Tamworth library says rooftop solar kickoff may be delayed; trustees weigh $1,200 roof analysis

Mary, a representative of the Cook Memorial Library, told the Tamworth Select Board on April 22 that a rooftop solar project funded through a U.S. Department of Energy grant has a May 13 kickoff meeting but may be delayed because the governor and Executive Council have not yet appointed a technical monitor and a Davis-Bacon compliance contractor.

The delay means the project’s timeline is uncertain and the library trustees are weighing whether to spend roughly $1,200 for an engineer’s roof analysis now, before the grant is fully authorized, or to wait and rely on the project contractor to perform a roof check after funds are formally available.

The library representative said the Department of Energy project officer is coordinating funding through the New Hampshire Department of Energy, but the Executive Council appointments — required to move some grant contracting steps — were not on the council’s late-April agenda. “So you can see that this project, even though we’re having the kickoff meeting in May, may or may not be ready to go at that point,” Mary said.

Trustees discussed options for a roof check. The contractor the library had been working with previously said it does a roof analysis once it starts a job and does not install until the analysis is complete. A local engineering firm, Horizons, quoted $1,200 to perform a roof analysis based on plans the library can provide. Mary told the board she has about $1,700 left in the buildings-and-grounds, miscellaneous projects line and that spending $1,200 on the analysis would likely prevent a planned ADA faucet repair in the library bathroom.

One Select Board member asked whether only a structural engineer could perform the analysis; Mary said the conversation indicated a structural engineer would be appropriate, though she was exploring lower-cost options (including contacting the original roof contractor because that contractor keeps an engineer on staff). “It’s like, do we want to spend that $1,200?” she said, describing trustees’ reluctance to use limited local funds on a requirement that may have been added later in the grant process.

Mary said she has asked the contractor for any updated pricing and will press the Department of Energy contact for clarification of the new roof-analysis requirement. “I’ll push back. I’m happy to do that,” she said, adding the project must be completed by the end of 2026 under the grant terms.

Trustees also briefly discussed exterior painting of the library building. The conversation covered timing, the need for lead-certified painters because of lead paint concerns, grant timing constraints for moose-plate or similar grants, and whether to prepare an RFP now. The trustees said they would draft an RFP for painting; the library representative said she had an estimate of $17,500 from a lead-certified contractor and would work with staff on timing.

The board and library trustees agreed to monitor the May 13 kickoff and return with updated contractor pricing before committing library maintenance funds.