Huntingburg board rejects roofing bids, hears updates on hoarding issues

The Huntingburg Board of Public Works rejected all five bids for the street department roof repair project during its recent meeting, choosing instead to rebid the project with expanded options for metal roof replacement.

The rejected bids ranged from $325,000 to $397,000, with Schmidt Contracting submitting the lowest proposal at $325,000 and American Roofing and Metal offering the second-lowest at $328,000.

Schmidt Contracting proposed a start date of May 4, 2026, while American Roofing and Metal indicated they could begin within 30 days of receiving notice to proceed and complete the work within 45 days.

“I think leaving that thing open until May 4th, we’re probably going to do more than $3,000 worth of damage in the interior of it because every time it rains it gets worse in there,” said Street Superintendent Jason Stamm, expressing concern about the extended timeline.

The original bid specifications called for a TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) membrane system, which several council members characterized as a “patch” rather than a permanent solution. The system would overlay the existing roof structure rather than replacing it entirely.

Stamm told the board that four of the five bidding contractors recommended the TPO system as the best option for cost control, despite acknowledging that metal replacement would also be viable.

Board member Kerry Blessinger disagreed with proceeding with the project as bid due to the cost.

“You would not build a new building and put this roof on,” Blessinger said. “This is a patch roof. I don’t believe we need to patch that roof. I think it needs a new metal roof…I don’t think this is worth the cost.”

Mayor Neil Elkins stated he wouldn’t consider the work with a 30-year warranty as a patch.

Elkins added that a replacement roof was estimated to cost over $700,000, but Blessinger pushed back, saying a different style roof would cost less than the standing seam roof quoted in the estimate.

The street department building has experienced ongoing roof leaks since the city acquired it, with Elkins noting the roof has leaked “from day one.” The building was originally planned to receive a new roof when purchased, but insufficient funds prevented the work from being completed at that time.

“I’m the third mayor that’s been involved in this,” said Elkins. “We need to move on at some point. We’ve got a roof here, we’ve got a good price that’s going to give us 25 to 30 years at least.”

The mayor initially made a motion to accept American Roofing and Metal’s bid of $328,000, but the motion died for lack of a second. When pressed about explaining the decision to city workers, the mayor expressed frustration with the delay.

“I’ll let you all explain it to our city workers that work in that building why you don’t want them to have a new roof,” the mayor told the board.

The bidding process was advertised in local newspapers and posted on the state website and city foyer. However, some council members expressed concern that local metal roofing contractors may not have been adequately notified of the opportunity.

“I just think we’re gonna, if we’re gonna do this, we need to make contact to some local people,” said Blessinger, mentioning specific local contractors who could potentially bid on metal replacement work.

City Attorney Phil Schneider warned that rejecting all bids eliminates the option to reconsider any of the submitted proposals without going through the entire rebidding process again.

“By rejecting all bids, I think you’re kind of burning some bridges,” Schneider said. “You may, in your investigations between now and the next meeting, find that the roof replacement is totally unaffordable.”

The board ultimately voted to reject all current bids and authorized preparation of new specifications for rebidding, with expanded alternatives for metal roof replacement systems.

The board also heard an update from Schneider on several properties facing code enforcement issues.

The property at 420 North Jackson Street faces a November 15 deadline for demolition after the city affirmed the demolition order at its last meeting. The property went up for tax sale but received no buyers, making it essentially county property.

“If that structure is not demolished by the Nov. 15 deadline, the city’s option is to go out to bids for the demolition, do the work itself and then to take a lien on the property,” Schneider explained during the meeting.

The city could potentially obtain the property from county commissioners through this process, though existing liens on the property would need to be paid. If the city proceeds with demolition and takes ownership, the property could later be sold to developers or organizations like Habitat for Humanity, as it represents a lot of record suitable for house construction.

A property located on the 400 block of North Washington Street presents a similar situation. The city previously demolished a building on this property and holds a lien of approximately $15,000 for demolition costs. It also failed to sell at tax sale, leading city officials to anticipate that county commissioners may offer it to the municipality.

The city recently resolved a legal matter involving alleged violations of the hoarding ordinance. A court hearing took place on Tuesday where property owners appeared and stipulated to a judgment against them for violating the ordinance.

The property owners agreed to a permanent injunction that prohibits future violations of the hoarding ordinance on their property. The judge granted them 30 days to achieve complete compliance and scheduled a review hearing for November 6.

“He will at that time take under advisement whether or not to impose fines based upon what efforts they have made to comply with the ordinance,” Schneider said.