Hibbing resident says city sanitation truck damaged garage roof; requests full repair

During public forum on Nov. 6, resident Nancy Erickson of 2724 2nd Avenue West told the Hibbing City Council that on Sept. 9 a sanitation truck lifted her garage roof while collecting her garbage, leaving the structure exposed and damaged.

Erickson said she first learned of the damage from a passerby and later engaged with city staff; she said the city’s insurance adjuster (identified in her remarks as Bob Bursell) inspected the garage and determined the city was liable. Erickson reported the adjuster allowed $4,666.76 minus a depreciation deduction of $713.03, yielding a net claim of $3,953.73, and advised her to obtain a contractor estimate. A local contractor Erickson engaged told her the broken truss would be difficult to replace and estimated full re-shingling at approximately $7,250.

Erickson asked the council to authorize repairs before winter and to eliminate the depreciation deduction; she said she wanted both roof sides shingled to match the house and that the city's insurance carrier had been difficult to work with. Erickson thanked Mayor Hajduk, Councilor Jay Hildebrand and Tina Gladd for returning calls and said she appreciated staff responses.

The mayor noted that the council could not make an immediate decision during public comment but said they would forward her information to the appropriate staff. No formal council action on the claim was recorded in the Nov. 6 meeting transcript.