ATHOL – The Capital Programs Committee Tuesday night voted unanimously to endorse passage of a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion to pay for repairs to the roof and cupola, or clock tower, at Town Hall.
Voters will first be asked to approve the proposed expenditure at the annual town election, scheduled Monday, April 6. If the question passes, voters will then decide at the Annual Town Meeting on Monday, June 8, whether to give the plan their final stamp of approval.
The estimated cost of the project currently stands at $825,000, but that figure could change by the time of Town Meeting. The ballot question has no specific budget figure to replace and repair the roof and cupola of Town Hall.
Committee Chair Bob Muzzy noted there are a number of other projects that need to be done at Town Hall, including an upgrade to the front steps and the kitchen, but added the roof and cupola are the more pressing issues.
“I heard through the grapevine they want to do fundraising to pay for the kitchen,” said Muzzy. “They want to do the steps next year.”
Committee member Gary Deyo said initial estimates place the cost of the front steps at around $100,000.
“The thing is, with the kitchen,” interjected committee member Jim Smith, “if (Town Hall) is an emergency shelter, it should not be paid for through fundraising. It should be paid for through federal funding of some kind. The town should not have to pay for something that is mandated. Whatever it takes to maintain it as an emergency shelter should not come out of town funds, it should come from a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) grant, or something to that effect.”
“I think one of the reasons it’s not being addressed right now,” said Muzzy, “is because of the time factor – getting the votes done. We had to do it quick in order to consider the debt exclusion, and we almost missed the boat.”
“That’s priority one, because of the leaking of the cupola,” added Deyo. “We can get by with the others; we’ve gotten by this long. But the cupola needs to get done as soon as possible.”
“This cupola has been a problem for a while,” said Smith. “We can’t let that go much longer. It’s just a matter of time, and the price is just going to keep going up.”
Committee member Gino Tontodonato pointed out that some repairs were made to the cupola about 20 years ago, “But they were meant to be temporary. Now, we’re looking at a more permanent solution.”
“So, I guess,” said Muzzy, “it boils down to do we want to support the article?’
The committee voted 4-0 in the affirmative.
An initial cost breakdown provided to the committee by Town Manager Shaun Suhoski indicated the cost of restoring the cupola, including design and contingency fees, is estimated at $350,000. Repairing and waterproofing the roof and skylight, replacing the flashing, and design work is pegged at about $285,000. Repairing the roof above the Memorial Hall stage is estimated at nearly $20,000. And funds to cover additional contingency expenses and inflation is forecast to be in the vicinity of $164,000.
“How could we not support it?” asked Smith rhetorically.
“It’s just a question of the town voting in favor of it,” concluded Deyo.