The Town Council agreed this week to seek quotes for the cost of immediate repairs at the town’s Community Center on Norton Street as well as for repair next spring of the front exterior of Town Hall, both identified by the town’s insurance carrier as potential hazards.
An engineering report by Civil Consultants, required by the insurance carrier, said repair of the three arches at the front entry of the Community Center is the more urgent of the two projects. The building houses the Recreation Department and the South Berwick Senior Center.
“We are not sure of the structural integrity [of the arches] so this work needs to be done as soon as possible,” Town Manager Tim Pellerin told the council at Tuesday’s meeting.
The council accepted the engineer’s report and sent it to the insurance carrier on Wednesday. The report did not include cost estimates. Getting quotes on each of the projects is the town’s next step in the process, according to Jennifer Janelle, assistant town manager and finance director.
During the meeting, the council viewed a virtual tour of Town Hall produced by Firefly Media to highlight problems in the building, including cracked flooring in the former Police Department headquarters; exposed wiring in the boiler room and other areas; ceiling water stains that could indicate leaking pipes or roof; and six inefficient air conditioners in the third-floor auditorium that use excess energy.
The virtual tour, posted to the town website on the Town Hall Project Information page, allows viewers to see the condition of the building without town hall staff doing live tours, said Council Chair Mallory Cook. The tour features three-dimensional filming as well as drone-produced video.
Nicholas Lariviere of Firefly Media emphasized that his work is “for photography of the building” and not for inspection purposes. Nevertheless, he stated, “There are many, many building areas that need major repairs.”
The most dramatic portion of the video shows the condition of the front steps of Town Hall, currently off limits to the public due to considerable decay.
Also at this week’s meeting, Pellerin informed the council the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse South Berwick for $164,000, or 80%, of the $205,000 the town spent on recovery from the Christmas storm of 2022, primarily for clearing downed trees throughout town. Another 15% will be reimbursed by the Maine Emergency Management Agency.
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