Frank Denzler
(Editor's note: The following is a corrected version of this story. The company in question is correctly identified as Traditions in this story.)
During Monday’s meeting of the Rush County Commissioners Ken Masters made a motion that the county seek legal action against the Traditions Company to recoup monies from previous roof repairs made to the courthouse roof.
The Ohio based company had been contracted by the county in recent years to make numerous roof repairs to the courthouse. In a number of cases, those repair projects have required additional repairs in the months following their completion.
During the most recent repair undertaken by the company in 2006, county leaders were under the impression that once completed the repairs would serve as a lifetime investment.
A similar project was completed 35-years earlier, in 1970, and at that time the county purchased additional masonry tiles that were used on the lower level roof during the 2006 repair.
Acting on a recommendation by the Traditions Company it was decided that a synthetic compound tile would be used on the uppermost part of the courthouse clock tower.
R.J. Kunkle, owner of Traditions, explained to the county leaders the synthetic tile would be more cost effective.
Questions were raised a short time later as to how the synthetic tiles would be attached to the roof.
Shortly after completion of that project, a number of the tiles on the clock tower again became loose and another repair project was initiated. June 2008 storms loosened additional tiles that fell to the ground and were collected by Rush County Sheriff Jeff Sherwood.
Skip ahead to August 2008. County leaders again contacted personnel from Traditions for an explanation as to why additional work, at a projected cost of $24,000, was again necessary to re-attach the tiles.
“If they were put on right to start with we would not be in this position right now,” commissioner Marvin Cole said at that time.
Rush County Auditor Deborah Adams informed the county leaders in August 2008 that the county had spent nearly $190,000 during the previous five years for roof repairs alone.
At this time, it is unclear if any or how much insurance will reimburse the county for another roof repair.
According to commissioner Tom Barnes, the county is currently looking at other companies to correct the problem and a decision will be forthcoming in the near future.
Frank Denzler can be contacted at (765) 932-2222 ext. 106 or via e-mail at frank.denzler@rushvillerepublican.com. To add a comment to this story visit our Web site at www.rushvillerepublican.com.
