Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

Although it did not turn out as bad as the initial report, the wind damaged roughly half of the roof on the Genesee Street structure. Some roofing material dangled over the side of the building Wednesday morning. Debris fell to the ground and blocked a driveway leading to the rear parking lot. 

McNabb-Coleman told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV it appears part of the roof's perimeter became loose and the wind got underneath it, which ripped the roofing material away. With a waterproof barrier gone, water began to enter the building, mainly in the legislative chambers and a caucus room on the sixth floor. 

The county office building was closed Wednesday for a damage assessment. The roof was where most of the damage occurred. One outer window was broken by debris. There was some damaged ceiling tiles in the legislative chamber and wet spots on the floor. 

Because it was an emergency, the county could act quickly to fix the roof. McNabb-Coleman said Gary Duckett, the county's building and grounds superintendent, made calls and found a DeWitt company, WCA Roofing and Sheet Metal, that could do the work on short notice. The firm brought in a crane Wednesday to begin the roof repairs. 

The county entered into a time and materials contract with WCA Roofing and Sheet Metal, according to McNabb-Coleman. She did not know what the final cost of the project would be, but it will likely be covered by the county's insurance. 

With a crane on site and WCA ready to do the work, the decision was made to close the county office building for the rest of the week. 

"We didn't want people to have to navigate around that and we didn't want the folks that are doing the work to have to navigate around a fully operational county office building," McNabb-Coleman said. 

The work was estimated to be completed by the end of Friday, McNabb-Coleman said. The fix is temporary and should last through the winter. It will allow the county time to plan for the installation of a new roof on the building. 

The timing of the storm damage comes as county lawmakers are preparing to consider options for the future of the county office building. McNabb-Coleman said those options will be presented by the county Legislature meeting in February. 

Regardless of what option is selected, the size of the roof won't change. 

"It's a good investment for the long term," McNabb-Coleman said. "We want to make sure the next roof we put on is done right and can last as long as it can." 

Barring any delays, the county office building should reopen Tuesday. The county will observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday.