FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- City Council recently approved a $50,000 increase in legal fees related to the Gemini Center's leaking natatorium roof issue. Handling the case is The Vickers Law Group, which will be paid no more than $150,000.

"We started discussing this issue about the roof with the attorney back in November and December of last year," Fairview Park Mayor Eileen Ann Patton said.

"We do have a date in February for arbitration. Any due diligence that has to be done between now and then, we have to make sure we have authorization to be able to pay the attorney."

Because the natatorium roof is only a decade old, the city hired The Vickers Law Group to determine negligence from any of the parties involved in its construction. Earlier this year the city filed an arbitration in the matter.

"We believe we'll have a very positive outcome for this arbitration," Patton said. "I think in the long run this should pay off where we'll get reimbursed some of the money for the roof to put towards corrections of it."

As for the leaking roof, the issue is weather related and only takes place during frigid winter temperatures where leaking was evident. A 2016 Construction Resources study recommended replacing the roof that spans the natatorium, as well as a portion of the fitness area.

"It's a 97,000-square-foot building," Patton said. "We have an issue above the pool area, not the entire Gemini Center. It's our responsibility to get it corrected. So these are the actions we're taking to make sure we correct it property so the Gemini Center can stand for generations down the road."

Fairview Park Director of Public Service and Development Shawn Leininger said the city plans an estimated $1.65 million fix, which calls for the replacing of the rubber flat roof over the swimming pool area, as well as a portion of the slope to metal roof that's over the fitness floor. Leininger said the two roofs are tied together.

"City Council just approved us to go out to bid in the next couple of weeks," Leininger said. "That means just before the Christmas holiday we should have bids back."

Patton said the plan is to start the roof repair in April with a summer completion date. During construction, Leininger said there will be times where either the leisure pool (lazy river, waterslides) or competition pool will be closed.

"This is a facility issue that has to be addressed," Leininger said.