ELKINS — Elkins City Council approved a more than $200,000 bid to replace the roof of the Phil Gainer Community Center, after high winds tore chunks of roofing off the building last year.

During council’s Jan. 22 meeting, the seven present council members voted to approve a $240,500 bid from Appalachian Roofing & Sheet Metal for the Phil Gainer Community Center roof replacement. Fifth Ward Council Members Cody Thompson and Burley Woods, and First Ward representative Cody Kerens were not present for the meeting.

Council was asked to “accept the lowest responsible and responsive bid,” and authorize City Operations Manager Michael Kesecker to execute the necessary documents and proceed with the replacement project. According to the city’s agenda item report for the bid approval, the project will be paid for with funds from the city’s Financial Stabilization account, “subject to the availability of funds.”

On March 13, 2025, Elkins City Clerk Sutton Stokes informed The Inter-Mountain that “the older section of roof at the Phil Gainor Center blew off” during a high-wind storm that day, and that “debris (was) scattered around the building.” A video from Stokes showed rain pouring into the gym space from holes in the roof.

When asked if this was the same section of the roof that city officials had previously said would need to be repaired after another prior major windstorm, Stokes replied, “That’s correct.”

“It’s pretty substantial (damage),” Phil Gainer Community Center Facility Manager Owen Peet previously told The Inter-Mountain in March. “Basically, the wind took the top rubber roof layer off.”

The damage forced the Phil Gainer Center to close the building’s gym space for a week as a work crew temporarily patched the roof, affecting scheduled rentals and the Center’s ENGAGE after school program.

According to documents provided in the City Council’s agenda packet for the Jan. 22 meeting, three bids were brought forward for the replacement project, with Appalachian Roofing & Sheet Metal offering the lowest bid at $240,500. Action Construction put forward a $248,875 bid while Sutter Roofing offered a $292,000 bid.

In a letter sent to Kesecker by Bryson VanNostrand of VanNostrand Architects PLLC, the architect recommended that the City of Elkins award the contract to Appalachian Roofing & Sheet Metal, as they were the lowest bidder and could be depended on for the project.

“I have found no evidence that would disqualify Appalachian Roofing & Sheet Metal, LLC for the project,” VanNostrand said in his letter to Kesesker. “Further, I have previous experience working with this contractor, and am confident that we have a good company to complete our project.”

Before the council voted to approve the bid contract, Fourth Ward Council Member Andrew Carroll asked Kesecker if the project will replace the building’s entire roof. Kesecker confirmed this.

“We’re going to fix it right and leave it better,” Kesecker told city council members.

Carroll then asked if the project was planned to start in the spring, to which Kesecker explained work would begin depending on when spring arrives.

Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco joked that, with the on-going winter weather, that could be in August.

Elkins City Council will meet again on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Phil Gainer Community Center.