Work on water-damaged Baker City Hall could start in early May
Published 1:42 pm Monday, April 28, 2025
- Workers had to remove a section of the ceiling, and plaster walls, in the northwest corner of council chambers at Baker City Hall due to water damage from a roof leak in early January 2025. (Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald)
Work could start in early May to repair a roof leak at City Hall that caused significant damage to council chambers on the north side of the second floor in the 122-year-old building.
Renovations to council chambers will follow roof repairs, possibly starting later in May, said Danielle Schuh, the city’s assistant public works director.
Schuh said on Monday, April 28, that the city’s insurance company will pay up to about $220,000 for repairs to the roof and interior.
City Manager Barry Murphy said Monday that he expects insurance will cover most of the cost. The city had a $1,000 deductible.
City officials noticed water damage in the City Hall basement in early January, after a snowfall followed by warmer temperatures and record-setting rainfall on Jan. 3.
Officials then found water damage in a storage room in the finance office, directly below council chambers, and in council chambers itself.
Schuh said the leaks were caused by ice building up in the northwest and northeast corners of the roof. The damage wasn’t widespread, she said, and workers will need to patch or replace some drains, seams and sections of flashing damaged by ice. A roof contractor who examined the entire roof didn’t find any other needed repairs, Schuh said.
Premier Roofing of Richland, Washington, will do the roof work.
The company is also replacing the roof at the city-owned Sam-O Swim Center.
Schuh said the city hasn’t chosen a contractor for the interior work.
She said city officials have to work with the insurance company in choosing a contractor.
Schuh said many city employees and others, on seeing the exposed brick walls in the council chambers after water-damaged plaster was removed, said they like the historic look of the brick.
But she said it’s too expensive to restore the brick, as would be needed to leave it exposed. The brick will be covered as it was before, she said.
The Baker City Council has been meeting elsewhere since February.
The first few meetings were at Quail Ridge Golf Course, but the current meeting site is at the Baker County Event Center, 2600 East St.
The council’s next meeting will be May 13.
Jayson has worked at the Baker City Herald since November 1992, starting as a reporter. He has been editor since December 2007. He graduated from the University of Oregon Journalism School in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in news-editorial journalism.
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