Park superintendent warns city may lose $220,398 in supplemental claims; committee recommends Amos and Go Big for roof repairs

Eric Freeman, Alexandria Park Superintendent, told the Alexandria City Council on June 15 that the city has a $556,596.81 insurance payout for hail damage to 24 municipal buildings but faces a narrow window to document and file supplemental damage claims that could recover an additional roughly $220,398.

Freeman said a three-firm bid process produced near-identical base bids that match the insurer's payout, and that one bidder's estimate included identified additional damage that would add about $220,398 if documented and submitted as supplemental claims. "Lock in on that. It's important because once the roofer gets up on the roof and starts making repairs...the window on supplemental claims closes on Sept. 4, 2026," Freeman said.

The committee that reviewed bids recommended awarding work to two contractors so teams could work in parallel: Amos Construction for 14 of the buildings and Go Big Construction for 10, Freeman said. He said the approach was intended both to give local work to an Alexandria firm and to increase the chances of identifying supplemental damage before the insurance deadline.

Why it matters: Freeman said the supplemental damage estimate is not included in the insurer's initial payout and that missing the one-year window tied to the payout would prevent the city from filing those additional claims. He and staff emphasized the time-sensitive nature of getting contractors on roofs to find and document any damage that was not captured in the insurer's first inspection.

City attorney Julie told the council that Indiana public-bid law generally requires public advertisement for projects above $150,000 and warned against artificially splitting a job to avoid the threshold. "Anything over $150,000 requires it to go out to public bid," she said, adding that courts have declined to allow creating an emergency solely to skirt bidding requirements.

Council members pressed staff on how to proceed quickly: options discussed included using the insurer's estimate as the scope for a public advertisement, asking an architect or engineer to produce a quick set of specifications, and holding a special board meeting to approve any award once bids are received. Freeman said he would provide the insurance report and that staff would contact engineers and prepare a public advertisement as soon as possible.

The committee's recommendation is advisory; the council did not vote to award the contracts at the June 15 meeting. Staff said a compressed timeline is feasible if the city posts an advertisement immediately and uses the insurance scope as the basis for bids.

Next steps: Council members asked staff to prepare bid documents and, if needed, a special meeting to authorize awards so crews can document and submit supplemental claims before the Sept. 4, 2026 deadline.