Hadley Library Trustees Approve $27,500 Engineering Study of Leaking Library Roof

HADLEY — March 11, 2025 — Hadley Library trustees unanimously approved a $27,500 contract for roof engineering work as water infiltration spread to three new locations inside the building. The board authorized Gale Engineering to conduct a $3,900 review of original construction documents — now in the hands of Town Counsel for a potential liability case — and a $19,500 schematic design for a metal replacement roof, with $4,100 reserved for cost estimation; funds will be drawn from a remaining building grant balance of $88,519. Library Director Patrick said Town Administrator Mike Mason confirmed counsel cannot recommend any legal strategy until a cost estimate is in hand, making the Gale contract a prerequisite. The director also reported that a contractor has been engaged to repair a crumbling subfloor at the main entrance, and that the library has exhausted its stock of matching carpet tiles, which are no longer manufactured. On the budget front, Patrick told the board that a department heads meeting the prior week signaled no funding augmentation for FY2026 and that he is pursuing an unrestricted operating grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, due in April, with a minimum award of $5,000 and potential renewal for four consecutive years.