Bee Cave City Hall's $2 million renovations to begin this summer

An unpleasant surprise

City officials at first assumed the leaks were coming from the windows. But when the contractor tried to fix the windows and stop the leaking, it became clear that the leaks were coming from multiple places, Salvato said.

"Everybody was surprised that you have a brand-new building, and then you have water that leaks everywhere," he said. "It comes through the walls, through the windows, under the walls. The only thing that we know that doesn't leak in the building is the roof."

The city in 2010 sued the parties responsible for building Bee Cave City Hall, including the contractor and architect. The city received a settlement of more than$2 million.

The $2 million renovations will replace the windows, stucco and brick in the four-year-old building.

Salvato, who last year identified fixing Bee Cave City Hall as a top city priority for 2012, said he was looking forward to the building not leaking. He said he has faith that the repairs will be done correctly.

"It's a very nice building, and we're going to get it fixed," he said. "Hopefully then it will give the city a use for many, many years to come."

Mayor Caroline Murphy said the leaks have presented a challenge to the city. She said it has been frustrating and is ready for the repairs to be completed.

"We're eager to get started on it," she said.