The Butler County commissioners Wednesday approved fixing the roof of the new human services office building at a cost to not exceed $50,000.

The work includes the installation of tapered roof insulation and a new rubber top to the four-level building on South Washington Street.

The problem occurred when steel beams and metal sheets for the roof were fabricated and installed flat instead of sloped to drain rainwater into the gutters.

Commissioner Jim Eckstein stressed the approval was necessary to keep work moving on the nearly $12 million project, which has a completion date of August 2015.

Eckstein said the actual expense to the county would be determined later.

“We can fight about the cost later,” he said. “It’s very important to not have a slowdown.”

Solicitor Mike English said between contracts for the project coming under budget and some changes to the scope of work saving the county money, this added cost isn’t an issue.

“We’re not even close to the contingency fund,” English said.

John Campbell, director of county facilities and operations, said in an interview the fund is roughly $500,000.

Vehicle fee discussed

The commissioners disagree whether there is serious consideration of implementing a $5 fee for every vehicle registered in the county.

Under a 2013 state transportation law, counties can assess the fee for every vehicle to generate funding for bridge work. The $5 would be added to the $36 vehicle registration fees.

Although the item was not on the agenda, Commissioner Jim Eckstein brought it up during public comment. He claimed his colleagues are pushing the fee behind the scenes despite the county already receiving natural gas drilling impact fee money that can be used for bridges.

Eckstein called the fee a new tax.

“If (Bill) McCarrier and (Dale) Pinkerton drive the $5 registration fee through, it will amount to over a $1 million tax increase every year,” he said.

The other commissioners refuted Eckstein’s comments, saying after the meeting the topic was only broached.

“There was no decision to do it,” Pinkerton said.

According to the state Department of Transportation, the county could get nearly $1.5 million from the fee’s implementation.

Some vehicles, such as those owned by mass transportation providers and volunteer emergency services, are not required to pay registration fees.