DALTON, Mass. — The asbestos in the police station bathroom next to dispatch has been abated. 

 

Building and Grounds Superintendent Jeff Burch updated the board during the Select Board meeting on Monday on the work being done to improve the conditions of the Town Hall basement where the police station is located.  

 

As part of the asbestos abatement, Catamount removed the floor tiles and the subfloor that had mastic on it and discovered contaminated wood underneath. Burch said they are in the process of removing it and rebuilding it section by section. 

 

Initially, the insurance company did not want to cover the cost of repairing the bathroom, but Burch said he convinced them it was a single project. 

 

In June, Police Chief Deanna Strout highlighted a number of issues in the basement, where the police station is located, including plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and cell damage. 

 

She said the location is no longer a viable option in the long term for the police force. A committee was established to examine all the options for a new police station or combined public safety facility. 

 

Establishing a new location will take several years, so in the meantime, the town has been working to improve the station's condition. 

 

In June, the Select Board approved using $4,925 of the American Rescue Plan Act funding to address this. 

 

It also approved utilizing ARPA funds up to $82,000 for the design and engineering of the police station's sanitary plumbing upgrade and ventilation system installation. 

 

The town has sent out requests for proposals to engineering firms to provide schematic designs and cost estimates for a fresh air ventilation system and a new heat pump heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system for both the basement and the second floor of Town Hall.

 

They have received two replies, and Burch said he and Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson like Hill Engineering's proposal.

 

"It was the least expensive of the proposals and [includes] schematic designs and construction cost estimates for fresh air ventilation," Burch

 

He said it would be an energy recovery device ventilation system, which would take out stale air and bring in fresh air in an energy-efficient way so that the space would not lose heating or cooling.

 

It also examines a heat pump design to determine what it would take to get the whole place running on a force hot air system. This would reduce the load on the station's boilers and be more energy efficient.

 

"Their price for this was $26,800 for that engineering, but that is for schematic designs, construction cost estimates that does not include any of the bid preparation, contract administration, or any bidding documents," Burch said. 

 

"But what that's going to do is give us kind of a bigger picture on what the numbers are going to be to make the improvements we need to make over there at town hall."

 

The state Department of Public Health inspected Town Hall and library but has yet to receive the reports. Burch said he went on the tour with them, and there do not seem to be any major issues to be worried about. 

 

Carbon dioxide testing was done on the second floor on a Friday when no one was in the building. Burch said mold and other testing had not yet been done. The town has to wait for the state report to come back.

 

Board members requested that they receive weekly updates on the bathroom construction and the work being done at the town hall. 

 

It is unclear what the final cost will be to address the issues, but Hutcheson said the town may have to hold a town meeting if more funds are needed.