Six months after the Town Hall basement was damaged by flooding, the Town Council returned to their chambers for the first time this year.
The council held their first meeting in the new chambers on Feb.12 and were impressed with the new desks, wall closets and, for the first time in its history, dimmable lights.
“Look how clean this is,” Council President Justin Pare said as he entered the room. “This looks all so clean and brand-new.”
According to Communications and Information Officer Taylor O’Neil, the town spent $158,198.04 for repairs, with a majority being spent on replacing items that were lost during the flood. The remaining funds were allocated towards refurbishing the floor, removing water from the area, and testing for any environmental hazards such as poisonous air and sanitation. The basement had been vacant after staff discovered a water leak on Sept. 11 caused by a series of flash floods that evening. The Town Council chambers, elevator and Lenore’s Pantry were all significantly damaged, with approximately 10,000 gallons of water flooding the basement.
During the time the Town Hall basement was unavailable, the Town Council held meetings at the Woodcock Administration Building. Councilor Dan Donovan said that while he had no issues holding meetings at the Woodcock Building, he was glad to be back in the council chambers after six months.
“It felt like you were not in your own house,” Donovan said of the Woodcock Building. “It feels good to be home.”
