PCPL roof replacement reported complete

Crews work on the final stages of replacing the Putnam County Public Library’s roof. The previous structure had extensive leaks which were unrepairable.

Courtesy photo

With the issues being detailed in June, an overhaul of the roof at the Putnam County Public Library has been completed.

Director Matt McClelland reported Wednesday to the library’s board of trustees that the project was wrapped up by last week. He noted that the last “order of business” was awaiting an assessment from Duro-Last, which provided the materials.

The board was informed earlier this year that the roof had extensive leaks and outdated design issues, which included concrete gutters and rocks as its top layer. The leaks were unable to be repaired with smaller efforts, in which they migrated to other areas.

The board tapped Landmark Roofing as the contractor that came with the lowest bid for the work at $96,528.68. The new roof comes with a 20-year warranty on the material itself and the installation.

The Putnam County Council, which oversees the library’s budget as a county issue, earlier approved $125,000 in additional appropriations toward the repairs.

“They worked really hard,” McClelland said ultimately about the project. “They just did a really good job all around, and we’re very pleased with the work they did.”

In other business:

• Asst. Director Jane Hazelton reported that PCPL had 16 percent of its budget left for the year. This accounted for eventually transferring $50,000 to the Rainy Day Fund.

Hazelton added that the budget for E-books, periodicals, newspapers and non-print will be near or completely spent in the next month. Aside from structural repairs being high, she noted waste disposal tracking high all year.

• The board approved for its regular meetings to continue to be held on the fourth Wednesday of the month in 2024, as well as being closed on holidays.

McClelland noted especially that the library should be publicly closed on Columbus Day, it is being considered whether this should continue to be an in-service day for staff. The other potential is that it would be a day for projects.

• The board passed a resolution acknowledging a cost-of-living wage adjustment. The 3.5-percent increase means the minimum hourly rate for shelvers at $10 per hour, while the base increase for part-time library assistants is $13.

• The board approved increasing PCPL’s credit limit from $5,000 to $10,000. Hazelton provided that this would allow more “breathing room” when it comes to bulk purchases, such as buying multiple new computers at one time.

With Board President Kayla Flegal absent, McClelland and Hazelton were joined by Board Vice President Kristin McClellan, Board Secretary Shannon Green and members Dakota Lanham, Jamie Nees, Barbara Boese and Alan Zerkel.

The next regular meeting of the Library Board is set for Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. in the Kiwanis Room at the library.