Polička plans to repair the stadium roof; it does not have the load-bearing capacity according to current standards

Polička - The city of Polička in the Svitavy region plans to repair the roof of the winter stadium to meet current load-bearing standards. This year, the repair is unlikely to start. The town hall first needs a project that will meet current requirements. The issue is dividing the coalition and the opposition. Mayor Jaroslav Martinů (ODS) told ČTK that the stadium undergoes an inspection every year before winter, which approves its operation. If there is heavy snowfall, the city must clear the snow from the roof to prevent it from being overloaded.

The winter stadium was put into operation by the city at the end of 1992. Local sports teams contributed to the construction with volunteer work. At that time, it did not have a roof or restrooms. In the following years, locker rooms and sanitary facilities were added, along with a roof over the stand for 800 people. In 2004, the city completed the roofing of the entire winter stadium, which was the first stage of the planned modernization; further stages have not yet been realized.

"Many years have passed, and the stadium is not finished. We didn't have the money for it. The stadium was completed by about 70 percent. About two years ago, insulation fell from the ceiling, which scared us. It was soaked with water. Water reduces the load-bearing capacity of the roof structure," said Martinů.

Every winter, the city company TES Polička monitors how much snow has fallen. They have been doing this since the roof of the stadium in Humpolec collapsed under the weight of snow in 2006. "We monitor the load on the roof from snow; we have been doing this for about 20 years. During that time, the snow has been cleared about three times," said Miloš Grubhoffer, who takes care of the winter stadium. The city receives an annual report on the roof of the stadium, and there are no operational restrictions on the winter stadium, he added.

After discovering that the roof insulation was soaked, the city commissioned project documentation. Companies bidding for the contract objected to the project, claiming it did not meet current standards. Therefore, the city canceled the tender and started over. The second project would likely be financially feasible, but it would still not meet the standards. According to the mayor, it was an acceptable compromise. "Other designers came up with a solution that we wouldn’t have to demolish anything; they suggested reinforcing the hall, but it still would not meet current standards. The repair would be conditional on the installation of monitoring technology to measure snow," Martinů said.

The city allocated 40 million crowns in the budget for the repair of the stadium and approved the project. The opposition eventually discovered that even the second option did not provide a permanent solution and did not meet current load standards. According to Mayor Martinů, it became a political issue. An extraordinary council meeting is scheduled for Thursday due to the stadium. "We want to commission a quality project; we want to know the cost of the investment, and we would like the result to be long-term and safe; we don’t want a temporary solution," said opposition councilor Jiří Trávníček (Opening Polička) to ČTK.

According to him, the council should meet to approve the complete roof repair, meaning strengthening the structure to meet Czech standards. This will enable it to serve for more decades. The opposition also points out that the stadium has still not been modernized. "Three pressing issues should be resolved: technology, insulation, and air conditioning. However, there is not enough money in the budget to do all of this," Trávníček added.