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Photo by Hank Lohmeyer The planned closure of town hall for mold “abatement and remediation” is scheduled for Thanksgiving week. Town trustees are scheduled to meet on Thursday, Nov. 8, to finalize and approve closure plans and funding for the work.During the Cedaredge Town Hall closure currently scheduled for Nov. 20-25, the drop box for water and sewer payments will not be available.
Town administrator Katie Sickles explained that during the mold abatement and remediation work scheduled for Thanksgiving week, the payment box would not be a secured payment option and so it will be taken out of service temporarily.
There won't be any alternative drop-box payment location established during the town hall closure. The drop box will be re-established for payments when offices at town hall re-open, currently scheduled for Nov. 26.
To make sure November payments for water and sewer arrive in time, Sickles said the town is suggesting they be mailed. The mailing address is P.O. Box 398, Cedaredge, CO, 81413.
Only the town hall staff will be affected by the closure, Sickles said. The police department will remain in service and public works department will work its normal Thanksgiving week schedule taking Thursday and Friday off.
Sickles said that the Delta County Dispatch Center, 874-2015, is the number to call to reach staff concerning necessary routine town business during the week of closure.
Results of air sampling in town hall have convinced town officials that the presence of mold spores has reached levels where work removing mold from the building is necessary.
A roof sealing project was completed last month. Sickles confirmed that some years of leakage from the roof has probably contributed to the presence of mold in the building.
The five-day closure being planned for Thanksgiving week will provide workers the opportunity to remove all carpet from the building, including the Cedaredge Area Chamber of Commerce office next door.
The Surface Creek Community Services Food Bank will also suspend operations while the work in town hall is taking place. (See related story.)
The work that is planned includes "removal of contaminated building materials (including any found in walls) antimicrobial treatment to areas of concern, removal of all carpet with replacement in office spaces and inexpensive surfaces for other portions, and adding air purifiers within office space."
A notice circulated by the town states the cost of the work at about $45,000 including the roof sealing that has been completed.
The town has monitored air quality inside the town hall for years and has now decided to take the step of treating the mold problem. The town's information advisory also stated, "Improving air quality is of the highest importance to staff that are exposed without the option of introducing fresh air daily, however the town is recommending additional precautions to be carried out by the food bank and chamber. For more information contact town hall." The number for town hall is 856-3123.
The board of trustees has scheduled a special meeting on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. to approval final plans and funding of the town hall work.
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