Funds sought for continued Town Hall auditorium repairs
Community Preservation funds will be sought to pay for completion of Town Hall auditorium roof repairs and interior renovations.
Director of Municipal Maintenance David Menard on Tuesday received the unanimous approval of Selectmen to apply for approximately $600,000 in Community Preservation funds to pay for the work.
Community Preservation funds come from a surtax on property values above $100,000 and from state matching funds. Overseen by the appointed Wareham Community Preservation Committee, the money must be used for historic preservation, open space preservation, recreation and affordable housing. Any request approved by the committee also needs approval by Town Meeting voters.
Tuesday's vote was support for Menard to ask the Community Preservation Committee to ask Town Meeting for the funds under the umbrella of historic preservation.
Menard's estimates show that it would cost $190,000 to complete work on installation of a rubber roof and $417,680 for interior work. He told Selectmen that the interior work would include plastering, wiring, painting and a new sound system.
In approving Menard's plans, all three selectmen present at the meeting urged him to include the installation of acoustic ceiling tiles or other noise-deadening elements to improve the room's acoustics.
In other business at a near-record-short 15-minute meeting, Selectmen agreed to send a letter to the state Department of Transportation supporting a request for conversion of a privately owned static billboard at 3077 Cranberry Highway to an electronic billboard.