By MIKE MCCOY
Statesman Staff Writer
BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Stoddard County Commissioners were all in agreement that the original specifications for stopping leaks in the Stoddard County Justice Center should be followed, which calls for digging a 15-foot trench at the base of one of the exterior walls and applying a sealant.
Kiefner Brothers Construction and representatives of Ameristar Building Products went to the commission last week to ask that a crystalline waterproofing material, Xypex, be applied to the interior lower wall of the Justice Center to stop the leaks. Matt Kiefner said he was concerned about safety issues involved with digging a 15-foot trench out from an exterior wall. Rich Bowling, manufacturer's representative with Xypex, told the commission about the crystalline product, and expressed his view that the product would stop the leak.
Commissioner Danny Talkington said it was obvious that water was coming into the building from the outside, and that needed to be fixed permanently. He said he feared that the interior product was just a "patch" for the leak.
Talkington said he wanted the contractor to dig the trench so that they could find out if drains were actually installed, and if so, where they were located. He said if the drains are clogged, then they need to be cleaned and a sealant applied to the exterior wall.
"It would be like putting a Band-Aid on the problem," Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis stated. "We could spread the stuff from Bloomfield to Aquilla and water would still be getting into the building."
"We need to find the problem and fix it," said Mathis.
Commissioner Carol Jarrell agreed that the source of the water intrusion needed to be located, and digging up the ground around the wall was the best way to do that.
The commission accepted the a bid of $27,231 from Riverside Roofing, Co., for roof repairs to the Annex next to the jail. That building houses the sheriff's office and other rooms used by investigators. Riverside submitted the only sealed bid on the project.
The proposal calls for removing existing wall flashing, installation of insulation and a Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) roof. Also included are installation of perimeter edge flashing and flashing strip and 24 gauge metal scupper boxes, downspouts, metal edging and counter flashing.
The commission voted 3-0 to award the contract to Riverside Roofing.
The commission also approved taking bids on shower repairs at the Stoddard County Jail. Sheriff Carl Hefner submitted a bid from one contractor, but the amount was high enough that the commission said it must be advertised for bids.
Hefner was to put together specifications so that the project could be advertised for bids.
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