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Lakeville trustees flag unusually high library water bills, sprinkler and fire-panel defects
Summary
At the March 26 meeting, the Town of Lakeville Library Board of Trustees discussed unusually high water bills tied to irrigation and longstanding sprinkler-system problems found during a recent inspection, and directed staff to pursue follow-up with public works and vendors.
The Town of Lakeville Library Board of Trustees examined a series of unusually large water bills and several sprinkler- and fire-panel problems discovered during an inspection, and asked staff to follow up with town departments and contractors.
Board Chair Ruth Gross said the library's water costs are “scary high,” noting the line item is “914% over budget,” and asked staff to investigate whether the library is being billed for irrigation at multiple sites.
Library Director Jennifer Jones told trustees the irrigation system and billing have been a chronic problem. She said the main meter “is connected now” across sites and that the sprinkler timer appears to be running on an old schedule. Jones recommended staff check whether the library is paying for irrigation on another site and to explore changing sprinkler run times and vendors where appropriate.
The discussion grew more urgent after Jones summarized the results of a recent fire-panel inspection. She told the board inspectors found “a long standing problem with a lack of a flow switch on the big main pipe,” meaning “if the sprinkler system had been going off, it would not have alerted the fire panel.” Jones added inspectors also found a battery charging problem that may require replacing batteries or, if charging is at fault, replacing control components.
Trustees pressed for clearer next steps. Gross suggested staff observe the sprinkler cycles “early in an evening” to verify what runs and when; Jones said she will follow up with DPW and ask Franklin and Paul (town staff referenced) for timelines on the proposed well and irrigation work. Nancy Lovebabe noted the library’s irrigation system is over 20 years old and several heads have been patched rather than replaced.
The board discussed short- and long-term options: adjust timer cycles (Jones said it had not been changed since a youth-camp schedule was set), have DPW check for leaks, and consider full system replacement when budget and town approvals allow. Jones said the well installation timeline was not yet specified.
Trustees also asked questions about operational risk and public-safety implications if sprinklers were to activate without proper panel notification. Jones said the fire panel’s low battery would alert staff if it reached a critical level; otherwise the next formal inspection is scheduled for February or March next year unless earlier alerts occur.
The board directed staff to: (1) clarify whether the library is billed for irrigation at multiple town sites, (2) ask DPW for the well/irrigation timeline and whether the town will contract the well installation, and (3) request a follow-up inspection or interim check on the fire-panel battery charging status.
Trustees framed the discussion as an operational and budget issue rather than a formal policy action; no formal motion was taken at the meeting.
The board will revisit the item when staff report back with invoices, DPW timeline and any recommended repairs or bids.
