Allen County commissioners were so appalled at the condition of the Humboldt Senior Center that they were on the verge of closing its doors at their meeting Tuesday morning.
A report from Humboldt contractor Joe Weiner on the building sent shivers up their collective spine.
Stagnant pools of water in the basement were so putrid it sent Weiner gagging for air. Stale, musty air hung heavy. Mold clings to many surfaces.
“I got (physically) sick the first three times I went down there,” Weiner said.
Once Weiner realized the extent of the problems, he donned a mask and installed fluorescent lights that illuminated the dim basement for a better look. He also put in a sump pump, one designed to handle solids as well as liquid since some of the water is laced with oozy mud and other particles.
“I pumped out 150 gallons and there’s more,” he said. Broken and ill-fitting plumbing guarantee a constant stream, he said.
“And that’s during the dry weather we’ve had?” asked Commissioner Gary McIntosh.
Sure is, Weiner replied.
Other findings at the senior center:
Electric conduit rusted so much interior wiring was visible;
A cast iron urinal drain cracked like an egg;
Floor joists rotted and â¨broken;
A floor that sags so much it has a four-inch drop.
Weiner got the go-ahead to deal with plumbing and electrical concerns. He already has cleared the basement of much of its mustiness with a box fan and proposed a circulation system to exchange fresh air with that trapped in the basement.
He also has identified a multitude of places where the floor begs attention, although “the tongue-and-groove flooring really isn’t too bad,” just some of the beams have failed enough to permit it to sag. He isn’t all together sure about walls; he is sure the rock foundation needs some masonry attention, though.
With promise of completing electrical and plumbing work by week’s end, Weiner said he would return to commissioners next Tuesday with an updated assessment, and photographs he had taken that give a clear view at problem areas.
If nothing else, “let’s make it safe,” commissioner Rob Francis said.
THE CENTER, at 718 Bridge St., is used by seniors for congregate meals, card games and as a retreat where they can visit with friends and make new ones. It also is leased for parties, reunions and other events.
The center is divided into two parts. One has a kitchen, tables for meals, a television and soft chairs for visiting or relaxing with a book. The other contains two pool tables, game tables and two sets of shelves filled with books.
A partition isolates restrooms for “boys” and “girls,” which Weiner said should be changed.
“The partition isn’t ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant,” he said.
To demonstrate just how out of kilter the floor is in the game area, Tuesday afternoon he laid a level on a table 4 feet wide. When raised enough to justify the level, one end was more than 4 inches above the other.
But, he noted, leveling the floors isn’t an extraordinary chore, just a matter of slowly raising them with huge, fine-threaded jacks and shoring up joists to keep them and the floor right where they should be.
“How about the upstairs,” asked McIntosh, in a visit to the center Tuesday afternoon.
“I don’t know, I don’t have a key to get up there,” Weiner said.
“We need check it, too,” McIntosh said. “We need to fix all that needs fixing and then keep a close eye on the center.”
Humboldt’s is one of four senior centers under the county commissioners’ thumbs. Others are in Iola, LaHarpe and Moran.
Consideration had been given to building a new center for Humboldt near the senior housing complex being constructed at the north edge of town, but a grant to fund it wasn’t approved.
Besides, said Weiner, all patrons he had talked with preferred to keep the center downtown, a preference that commissioners also have heard.
