Persistent Leaks at New Beecher Public Safety Facility Prompt Calls for Third-Party Inspection

Article Summary: Less than two months after multiple spot repairs were made, new leaks have appeared in the roof of Beecher’s multimillion-dollar Public Safety Facility, reigniting concerns about the building’s long-term integrity. Village officials are now considering hiring a third-party inspector to assess the roof as the original contractors continue to dispute the cause of the recurring problems.

Public Safety Facility Key Points:

• New roof leaks have been discovered at the recently constructed Beecher Public Safety Facility.

• The issues are similar to previous leaks that required 12 to 16 spot repairs by the original roofing and carpentry contractors just two months ago.

• The contractors have previously blamed each other for the problems, citing issues with nail length and the type of fire-rated wood used.

• With a five-year warranty on the building, trustees expressed concern about costly repairs after the warranty expires and discussed hiring an independent inspector.

BEECHER, IL – Frustration is mounting over the new Beecher Public Safety Facility as persistent roof leaks have reappeared, leading village officials to question the quality of the initial construction and consider bringing in an outside expert.

During the September 22 village board meeting, Superintendent Matt Conner delivered an update on the building, confirming that new leaks have surfaced in different locations from where previous problems were addressed. The news was met with concern from trustees, who are worried about the long-term viability of the roof on a building that cost over $5 million.

“That seems to be… it’s not going to end with that,” said Trustee Brian Diachenko. “We’ve already had two major issues on the roof and we have a five-year warranty on the building. What’s going to happen in six years?”

This is the second time the board has had to deal with significant leaks at the new facility. Conner reported that just two months ago, the original contractors performed “12 or 16 spot repairs” to address the initial issues. At that time, the problem devolved into a dispute between the roofers and the carpenters.

“They were blaming one another for using the wrong length nails and the other one’s using a fire-rated wood that warped over time because it dried out,” Conner explained. “They did find broken nails so they were both pointing the finger at one another and it just turned into a bigger issue.”

While the two companies ultimately worked together to make the initial repairs, the recurrence of the problem has eroded the board’s confidence.

“If they’re both doing ‘it’s your fault, it’s your fault,’ then neither one of them are going to fix it properly,” said Trustee Todd Kraus. “We’re going to be stuck with the bill that should have been fixed.”

Kraus advocated for hiring an independent, third-party inspector to properly diagnose the problem while the original contractors are still financially responsible under the warranty. “Rather get it done right now while they’re on the hook for it if it’s their issue,” he said. Conner said the village could look into that option.

In the meantime, Conner has reached out to JMA, the project architect, to schedule another inspection.

Despite the roof problems, other outstanding issues at the facility are being resolved. Conner reported that HVAC issues have been worked on, new fence gate motors and a back-ordered electrical floor box are scheduled for installation, and drywall repairs in the sally port will be completed this week.

–