Jerome will have to send out new bids on the Hotel Jerome roof as it looks to work with the leaseholders to make improvements. Asbestos was found in the roof. Councilwoman Alex Barber had noted the possibility last meeting.
Councilman Hunter Bachrach said the best solution is likely to encapsulate rather than remove the material, as it is containable and not the kind that can be inhaled. The new bids could be higher than initial plans.
At the Tuesday, March 14, meeting, council also moved to place the issue of building preservation on its next meeting, due to the collapse of the old Cuban Queen bordello.
“When you live in Jerome, you become a keeper of history, like it or not,” Vice Mayor Jay Kinsella said. “We lost a conerstone.”
The town will also move ahead with its audit at the end of the month. It expects to have several findings but CPA Megan Trout, who has been working for the town, said no fraud is suspected.
The town reported that as of February, it began receiving payments from Airbnb for short-term rentals. It is not expected to affect the bottom line, which has slumped slightly, as individual renters using the service paid taxes themselves before, according to the town.
