Commission opens courthouse roof bids

The Nodaway County Commission opened bids Wednesday for installation of a new courthouse roof.

Two companies, Jason Brown Roofing of Maryville and Seaman & Schuske Metal Works of St. Joseph, submitted offers, with Brown's being the lowest at $152,067 compared to Seaman & Schuske bid of $188,648

Though the Brown proposal was more than $36,000 lower, North District Commissioner Robert Westfall and Presiding Commissioner Robert Schieber did not immediately accept it, saying they wanted South District Commissioner Robert Stiens, who was absent, to have a chance to review the figures.

Still, it appears that Brown's company is likely to receive the contract for the job, which is expected to be completed in phases over the next three years.

In its 2013 budget, the commission earmarked just over $100,000 for the courthouse roof, the slate shingles of which date back to the landmark structure's construction in 1882.

The shingles, which cover a number of steeply pitched mansard-style sections, overlay a layer of thick felt, which was also installed as part of the original building. Commissioners said the felt, intended as waterproofing, has long since worn out, resulting in several leaks.

In addition, much of the slate was damaged in a devastating hail storm in August 2011 and needs to be replaced.

The new shingles will be made of a synthetic material manufactured by DaVinci Roofscapes of Kansas City, Kan.

According to DaVinci, the reproduction shingles cost about half as much as genuine slate and also provide enhanced resistance to fire, freezing and thawing and high winds.

Though a functional part of the structure, the shingled portions of the courthouse roof are largely intended to be decorative. Most of the roof consists of flat surfaces covered by a synthetic, waterproof membrane.

Westfall said parts of the membrane are at least 15 years old and have reached the end of their useful life. He added that the Brown bid came in under the county's preliminary estimate, and that project costs are expected to remain at or below budget.

The commissioners said they were pleased that the apparent winning bid came from a local contractor, but added that Seaman & Schuske has undertaken several projects for the county and completed them satisfactorily.

The scope of work calls for all shingles to be purchased this year in a single lot in order to ensure uniform coloring. The next steps, should Brown be confirmed as the contractor, will include re-shingling the east side of the courthouse, and, on the flat portions, tearing off several layers of old asphalt-based material before covering replacement high-density fiberboard with a new membrane.

Work is scheduled to stretch over the next three construction seasons, moving from the east to the west sides of the building, which means the project should be completed sometime in 2015.