Leaks on the ground floor lead to relocation of employees to the second floor | Local news

SHAFTSBURY – The water seepage problem at Cole Hall is so persistent that city employees working on the ground floor are being temporarily relocated to the second floor of the historic building, which houses city offices.

The issue came up at the board meeting on August 5. At the time, the leaks appeared to be related to heavy rains. Town Clerk Marlene Hall said the water intrusion problem was resolved by installing new windows several years ago and suspected the problem was due to water seeping through the walls.

“When we talked about it at the last Select Board meeting, Marlene noticed that the windowsills were soaking wet,” City Administrator Paula Iken said at Monday's Select Board meeting. “This isn't just one thunderstorm. This happens all the time.”

“It’s still leaking and the problem still needs to be fixed.”

Iken said she has hired two engineering firms to examine the building and assess the problem, but has not yet received a response. In the meantime, the assessor will move upstairs, as will the town clerk, after the Mount Anthony Union school bond vote on Sept. 10. A large copier and the computer server will be moved upstairs and wiring will be provided for temporary workstations for the relocated employees.

Both Iken and Jennifer Holley, the city's incident coordinator, said they were concerned about the weight of the items, particularly the numerous filing cabinets, that would need to be brought upstairs. Iken said she would ask Shaftsbury Fire Chief Joseph Vadakin to see if the second floor can support the additional weight.

“I'm very nervous about having to bring all the filing cabinets up. They're extremely heavy,” Holley said. “The building isn't built for it.”

“This floor isn't built for it,” Iken said. “We have nooks and crannies we can put them in, but depending on what Joe says, we might need somewhere outside for a few months.”

Work on Cole Hall and the development of a nearby green space and community centre are the subject of ongoing discussions. A new community centre building is planned as part of the project, being designed by the Community Centre Development Committee (CDCC). Whether the centre building will also house municipal offices is still under consideration.

At its Sept. 5 meeting, the Select Board agreed to consult with the Bennington County Regional Commission to see if climate resilience or other historic preservation grants are available to pay for a consultant to determine the cause of the water problem and find solutions to it.

According to the city's website, Cole Hall was built in 1834 by Uriah Cole from stone quarried from the nearby Cole Farm. It originally housed a Universalist church. Later, the Cole heirs donated the property to the city on the condition that it could not be used by any religious sect other than the Universalist Church, but for municipal purposes. The city's government has been located in Cole Hall since 1973.

In a related matter, Iken provided an update on the demolition of a house and barn on property near Cole Hall that the city purchased for the community center project.

“The project is halfway done. The barn is demolished and work is going on the house this week,” she said. “(Contractor) Matt Morse is doing a really good job and we're happy that he's recycling everything. Concrete goes in one place, metal goes in another.”

Matt Mose Excavating's bid of $48,000 to demolish both buildings was accepted, and demolition of the house was well underway by Tuesday afternoon.