Sherburne Memorial Library roof upgrades hit impasse

By Evan Johnson
KILLINGTON—Town officials say details regarding liability and insurance are upholding progress on fixing a leaky roof over the Killington town library.
Library director Jane Ramos said the need is dire. “The shingles have failed,” she said. “If you look at the back of the building, you’ll see the shingles are falling off the roof and into the grass. It looks like we’re not going to last the winter.”
Ramos said while they have seen leaks in the roof that was built in 1999, none have been serious.
The town approved $200,000 for the roof project last year. The sole bid for the project came from Roaring Brook Constructors, Inc., at $245,000, and the library would shoulder the additional costs.
One big issue is a builder’s risk insurance policy that would indemnify the contractor if something happened to the library during construction. The library had arranged a policy through its insurer for $661 that would cover the amount of the contract, but the contractor wants the town to purchase a $2,245,700 policy at a minimum earned premium of $5,000.
The contractor also requested a waiver of subrogation from the town that would prevent the town from seeking damages should any damage occur to the library during construction.
Ramos said late November could be too late to start a roof repair project. Should the town and the contractor fail to strike a deal, Ramos said they may have to wait until the spring to seek another bid. The town roads department has agreed to oversee the maintenance of the roof during the winter and will work to remove snow after storms.
“I’m trying to leave the door open if anybody moves off their respective positions,” said Killington Town Manager Deborah Schwartz at the last town meeting.
In the meantime, Ramos said, “We’ve just got to deal with what we’ve got.”