporary fire watch—where staff monitor the premises while occupied—would be “almost impossible” for this building because of its layout and number of separate spaces.

Business owners told the council they are worried about losing customers and relocating. Jamie Irving, owner of Norseman Barbering, said several tenants have already left and criticized the property owner’s record of maintenance. “If I had my way…I wouldn’t let him off the hook,” Irving said.

Council members pressed staff about options. St. Peter said the city can perform necessary repairs under the property‑maintenance code and attach a special tax lien or assessment to the property to recoup costs if the owner does not act. He also said he had requested a repair quote from Eastern Fire and that, if the contractor schedules work or provides a quote, the city could hold enforcement action beyond the owner’s deadline to allow repairs to proceed.

Council and staff emphasized they preferred voluntary compliance but said they would pursue legal enforcement if needed to protect public safety and property. Council asked staff to follow up with Eastern Fire, obtain a written quote and schedule, and report back so members can decide whether to delay enforcement while repairs are completed.

The council closed the public forum after hearing the comments; staff did not take immediate enforcement action on the record and said additional information about a contractor schedule or quote would guide next steps.