Town hall roof finally fixed

WINSTED » The roof of Town Hall was almost entirely replaced in recent weeks, according to Town Manager Robert Geiger, with the aim of stopping leaks in the home of the municipal government.

Among other tasks, bidders were asked to strip one layer of existing roofing and install shingles to the entire pitched area of the building, according to town-compiled specifications for the project.

Shoreline Restoration LLC was contracted to complete the project, according to Geiger.

The East Haven-based company submitted a $37,500 bid — the lowest received for the project, according to documentation. Elite Roofing of Norfolk sub--

mitted a bid of $45,680, while Manchester-based Silktown Roofing offered to do the job for $57,400. Geiger said that the roof was due to be replaced and had begun to leak, which prompted the work.

“It was past its life-expectancy,” said Geiger.

Officials have known that the roof needed repairs for the last three years, according to Geiger, and the need had become particularly acute — small leaks had sprung in various parts of the roof and pieces had been found lying in the yard.

“(There were) just small leaks here and there,” said Geiger.

The need to repair the roof was noted in April 2016, while the Board of Selectmen developed a capital budget for the 2017 fiscal year, and in April 2015 as well.

Tarps on the fourth floor were catching water, Mayor Althea Candy Perez said last year. Funding for the project was not included in that year’s budget, according to past reporting.

Funding for the project was drawn from the municipal operating budget, Gei- ger said, as opposed to the capital budget. Money left over after the 2017 fiscal year was available to cover the expense, he said, so he went ahead with the project.

BEN LAMBERT / HEARST CONNECTICUT MEDIA The Winsted Town Hall roof was recently repaired and largely replaced. Above, the roof before the work was done.