Windsor Town Manager William Saunders updated the Town Council on Nov. 9 about continuing capital projects and noted how the Windsor Town Center Roof Replacement and Moisture Repair project is underway.

“A Notice to Proceed was issued, of course, to Adelphia Contracting for the project to commence on Oct. 4 (and) conclude by Dec. 4,” Saunders said, reading from his Nov. 9 memo to the council. “The project began on Oct. 12 with the demolition of the gymnasium roof. As of this writing, demolition and replacement of the gym roof continues; demolition has begun on portions of the lower roof.”

He stated that thankfully there was no water intrusion during the recent storm events.

“There will likely be a change order due to rotten wood framing beneath the gutters and flashing,” he said. “Once they got that opened up, they realized that. That’s not part of the unknown flashing from the beginning, the sheeting. That’s steel sheeting that we had discussed at the time of the acceptance of the contract. This is wood framing just around the eaves and the boxing on the structure.”

Council member Walter Bernacki confirmed that part of the contract for the project addressed potential mold mitigation, and then asked, “When they open that roof area up with the rotten wood, is that something they investigate for then, in that area, and address at that time so we’re not doing that from below?”

“I believe the rotten wood in question is the boxing and the eaves of the structure,” Saunders replied. “I don’t believe it’s any sheeting that actually is a barrier between the interior and the exterior like the steel part is. This is kind of the structure on the outside corner of the building, it supports the gutter and the flashing on the outside. So I don’t think that’s going to be a factor.”

Saunders said it has been reported to him recently that there have been a couple areas where some rust on the sheeting has been seen, and none of those were due for replacement.

“There’s a type of treatment that they put down on the steel before they put the new materials down, and the engineers felt like everything that they’ve seen so far is able to just be treated and decked over instead of having it replaced, so we haven’t had to replace any steel decking yet,” he said.

Bernacki asked, “Is that a benefit in the contract, the fact that was part of it, or will that be a change order for the treatment?”

Saunders replied, “That’s probably going to keep the pricing about the same without having to change orders to buy steel decking.”

Council member Kelly Blankenship asked if the steel decking was not part of the contract, and Saunders said, “There were unknowns about how much steel decking may have to be replaced. It’s not part of the original policy.”

He said that since no steel decking has been replaced yet, town staff is proceeding with the same price expectation, except for the wood, which he had not gotten a change order on yet.

During his capital projects report, Saunders highlighted the Duke Street and Virginia Avenue Water Main Replacement project.

“The Virginia Department of Health has determined that the changes to the routing of the new water main around the Duke Street property will not trigger a resubmittal of the plans for review,” he said. “And the easement exhibits and deeds of easement have been created and are complete.”

Windsor Mayor Glyn T. Willis asked what was next on the project.

Saunders said, “It is going to be approaching the residents of Duke and Virginia to discuss the acquisition of easements with them. Some will be construction easements that are temporary, like we’re planning to replace some of the water meters that are close to the house, bring them closer to the street, and then once the work is done, the easement expires. Some are permanent easements around the main itself that have to be acquired.”

The third capital project Saunders addressed was the Shiloh Drive sidewalk, which has been experiencing some erosion.

“Isle of Wight County, VDOT and the contractor are working on a resolution for the erosion,” he said. “VDOT’s going to pull the ditch again to try to get as much moisture away from the area prior to reinforcing the area.”

Willis asked if the plan was to apply some riprap, which protects soil from erosion due to concentrated runoff, and Saunders said he thinks that is the plan currently.