If you have a hole in your roof, you fix it.
Ignoring the problem, for whatever reason, is not a good idea. The roof will continue to leak and cause further damage to whatever is underneath it.
If that sounds like common sense, you’re right — it is common sense.
That’s why we found it a little puzzling that some members of the Niles City Council didn’t think the same way in regards to the Gallery Building on Second and Main.
The city owns the building and the building has a leaky roof.
The city’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA), which markets the building, is asking the city council for a $100,000 loan to pay for someone to fix the roof.
Is $100,000 a lot of money? Yes. But the roof isn’t going to fix itself.
The roof will continue to leak and, in turn, lower the value and marketability of the building itself.
The city has an investment in the building and an interest in keeping it in good shape.
The DDA says it has gotten interest from several investors who would like to open a business in the building. However, those investors have been scared away by the leaky roof.
If the city wants someone to move into the building, or buy the building outright, they have to maintain it. That starts with fixing the roof.
Many of the council members did not weigh in on the issue during Monday’s meeting, so it’s hard to say how the council on the whole will vote.
The issue was postponed in order to get more information on what it would cost to fix the roof and other parts of the building.
Citizens need to let the city council know how they feel by attending the next meeting, writing a letter to the editor or finding another avenue for letting their voices be heard.

Views expressed in this editorial are those of the editorial board.