More speed bumps are ahead for the Highland City Hall renovation thanks to some uninvited guests.
City Manager Chris Conrad informed the city council Monday that contractors working on the City Hall renovation uncovered severe termite damaging in multiple beams.
“It’s very likely that one of the beams has to be replaced in its entirety,” Conrad said.
City Hall has been under renovation since a catastrophic flood due to broken pipes in December 2022. The burst pipe took place during a severe cold snap during the holidays, and soaked a large portion of the building before industrial dryers and dehumidifiers could be brought in.
Over the last year and a half, walls and drywall were replaced with a new HVAC system, and city leaders opted to go ahead with other needed improvements while the building was vacated. That includes a new back parking lot with a better drive-up night drop and renovations to the council chambers with a new acoustic system.
No one anticipated the unwelcome tenants in the support beams.
“We spray pretty regularly in all of our city buildings,” Conrad said.
The damage was not apparent until workers were up close on the beams, he said.
Conrad said they have asked the contractors to inspect all the beams for full containment of the problem, and change orders for the project will be coming to the city council soon.
As of earlier this year, the project estimate was at $1.3 million, which does not include new furniture or the council chambers, as those were bid separately.
The council also approved four more change orders for the renovation project on Monday. They include some changes to the conference room, replacing the handicap accessibility buttons, the flooring in one part of the building and an additional water cooler, among others.
The new change orders increased the total cost of the project by $15,885, or 1.1% of the original contract price, according to city documents.
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