Cairo board approves $45,180 emergency contract to remediate mold at public library

The Town Board of Cairo on Jan. 21 approved an emergency contract with Carr and Daughters LLC to perform mold remediation at the Cairo Public Library, voting 3–0 in favor of Resolution No. 2025-049. The contract award is for $45,180.00.

Board members took up the item during a special meeting in Town Hall after reviewing two company estimates and a third-party mold assessment. A SERVPRO quote was listed at $53,827.18, while Carr and Daughters offered the lower $45,180 estimate that the board approved.

Why it matters: Town officials said the remediation is intended to remove visible mold and prevent future recurrence in a public building whose collections include local-history materials. The board’s discussion focused on whether remediation should include HVAC system work to prevent the mold from returning, how long the work will take, and how the town will handle books and documents exposed to mold.

Mike Carr, owner of Carr and Daughters LLC, told the board he agreed with most findings in the industrial hygienist (QUEST) assessment and said "the mold seems to be coming from the actual HVAC system," adding that the HVAC system should be addressed before cleaning to avoid recurrence. Carr said he could complete the work in four days if necessary but that "a 2 week period is the best timeline" to fully address the building and collections.

Meeting materials and discussion described the SERVPRO estimate as covering remediation tasks — HEPA vacuuming, carpet steaming, hard-surface disinfection, removal/disposal of affected materials and containment — but not reconstruction such as replacing sheetrock or insulation. SERVPRO’s materials noted a mandated 10-day New York State posting before work could begin, an anticipated three days of remediation plus one day of duct cleaning for their approach, and clearance testing by a third-party industrial hygienist with results expected in about 24–48 hours.

Supervisor Watts said when filters were removed from the library HVAC they were "black," and that "there was definitely some neglect," emphasizing the board’s desire for thorough work and to avoid unexpected extra bills. The transcript also records a comment from a SERVPRO representative, who said he was local and "disappointed with how long this has taken since the library approached him in the summer," urging care in selection beyond price. The former library director, identified only as Deb in the record, questioned contractors about book-cleaning and preservation options; meeting notes indicate some local-history items may require special freeze-drying rather than disposal.

Resolution No. 2025-049, "Approve to Hire Contractor – Cairo Public Library Mold Remediation," was offered by Council Member Bogins and seconded by Supervisor Watts. The roll-call vote was Supervisor Watts — Aye; Council Member Bogins — Aye; Council Member Cords — Aye; Council Members Flaherty and Murphy — Absent. The motion carried. The board adjourned at 6:51 p.m.

Next steps recorded in the materials indicate a mandated 10-day posting before certain vendors may begin work under NYS guidelines, remediation activity and HVAC cleaning or fogging as recommended by the selected contractor, and clearance testing by an industrial hygienist before reconstruction work would begin. The Town Clerk filed the meeting minutes as submitted by Kayla L. McAlister.