Library To Get New Roof

ROGERS — The roof of the Rogers Public Library, with its peaks and valleys, has been a problem for many years. Aldermen are scheduled Tuesday to consider a contract to repair the deteriorating roof.

“The building has problems almost from the day it opened,” said David Hook, city facilities development manager. “The air conditioning and heating system has been retrofitted and the roof of the children’s library had several leak problems before we fixed that section of the roof a couple of years ago. Now the roof over the original library building is letting water seep into the building during heavy rains.”

The $296,030 contract with Oliver Custom Roofing calls for a new roof to be built on top of the current one. Oliver Roofing was the low bidder on the project, city officials said.

The original roof doesn’t extend over the eaves far enough, Hook said, which allows rain water to come in contact with the roof seals and loosen the caulking.

At A Glance (w/logo)

City Council

Rogers' City Council at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Enter the building on the northeast corner of City Hall, 301 W. Chestnut St.

On the agenda:

• Amending the airport budget and returning $20,365 scheduled for an apron project. Design work on the project was canceled when airport officials learned the Federal Aviation Administration wouldn't pay for the project this fiscal year.

• Amending a contract with Garve for the design of an apron project.

• Authorizing a $31,400 contract with Garve for the design, bidding, construction and testing of pavement rehab project at the municipal airport.

• Spending $1.3 million from street fund reserve to build the southern loop of the Blossom Way Trail  from Rogers High School on Dixieland Road to First Street and Veterans Park. The Walton Family Foundation is providing a 50/50 grant for the project.

• Spending $150,000 from the street fund reserve to build the Mercy Trailhead Phase II, near Mercy Medical Center.

• A resolution supporting the Northwest Arkansas Razorback Greenway operation and management plan.

• Spending $21,000 to purchase  computers for city offices.

• Applying $11,075 from the Fire Department grants/donation account to an expense account to buy equipment.

• Spending $21,335 to repair the roof of Fire Station No. 1.

Source: Staff Report

“The rain seeps in through the eaves and gets inside the walls,” said Judy Casey, library director. “We had some minor Sheetrock and ceiling tile damage the past couple of years. Nothing major, but leaks none the less,”

No books or other fixtures inside the library have been damaged, Casey said.

A portion of the library has been off-limit to patrons during storms with high wind and blowing rain, Casey said.

“We’ve had to block off a small area to visitors. If they wanted something from that section we would get it for them, but for their protection, we didn’t let them near the area when we had a leak,” Casey said.

The new roof will better protect the area around the eaves and shield the top of the building form blowing wind and rain, Hook said.

“We’re confident the replacement roof will protect the building for years to come,” Hook said.

This is the second effort to fix the library roof, Casey said.

“We bid the project out to the lowest bidder awhile back, but when it came time to do the job, the contractor backed out. He said he couldn’t complete the job the way the city wanted for the contract price,” Casey said.

Work on the library roof is expected to begin within 30 days after the contract is authorized, Hook said.

Casey said she had hoped the roof could have been repaired before the spring rain began.

“I guess we miss that,” she said with a laugh.

“I do hope we can get started and finish on the roof as quickly as possible. I know it may be noisy in here when they work on the roof, but it will be worth it when they are finished,” Casey said.

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