Dripping pipes, fire hazards revealed during city’s Government Center tour

Storm water dripping from pipes in the parking lot.

A woman setting aside her walker to hobble down the stairs.

Corroded pipes. And a narrow stairwell that could easily become a firetrap.

Those were just a few of the problems witnessed by a group of community leaders Tuesday afternoon as they toured the Government Center on 10th Street.

The participants were members of the Mayor’s Commission on New Government and Judicial Building. Mayor Teresa Tomlinson convened the group in January to study the possibility of building a new government and judicial center. Members began meeting earlier this month with plans to report to Council and the citizens in the fall of 2017. Those named to the 23-member commission include local city officials, ministers, Chamber of Commerce representatives, nonprofit administrators, grassroots organizers and concerned citizens.

Before taking the tour, the group met in a conference room at the Government Center, where city officials updated them on the building’s latest challenge — a severely corroded pipe that employees found while repairing a leak. The water running through the pipe was 160 degrees.

City Manager Isaiah Hugley said the level of corrosion found on the second floor of the east wing raised concerns about other pipes throughout the building, as well as the safety of employees and citizens. He said he asked staff to place tape on ceilings to alert employees of where pipes are located. The city is trying to determine how pervasive the problem is and looking for space in case there’s an emergency evacuation, he said.

“It’s above the ceiling tile in places where people are obviously sitting at their desks or in a conference room at a conference table,” Hugley said. “So, obviously, if this ruptures, or there’s a severe break in it and it comes through the ceiling tile, onto an employee, or on to a visiting citizen here in the building, it’s not going to turn out good.”

Hugley said employees discovered the corrosion after the mayor convened the commission, which is exploring the possibility of replacing the Government Center. He said the mayor and city councilors all agreed the issue should be addressed immediately. The pipe was replaced and the water temperature lowered to 140 degrees.

One Wednesday, Hugley sent an email from City Inspection and Codes Director John Hudgison, stating that most of the piping insulation had been tested for asbestos and came back negative. But the city is still awaiting results from another area, it read.

“We met with a mechanical contractor this morning who has dealt with this type of project,” Hudgison wrote in the email. “We are working out a plan with the contractor and a mechanical engineer to provide a cost per box, which includes the price for replacing all piping and valves around the box and a unit price for any additional work if the corrosion continues further in either direction.

“To be clear, this repair only extends the life of the existing system,” he continued. “There may be other deficiencies, but we eliminated the potential of the heated water injuring citizens or employees. We do not know the timeline on the boiler, because it is also past its reasonable life, and I have asked the contractor to price a modulated boiler system that is more energy efficient and small enough to be installed in the penthouse.”

On Tuesday, Mayor Teresa Tomlinson and Public Works Director Pat Biegler also expressed concern about the corrosion.

“It’s pervasive, obviously, throughout,” the mayor said. “I think this kind of adds to the weight of what we were talking about before. This fix would require a parallel system to be put in alongside the existing system. At the time they made this building, apparently, they weren’t planning on things being redone or replaced, because a lot of this stuff is set in concrete.”

Those touring the building also included Superior Court Judge Gil McBride, Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Brian Anderson, District Attorney Julia Slater, CSU English Instructor Natalia Temesgen, City Councilman Gary Allen, Liberty Theatre Chairman Robert Anderson and Finance Director Angelica Alexander.

They were guided by city maintenance and security officials in groups of three, climbing stairs and peeking in rooms throughout the complex, which consists of a main tower and two wings. They visited holding cells for juvenile and adult prisoners, and viewed restrooms that don’t meet American Disability Act standards.

“Bats are in both buildings,” said Hugley as one group visited the east wing. “We bring in professionals and they’re able to get rid of the bats, and in three or four months, the bats will return and we have to call them back again. And we’ve had to actually let employees work from home because of bats, bat allergies and that kind of thing.”

Hugley said the heating system, fire exits, security and elevators are a concern in all the buildings, but especially the 12-story tower.

While in the tower, Maj. Mike Massey, of the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, pointed out various hazards. Standing at the security checkpoint, he emphasized security concerns.

“Everybody who enters this building, other than employees who have access badges, has to come through here,” he said. “So if somebody brings something into this building and we catch it in this x-ray machine right here, it’s in here. And it’s in a very vulnerable location in this building if we have an explosive go off. And we have had those come into this building.”

Later, he took the group to a tight stairwell, where the mayor asked the group to imagine what would happen in the case of a fire.

“... If the firefighters are trying to get up and hundreds of us are coming down, just think about it smoke-filled and negotiating this,” she said.

In a previous meeting, Massey said fire truck ladders can only go up to the fifth floor of the building, and people on the fourth floor would have difficulty trying to exit the building through the stairwell. Officials said no sprinklers exist above the ground level.

Massey said it’s a disaster waiting to happen, and renovating the building won’t fix the problem.

“If you decide to renovate this building, these stairs won’t pass code,” Massey said. “They’re going to have to reconstruct the exterior part of the building as well as everything else in here. And those jail cells I just showed you right there won’t pass the justice test.”

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Dripping pipes, fire hazards revealed during city’s Government Center tour."