Library roof replacement supported by Newton City Council members

Within the next few years the roof of the Newton Public Library will be replaced, and it is partly thanks to a large donation.

In addition to the $200,000 of general fund money to be used for the project, city administrator Matt Muckler told Newton News some very generous donors from the Diehl Estate allowed for even more funding to be available. In fact, about $500,000 in donations will go towards the design and construction of the roof.

Timelines will ultimately be up to the library board to direct, Muckler said. It is his understanding the board wants to receive bids over the winter to see if the project can be completed during 2023. While there are other aspects to the bidding process to consider, Muckler said this is the most optimal scenario.

The city council made it one of their goals for 2022-2024 to replace the aging roof, which has been leaking for some time.

Newton Library Director Nicole Terry spoke about the roof troubles at an August city council meeting. The signature blue metal roof may look pretty on the outside after a light rain, Terry said, but what is not pretty is the mess left behind on the inside, particularly after a thaw.

The roof was built in 1992, making it 30 years old. Between then and 2003 the roof sustained many leaks. Staff had roofers frequent the facility to address the poorly built structure. Eventually the city pursued litigation over the faulty job. Leaks continued to be a huge problem for the library as years went on.

In August 2009, the circulation office was damaged by a major leak that cost the library more than $3,300 to fix. A few months later the director’s office was damaged by a leak that cost more than $1,100 to fix, but Terry noted the leak still causes issues. Both incidents were described by Terry as “waterfalls.”

“It continues to leak into my office and I have to make sure not to keep any materials in that area because it’ll happen overnight,” Terry said.

By 2010-2011, the library replaced 1,500 square feet of section over by the children’s library for more than $34,000. The section had been damaged by chronic leaks. In 2019, Terry bonded for a flat roof section over the bookdrop for $18,500, but after the pandemic it was pushed to 2022.

The library also succumbed to ice jams and leaks, prompting officials to file an insurance claim in 2020. Architectural firm Studio Melee completed a facility assessment report that same year, recommending the roof be replaced. Library board members have since dedicated Diehl Estate funds to replace the roof.

To make matters even more dire, a new leak has emerged over the 20,000-square-foot building at the very top portion of the roof.

In her presentation to council members this past summer, Terry showed photos of what the library looks like when the leaks hit or when the ice jams occur. One photo depicted layers of plastic covering the carpet near the children’s library. The same image also shows ceiling tiles bloated with water.

This happens every spring, Terry said, after the snow and ice thaws.

Curtis Ehler, owner of Studio Melee, told council members in August that the firm looked at several different roofing options, including shingles, metal and a single-ply membrane. However, all three of those materials are either made of metal or contain petroleum, the prices of which have increased considerably.

Overall, construction materials pricing has gone up about 35 percent, Ehler said.

“We went through those three different options with the library board in March of this year,” Ehler said, noting the board decided a metal roof was still the best option. “…Most of the issues that were related to this one we believe are primarily based on the manufacturer at the time.”

Depending on the manufacturer used for the replacement, prices could fluctuate. Ehler estimated the project could cost $700,000 to $900,000.

“We do recommend replacement,” he said. “It’s old. We think there were certain areas where they weren’t detailed properly.”