Move ahead for Dunkirk City Hall?

DUNKIRK - Pungent odor problems and health concerns at city hall here are forcing council members to consider relocating city offices to new quarters at least on a temporary basis.

Health concerns for employees and members of the public at Dunkirk's 100-year-old city hall were major topics of discussion at Monday night's council meeting, which was moved from city hall to West Jay Community Center due to the continuing odor problems.

Dunkirk officials agreed Monday to keep the present city hall open on a part-time basis (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), against the recommendations of a consultant who wrote that the building should be closed until serious problems with basement leakage and mold can be resolved.

A city official also suggested Monday that a search for a temporary city hall begin.

Larry Conley, owner of SnLco, Mount Summit, an insurance remediation firm, submitted a written report Monday to Dunkirk Clerk-Treasurer Jane Kesler.

The report said moisture and mold was evident in the partially unfinished basement of city hall, and "I recommend the building be evacuated," Conley wrote. "Moisture was coming up the south wall and deteriorating the plaster and growing mold in the first floor."

Dunkirk clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler told council members Monday night that she has yet to receive a final analysis about the situation from Hoosier Biological Laboratory in Muncie.

Kesler said she plans to get another opinion from a third firm in the next week as well.

Kesler said that when HML did its testing, there was standing water in the city hall basement area and sump pump hole which tested positive for a high level of E. coli bacteria. She said that HML is continuing with its testing procedures, and this sort of bacteria could be a contributing factor to the putrid odor in the building.

Kesler added that plans called for doing an E. coli air quality test as well as more testing for mold this week. She described the smell in the building Monday morning as "pretty rank."

Mayor Sam Hubbard asked council members Monday to begin thinking about moving city hall offices to alternative quarters, at least on a temporary basis.

Hubbard pointed out that the city could possibly remodel and use the former Pennsylvania Railroad Depot building in the Webster-Depot Park area. It was recently purchased with Dunkirk Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) funds.

Another possibility would be renting the former license branch building on South Main Street which is currently vacant, Hubbard suggested. That modern one-story structure has a large adjacent parking lot, the mayor said.

Hubbard said Monday that he has already been in contact with the former license branch building's owner, Brian Addington, about the latter possibility. Addington is willing to give the city either lease figures or a purchase price quote, Hubbard said. Also Addington is willing to rent the property on a month-by-month basis to the city, Hubbard said. The mayor added that he wanted to set up a time when council members could inspect both the depot and former license branch structures.

Hubbard explained at the start of the meeting - "We have a problem with the city building uptown, and I think this is a better place to have the meeting."

Kesler said later that the city budget hearing, scheduled for 7 p.m. next Monday, Sept. 17, will also be held at the West Jay Community Center, as well as the next regular city council session at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 24.

At Monday's night's council meeting, audience member Pam Bunch asked, "Where's the money for all this going to come from?"

Hubbard responded, "That has yet to be determined." Also Kesler said that she has been told the city hall roof needs repair work, too.

"It's a very serious problem," Hubbard said.

In his written report, Conley said he believes the dirt floor in the basement should be covered and leaks sealed. He also said all ductwork in the building should be cleaned and sanitized.

He also said that the a decorative finish on the south wall of the building should be removed, cleaned and sanitized. He estimated the total cost of the remediation at $20,000 to $30,000.

In other action at Monday night's meeting, council members:

•Approved a three-year, lease-purchase agreement to get a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria police-package car to replace the city's current blue Chevrolet squad car which is a 2003 model year with 88,500 miles on it. Council members agreed to get the new car from Fincannon Ford of Hartford City for $7,955 a year. Police Chief Arnold Clevenger said the city had budgeted $8,000 for this move.

Also Clevenger noted that a new 2006 Dodge Charger could be obtained on a lease-purchase agreement for $7,300, but it was smaller than the Ford, and would come from a Dodge dealer in Connersville.

Council members approved getting the Ford by a 4-0 vote, with councilman Larry Smith abstaining.

•Approved payment of city bills, including $750 to Cliff Green for grading work at the city dump, with the cost split between the water, sewer, park and street departments; and a bill for $1,700 from Roto-Rooter of Muncie for work to clear a catch basin near the city street department building. City officials said that this work could have been done by the city sewer department's new vacuum truck if it had the proper attachments. Councilman Tom Johnson recommended that city officials investigate what special attachments are needed and possibly purchase them.

•Listened to a presentation from Bob Brown and Aaron Walter of Barnum-Brown Insurance of Dunkirk about the possibility of that firm submitting a quote later in the year, regarding city employee health insurance coverage.

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