Town reviews damage and recovery after lightning strike at Scout/"Scott" Hall

A lightning strike damaged the town’s meeting hall — referred to in the meeting transcript both as “Scott Hall” and “Scout Hall” — and town staff told the Select Board on June 11 that crews and contractors are working to dry, secure and repair the building.

The town’s cable director, Steve Castle, told the board emergency responders and town staff moved quickly after the strike and that TCTV’s equipment was largely salvaged except for the Comcast modem. “All our equipment is checked out well and, except for the Comcast modem,” Castle said at the meeting. He thanked the fire and police departments for their response and said staff were relocating equipment and producing outreach videos while repairs continue.

Public‑services director Bob Surjeck gave a detailed account of the incident and the recovery work. Surjeck said firefighters contained burning in the cupola, crews boarded openings and electricians replaced the main breaker panel after water and dampness affected the service. He said ServiceMaster placed about 20 blowers and dehumidifiers and that moisture readings ranged “from 70–100%” in some areas. Surjeck said the town had arranged asbestos testing and was awaiting the results before some demolition, and that he expected total damages to be in the “between $60,000 and $70,000 plus or minus.” He told the board he expected to ask the advisory committee for the $5,000 insurance deductible for town buildings.

Surjeck also recommended removing the cupola, calling it “a water trap” and a source of heat loss; he said the building is not on a historic register and the change would save on future maintenance and heating costs. He asked the board to place a discussion of Scout/Scott Hall repairs on the next agenda so the board could consider the cupola removal and next steps.

Castle and Surjeck said ServiceMaster, electricians and the highway crew have worked to secure the site, and that insurance has opened a claim and provided a claim number; Surjeck said he was still awaiting contact from the town’s adjuster. Surjeck noted that some items — a small hot‑water tank and the cable modem — were lost to water. He said ceiling and floor conditions in the main room are still under assessment and that flooring outcome will depend on the effectiveness of drying.

No formal action was taken at the meeting beyond the staff request to add the item to a future agenda for further consideration and potential funding of the deductible; board members expressed appreciation for the first‑responder work and relief that no one was injured.

The board did not vote on repairs or on removing the cupola at this meeting. Surjeck said he will return with a damage estimate, asbestos results and a recommended scope of work for the board to consider at a later meeting.