ROCKPORT — Employees of the town's Health and Planning boards returned to their respective offices last week following the completion of a project to remove asbestos from each office's ceiling.
The recent asbestos removal effort originally stemmed from work completed earlier this year when the town installed an elevator in Town Hall. Asbestos was also removed from the building during that construction work.
According to Town Administrator Michael Racicot, contractors hired by the town completed the work last week at a cost of slightly more than $13,000. The work was funded partly by a reserve fund transfer authorized by the Finance Committee, but the bulk of it was paid for using surplus Board of Health money carried over from the end of the last fiscal year.
Racicot said employees moved back into their offices — located downstairs at Town Hall across from the restrooms — after receiving positive air quality tests results.
Public Works Senior Field Coordinator George Robertson helped the contractors complete the work, even staying until 1:30 a.m. that Saturday to make sure the job got done.
Racicot offered the town's thanks to Robertson at the Board of Selectmen meeting last Tuesday.
"It's nice to recognize employees when they go above and beyond," Racicot said.
Planning Board member Bill Dwyer also expressed his thanks.
"Thanks for getting the office done," Dwyer told Racicot and the selectmen. "It's much nicer and healthier than it was."
Each office also received a fresh coat of paint, Racicot said.
The Building Study Committee, Capital Improvement Planning Committee and selectmen have placed renovations and a possible addition to Town Hall among their top priorities. The selectmen last week approved putting a debt-exclusion override up for a special-election vote Nov. 25 to raise $894,400 to acquire the Granite Savings Bank building for general municipal use, housing a number of town offices, or perhaps all of them during a future Town Hall renovation project.
Racicot, however, said there are no immediate plans for more asbestos work or other construction at Town Hall in the short term.
"There is not anything planned right at the moment," Racicot said Friday. "(Asbestos removal) is expensive and you have to make sure everything is out (of the offices) and done on the weekends when no employees are around."
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
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