A new roof will soon top the Oconto Falls Community Library after the City Council gave the thumbs up to move forward with the project Sept. 8, largely due to financial support from local manufacturer ST Paper.
“We’ve been going back and forth regarding the library roof for quite a while,” City Administrator Vicki Roberts said.
The project has been on the finance committee’s agenda for the last two or three years. The city budgeted $45,487 this year for the roof replacement, but estimates for the project exceeded that.
The estimated cost for the total project is $77,710.
ST Paper mill manager Steve Lea saw a July 22 story in the Times Herald about the city’s struggle to pay for a roof and contacted the city administrator to offer support.
“After I read the story in the paper I contacted Vicki to see if we could help,” Lea said.
Since then, the business has donated $25,000 to the city toward the library roof project.
The shingle roof is the original roof placed on the building at 251 N. Main St. when it was built in 1991.
Over the years there has been damage caused by ice building up and then melting, resulting in seepage into the furnace room. Wood sheeting under the shingles damaged by the water seepage will be replaced.
“We don’t know if there is any other damage,” Library Director Joan Denis said. “The furnace room is the only place we’ve actually seen physical damage.”
In July, the city sought new bids for replacing the roof with shingles or metal and received two responses. On Sept. 8, the council reviewed the bids and voted unanimously for a metal roof.
“The metal roof would be preferred,” Alderman George Stuckey said,.
The council voted to accept a labor bid from Steffens Roofing Inc. of Oconto Falls in the amount of $36,215.
The project includes removing the existing roof, repairing and replacing damaged wood sheeting, and installing steel fascia and soffit.
The second bid from PHD Roof Doctors Inc. of Fredonia was $44,640 for labor for a metal roof.
According to Alderman Mathew McDermid, the materials estimate is $4,1494.17 from Oconto County Lumber.
“The only thing not included in the project is some damage to the stucco on the front pillars,” McDermid said. “That will be addressed in the spring.”
Denis said she is pleased the project is moving forward.
“I think it’s going to be gorgeous,” she said. “A facelift to the library will benefit all of Main Street.”
Matt Steffens from Steffens Roofing said he expects to begin the project by late December, and that the project will be finished in about three weeks.
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