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Council presses contractor for schedule and proof of financing on long-delayed Rough Court rehabilitation
Summary
Council members said recent exterior work on a derelict house was insufficient and demanded a detailed schedule and proof of financing from the contractor Bernard ahead of a Feb. 20 update; staff reported substantial interior demolition and termite damage.
Council members at Belle Isle’s January meeting expressed frustration with slow progress on a long-delayed house rehabilitation on Rough Court and pressed the contractor for a clear timeline and proof of financing.
City staff reported that crews had painted portions of the exterior, removed some vegetation and completed substantial interior demolition (“two-thirds of the home has no drywall”), but that significant repairs remain. Officials noted termite damage and rotted structural members in several locations and said some of the visible exterior repairs were cosmetic rather than structural.
“I think it’s just struggling… If it doesn’t get done, guys, I think it’s the end game,” a commissioner said, urging the city to insist on a schedule. The city manager confirmed he had asked the contractor, Bernard, for proof of financing and that Bernard had been asked to provide a list of completed and outstanding tasks ahead of a Feb. 20 appearance before the council.
Council members directed staff to require a detailed checklist of work and a timeline from the contractor and warned that failure to demonstrate meaningful progress could leave the city no choice but to pursue other remedies. Universal Engineering Services staff confirmed that major interior repairs will require formal permitting and inspections to return the structure to code.
