While recent attention has focused on the $11,300 needed for repairs on the roof of the Main Building at St. Paul’s, the Garden City Board of Trustees and residents were exasperated to learn that the roof of the Garden City Public Library needs $68,000 worth of repairsand the warranty expired in May-during the library portion of the capital budget plan meeting on January 18th.

Garden City Public Library Director Carolyn Voegler’s capital plan for 2012/13 includes a request for $68,000 to make repairs on the 18,500-square-foot roof in order to secure a five-year warranty. She said the roof has been leaking over the past two years. Water was coming through a light fixture in a room where materials are ordered and processed. Water damage is also evident in the Young Adult department near the bookcases and work stations.

“Right now, we are at the end of our five-year warranty for the roof, so what we are looking to do is to extend the warranty for five years,” Voegler said.

However, after being pressed, Voegler revealed that the warranty actually expired in May. The company will not provide a five-year warranty extension until the roof’s condition is improved and all seams are resealed. “Once it is at their standard, they will extend it for five years,” Voegler said.

Voegler was pressured to reveal the truth after Garden City resident Robert P. Orosz began questioning why the repairs were not covered under the current warranty. Voegler then explained that the 15-year warranty expired in May.

Voegler said the library paid $500 for a roof inspection to determine its condition. It will cost $1,000 to get the warranty extension-once the estimated $68,000 in repairs are completed.

Trustee Dennis Donnelly asked when Voegler found out the warranty was expiring, and if there was any discussion to extend the warranty before expiration.

Voegler said she received notification from GenFlex Roofing Systems in May that the warranty was expiring and an inspection was needed. It took six to eight weeks for a certified GenFlex inspector to evaluate the roof and issue a report of necessary repairs.

Donnelly said when six months remained under the warranty, could the work have been done so the warranty would have covered the cost and then been extended before expiration.

“I hear your point, yes,” Voegler said.

J. Randolph Colahan, chair of the Library’s Board of Trustees, explained that there will be four years left after the warranty is renewed.

Village Engineer Christopher Markin said they started looking at the roof in April. “We didn’t think it would take this long to get the extended warranty,” he said. Markin said that there was some discussion of whether or not to replace the entire roof, which would cost more than $300,000.

Orosz expressed concern that yearly inspections of the roof should have revealed many of the problems. “Apparently, there was a lot that was overlooked,” he said. “Something’s wrong there.”

The library has $125,000 in an existing library masonry repair capital project account which was going to be used to offset the cost of masonry repairs. In 2013/14, the library has requested $227,000 to repair the building’s masonry. This money would be used to point and seal the building to protect it from further leaks, replace missing and cracked bricks, restore the lintels and replace the chimney.

Village resident Jon Schwieger asked why the library is not using the $125,000 to make the roof repairs. Voegler responded that next year the library will then need close to $350,000 for the masonry repairs instead of the projected $227,000.

Colahan said the library board is concerned that the Board of Trustees might not approve a capital request next year totaling $350,000.

Trustee Brian Daughney agreed with Schwieger. He asked that the following item be added to the agenda for the next Board meeting on Feb. 2: The Village Board will vote on reallocating $68,000 from the existing library masonry repair capital project account and establishing a new capital project account for library roof repairs.

Garden City resident H. Arthur Anderson said last year’s library operational budget was “decimated.” He asked that the Board make sure enough money remains to keep the library functional.

The Village’s contribution to the library was arguably one of the more controversial issues during last year’s budget process. In February, a heated exchange of words occurred hours into a Saturday morning budget work session between Colahan and Richard Bankosky, who was the chair of the Citizens’ Budget Review and Advisory Committee, when Bankosky suggested that the Village Board of Trustees should consider overseeing the operation and management of the library if the library board didn’t change its attitude. Bankosky was angered by the library’s request for $3,608,000fortheir2011/12budget.OnMarch8,ina7to1vote, the Board decided on a Village contribution of $3,050,000 to the Garden City Public Library.

Markin said GenFlex made repairs any time there was a leak under warranty. Voegler said the last major leak occurred in the summer.

According to GenFlex’s Web site, “To assure roof system performance and to prolong the service life of the roofing assembly, it is important to control access to the finished roof system and to perform routine roof inspections and maintenance. Roof inspections should take place twice a year (in the spring and fall) and after any severe climatic event (high winds, tornado, hail storm, etc.).”