Summer’s showers will soon no longer be able to threaten theLincoln County Public Library’s precious collection of books andhistorical artifacts following supervisors’ approval Monday of along-awaited project to replace the building’s old, leakingroof.

After half a year of planning, supervisors awarded the projectto low bidder E. Cornell Malone Corp. of Jackson, a constructioncompany that specializes in roofing. The 100-day project will costthe county approximately $147,000 and is scheduled for completionbefore Christmas.

The library’s current roof is in desperate shape, said DunganEngineer PA Civil Engineer Ryan Holmes.

“The old roof has basically outlived its useful life,” he said.”It’s been repaired until it really can’t be repaired anymore.Whenever a contractor goes up on the roof to make repairs, theyjust create more holes. The roof is just completely worn out.”

Holmes said the old roof – an EPDM (Ethylene Propylene DieneMonomer) rubber roof covered with rocks for ballast that dates backto the early 1970s- will be replaced by a modified bitumen membraneroof designed by Siplast of Irving, Texas. The new roof will matchroofing installed on the library’s newest facilities, and will comewith a 20-year warranty.

“The supervisors will have a 1-800 number, and if somethinghappens to the roof any time in the next 20 years, they can callthat number that the contractor will come fix the roof at no chargeto the county,” Holmes said.

Holmes said the contract contains a 5 percent contingencystipulation that reserves $7,350 for extra repairs expected belowthe roof.

“In this particular project, there’s a possibility that theymight have to do some repairs to the metal decking under the roof,”he said. “In the project, we had a specific amount (the contractor)had to include in a bid, and if there’s more, that’s what thecontingency is for.”

County officials were thorough on the presence of thecontingency in the contract, as they are determined not to relive afinancial breakdown experienced years ago on a similar project whenrepairs were made to the jail.

“There was supposed to be a contingency fund, and there wasnone,” recalled board attorney Bob Allen. “What we had borrowedthrough the bond issue wasn’t enough to deal with the job, and wehad to float a second bond.”

Supervisors are making sure the library roof project will bedone, and done right. After the low bid was approved in Monday’smeeting, supervisors immediately approved a second resolution toseek financing for the project.

County Administrator David Fields said the county did not havethe cash on hand for the project currently, as initial bids soughtearlier in the year were aimed only at testing the waters to makesure the project could be carried out.

“We never bid for financing before, we just took the bids to seewhat it would cost,” he said. “Now, we see it’s within reason, andwe’re going to go on and do what we need to get the financing linedup. We’re gonna do the roof, we’ve just gotta get it paid for.”

Once the project begins in late summer or early fall, Holmessaid, the library will be able to remain open during the repairs.The contractor will repair the roof in small, controllablesections.

“They usually only take off enough to repair in a day’s time,”he said. “The public might have to use the rear entrance for aminimal amount of time. But if the contractor has to do any workthat would require obstructing the entrance, they will try to do itbefore the library opens or after it closes.”

Holmes said the only obstruction expected from the project wouldbe noise. Though the noise of construction reverberating through alibrary is a librarian’s nightmare, but library director HenryLedet welcomes the distraction.

“We’ll put up with a lot of discomfort in order to get thelibrary back in good condition,” he said.

Ledet said the approval of the project by county supervisors was”wonderful news,” and he pointed out that recent afternoonthunderstorms had penetrated the building with ease. The old,deteriorating roof had developed a leak into an upstairs room wheremuch of the library’s archival materials are stored.

“We were really concerned,” he said. “But I think everything isOK – we got it all moved in time. The sooner we can get this roofinstalled the better, and we appreciate the supervisors gettingthis done for everyone who uses the library.”