A water leak in the roof of the Wingham police station has council undecided on how to proceed.
The municipality-owned building is a central part of the ongoing OPP amalgamation discussion in Wingham, and council was split on how to proceed after a leak was discovered during last week's rainfall.
Director of Recreation and Facilities Pat Newson says North Huron was already holding off on a replacement of the roof due to the OPP discussion, but the leak is substantial enough that it should be repaired immediately in case of another heavy rainfall, or snow accumulation.
However, some members of council said large amounts of muncipal dollars should not be put into a roof repair, as a better solution would be to replace it later.
Others disagreed, saying a short-term repair is the way to go, because if there is an amalgamation with OPP, the building could be empty in six months.
Council voted 3-2 to make $20,000 available to search for quotes on both roof replacement and repair, with Newson saying they will meet with a possible vendor this week to find out what the next step should be.
Councillor Bill Knott was not in favor of bringing in a consultant, and wanted to seek a full roof replacement, noting that at the end of the Wingham Police-OPP discussion, North Huron will still own the building.
"We own the building, and will continue to own it," says Knott.
Councillor Trevor Seip notes that someone is going to have to look at the roof, and fast, because the problem could become much worse if another huge snowfall happens soon.