By JIM BUTLER
Unexpected roofing issues are costing the Rapides Parish Police Jury a quarter of a million dollars this summer.
Jurors got that bad news at a special meeting June 27.
The first item of business was discussing, then approving a change order in the $1.3 million Coliseum Exhibition Hall renovation contract.
An additional $218,000 is needed to correct unforeseen conditions of the existing roof, according to the project engineer – Ballard CLC.
The additional work is expected to extend the completion date 28 days.
Exhibition Hall upgrades are part of a $20 million Coliseum improvements project that entered planning stages a decade ago.
The hall, like the Coliseum, was constructed in the mid-1960s.
At its May meeting the jury, at Ballard’s request, added about $20,000 to the contract for replacing the roof of the Sales Tax Use & Collection Building that is part of the parish complex on La 28 West.
That increased the contract to about $275,000 and added 30 days to the contract limit. The roof has since been completed.
At the special meeting jurors also altered their meetings schedule to accommodate July 4 holiday closings.
Committee meetings will be held job Monday, July 10 and the regular monthly meeting of the full jury will be Monday, July 17.
