The challenges with completing Fire Station 92 have moved past budget concerns and slow construction progress and the project, now six months behind schedule, may be delayed again.

“The city rejected the Fire Station roof due to several deficiencies, including sharp debris trapped under the membrane,” said Ross Freeman, communications and sustainability manager.

The City Council was notified in October that there may be a problem with the roof, after water was observed dripping on the floor after a storm.

At the Oct. 2 Council meeting, Project Manager Amy DeDominicus said that the roof membrane and cap sheet were exposed to the elements, including wind and rain, during installation. The issues with the cap sheet, or at least 95 percent of them, were said to be correctable with patching.

The Council had two options: to tear off the roof and start again, or complete the roofing process and see where the project stood after the rainy season. Patching “isn’t a bad thing,” DeDominicus said, but water under the roof membrane could compromise the structure and its warranty.

The city’s outside roofing consultant recently recommended that a new membrane be installed over the entire roof surface, instead of patching areas of trapped debris.

The contractor, which is Corp Inc., a construction company based out of Salem, Ore., was notified that because it had not provided a suitable corrective action plan to repair or replace the non-conforming work, the city intends to proceed with corrections at the contractor’s expense.

Corp Inc.’s $3.5 million bid — the lowest of 14 presented — was awarded by the Council in November 2013.

“As the issue involves the roof covering and not the structure, I am hoping it can be done while the firefighters are using the station,” Deputy Mayor Dan Grausz wrote in an email update to Islanders, noting that it’s likely that both the roof issue and the city’s claim for delay damages will result in litigation with the contractor.

The Fire Chief anticipates moving in at the end of May, Freeman said.

The formal opening date and station dedication is set for Saturday, July 18.