Politics & Government

City Hall Roof Repairs OKd

Public Works Director Sheila McGauvran told the budget commission on Monday afternoon that the fix will cost about $60,000.

It started with — of all things — a punchbowl.

A Woonsocket City Hall employee had used the otherwise-festive accessory in a fourth-floor office for another, less joyous reason, Public Works Director Sheila McGauvran explained to the budget review commission on Monday afternoon.

"I thought it was pretty funny, except that it was catching water dripping in from a roof leak," McGauvran recalled.

After calling in a local contractor, McGauvran said, three areas of leaking water were identified, and two of them were repaired quickly.

"The third repair, which was the most substantial — over the punchbowl — turned out not to be able to be repaired" as easily, she explained. "Everywhere [the contractors looked], the interior underneath the rubber membrane was completely saturated. All of the insulation and the sheeting, and that whole roof, is shot."

McGauvran explained that the flat roof now requires complete replacement, at an estimated cost of $60,000.

Chairwoman Dina DuTremble then asked: "Where's the $60,000 going to come from?"

The city currently has a public facilities account of some $40,000, McGauvran replied, with the rest possibly taken out of other so-called "contingency" accounts, like the snow removal budget.

"We can see where we can transfer money from, and keep our fingers crossed that we don't need it elsewhere," McGauvran told the commission. 

"Maybe it won't snow this winter," Council President John Ward joked.

"Right — we'll cancel winter," McGauvran added in jest.

Mayor Leo Fontaine explained that the roof "has been in rough shape for a long time — so it's not something where we really have much of a choice," and suggested that the money could be found in the contingency line items of the city budget. "I think this certainly would fall under that definition."

If the contingency budget doesn't have enough money to cover the roof repairs, Fontaine said "there are personnel line items that have not been utilized because of vacant positions" that could be the source of the additional funds.

Commissioners voted 3-0 to allow McGauvran to issue a request for proposals for the work.


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