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Leaky roof underlines need for maintenance agreement at civic complex

Leaky roof underlines need for maintenance agreement at civic complex

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Leaky roof underlines need for maintenance agreement at civic complex

A& P urges director to pursue contract

news@theeveningtimes.com

Maintenance agreements.

Businesses use them all the time to ensure things like signs staying lit, parking lots keeping swept, landscaping remaining neat and HVAC blowing hot air in the winter and cold air in the summer.

The Eugene Woods Civic Center did not have such an agreement for the air handler on the roof. It leaked, and the leak trickled down onto some of the brand new ceiling tiles in the main room.

The ceiling tiles are part of a massive facelift to the facility, along with acoustic tiles on the walls, new paint, tables and chairs gracing the main flatfloored room. The upgrade includes new technical equipment, a cabinet full of technology for new speakers, microphones, retraceable screen and video projector, all of which have already been installed. All that remains to take the new-look center live is a phone line and a little programing.

“We are just waiting on the last phone line to be installed,” said RiverPAC director Joe Beasley. “That’s when our contractors will come back to do the programming and that is all there is left to do.”

The A& P provided the seed money for the project hoping to make the building more attractive for meetings, but before the first PowerPoint slide could be shown, the air conditioner leaked. Fortunately, an inspection revealed only a few of the ceiling tiles were ruined from the clogged air conditioner overhead.

“Yesterday, the air conditioner leaked from the roof and messed up the ceiling tiles you all just replaced,” said Civic Center Director Kimberly Hamilton. “They got the air back running. It was clogged up again and the filters have been changed. We don’t have a maintenance program if something stops or breaks down.”

A& P Commission chairman Frank Waggener, rolled his eyes, slapped his hands on the thick meeting packet and scoffed when he heard the news.

“Why don’t we have a maintenance program?”

asked Commissioner Troy Keeping.

“It was never approved,” said Beasley.

“Did we receive it back?”

asked Councilwoman Ramona Taylor. “Again, items we bring up need to stay on the agenda until we vote them up or down.” “If you gave it to city purchasing, why didn’t you follow up?” asked Keeping. “We pay you to do that.”

Beasley indicated it slipped through the cracks with the changing of the guard in the purchasing department.

Keeping shifted the focus to ongoing maintenance at the civic center.

“What do we do to reach out to get a maintenance program?” asked Keeping.

“You can get a company to come out and change your filters and maintain.”

Waggener turned to Beasley and directed him to get a maintenance contract.

“Our director ought to do it, right?” said Waggener.

“Look into getting a maintenance contract for our equipment.”

Taylor noted that many items are fumbled. New carpet in the civic center to go along with the other updated appointments had fallen off the agenda, as well as talks about a multipurpose arena.

“These items need to stay on the agenda until we act on them,” said Taylor. “We commissioned an economic study for the arena. It has been back for a long time and we’ve heard nothing.”

By John Rech

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