Dresden Municipal Complex Suffers Storm Damage

Drone footage of Municipal Complex damage

Nicholas Oliver

Close up view of the rubber membrane damage

Nicholas Oliver

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The good news is it’s an insurance claim on their part, and we don’t own that building yet, so that’s all their fault.”

Dresden Mayor Mark Maddox

City of Dresden News Notes

•Retirement of Mr. Delaney

Acknowledgment of Mr. Delaney’s retirement after 21 years of service to the city. Delaney retired on May 10.

•Budget Ordinance 2024-01

Second and final reading of Budget Ordinance 2024-01. Budget passed on the final reading.

•Donation Acceptance Resolution 2024-16

Discussion about accepting a donation of a lawnmower from Stanley Black and Decker.

•Budget Amendment Resolution 2024-17

Explanation of budget adjustments needed for insurance costs and receipt of grant funds.

The construction of the new Dresden Municipal Complex could experience progress delays due to damage undertaken by Memorial Day weekend’s storms.

According to Dresden Mayor Mark Maddox, the roof of the complex was not yet attached. Shingles for the roof had been staged for attachment on Memorial Day weekend, but were blown off due to high winds and suffered damage due to hail inflicted early Sunday morning.

Maddox spoke with contractors who felt like the rubber membranes, which took a lot of hail damage, and they were not comfortable with bolting the membrane down and roofing over it.

“The good news is it’s an insurance claim on their part, and we don’t own that building yet, so that’s all their fault,” Maddox stated.

Contractors for the project believe that they will be able to readily get the material needed to complete the roof and an insurance adjuster will come by Thursday, June 6 where more information will be provided.

“The biggest problem is, over the safe room, that rubber membrane is already attached to the concrete blocks below. If you remember, that's a block room for tornado purposes. And now we've got to go in there and, I don't know, use a heat machine, I guess, to pull that roof off where they can lay stuff back on top of it. So there will be delays. They have not given me a time frame yet as to how long that delay will be,” Maddox explained.

Originally, the complex was estimated to be completed this November/December, but according to Maddox, delays could push that out to February 2025.

The storm damage response for other areas of Dresden caused storm drain issues according to Public Works Director Josh Lassiter who cited several spots where old storm drains and metal pipes have rotted out and are falling in.

The Public Works Department expanded efforts Memorial Day weekend to respond to the city’s damage, including working all day Sunday in efforts to address water leaks and remove debris and trees from roadways.

“All the guys worked all day long trying to make sure all the roads were open,” Lassiter said.

While there is still brush to be picked up, the Department is working on completing all of the clean-up this week.