Fire Station mold repairs could top $200K

Chico >> Fixing the mold and water intrusion problem at Fire Station 5 will likely cost the city about $120,000 to $200,000 more than initially approved, according to a report by Public Works Director Ruben Martinez.

Martinez emphasized Friday he was still reviewing calculations and not all the numbers are represented in his staff report for Tuesday’s City Council meeting. He planned to study his options over the weekend to have more details for councilors Tuesday, and then present a final report at the May 20 meeting. “Will the number be in there somewhere? It’s possible but it also could be higher than that,” Martinez said.

The city has already expended slightly beyond the $25,000 councilors approved in November, and needs significantly more to complete the necessary repairs. Whatever the repairs are, they must ensure the envelope of the building is water-tight to prevent any kind of intrusion that would create the opportunity for mold and serve as a warranty for insurance purposes, Martinez said.

“We do the roof then water gets in elsewhere and we are going to be back in a few months with more mold,” he said. “How far do I need to go to make sure that is not going to happen to us down the road?”

Mold remediation began on the station in December, when the City Council decided it could not know about the presence of mold and take no action, even though spore counts were higher outside the station than inside.

Because of the risk that the mold will become airborne once remediation begins, the city determined firefighters who occupy Fire Station 5 could not continue to be housed inside. The Fire Department arranged for a trailer to house firefighters to ensure there would be no lapse in service. They have been using it for the last five months.

Martinez hopes the repairs can begin this summer. The goal is to make the station habitable again.

“We are going to do everything we can to get them back inside that building as quickly as possible,” he said. “The sooner we can get to what we need to do on the building, the sooner we can get them in there.”

Public works has taken money from its existing facilities repair program and pushed it forward so it is isolated for fire station repair. The funds will make a significant dent in minimizing the financial impact of the needed repairs, Martinez said.

“I think we scraped together $150,000,” he said. “We are pushing some projects off. We definitely had some savings in fire stations 3 and 4.”

Also Tuesday, the council will consider reintroduction of the plastic bag ban ordinance, which the council introduced on a 4-2 vote in late March. Because the council’s action did not include revision of dates relating to when reusable bags can be provided free to customers, it must be reintroduced.

Councilors will also consider directing staff to prepare a resolution in support of federal and state regulations for labeling food that is genetically modified or contains genetically modified ingredients. The council voted 4-2 to agendize the discussion per Mayor Scott Gruendl’s request.

Gruendl said evidence is building that demonstrates health risks associated with the use of GMOs, which is why several major public health groups and 60 other countries encourage the labeling. Citizens have a right to know what they eat, he said.

The council will also consider directing staff to amend the municipal code related to nondiscrimination. The Council voted 4-2 at the last meeting to agendize the discussion, per a request from Rev. Jim Peck on behalf of the Hate Crimes Task Force of the Stonewall Alliance Center.

Tuesday’s agenda also includes two public hearings — one a resolution declaring weeds, rubbish, refuse and debris a public nuisance and ordering abatement and removal, and the other on the final allocation plan for the city’s $739,228 Community Development Block Grant award and $267,246 HOME programs allocation.

The council will also consider an $18,000 supplemental appropriation for a police radio infrastructure assessment. The police department’s radio system continues to experience serious system failures and this assessment could provide some temporary fixes and include recommendations for component replacements. Tuesday’s meeting begins ar 6:30 p.m. in the Chico Council Chambers, 421 Main St.

Contact reporter Ashley Gebb at 896-7768.