NORWICH – The roof at city hall needs to be replaced, and with more and more repairs becoming necessary to make the building an efficient office location, a decision on whether or not city offices should be moved to the third floor of the firehouse needs to be made.

Department of Public Works Superintendent Carl Ivarson told the members of the Public Works / Public Safety Committee that the roof replacement would most likely cost in excess of $150,000.

For several years, Ivarson explained, the council has been going back and forth on the decision, and maintenance to the building has been put off, awaiting the decision – but it can’t be put off any longer.

The costs of the roof replacement are high due to the fact that the sheathing, underneath the roofing on the former railroad depot will have to be replaced, and the copper flashing adds a significant amount.

Mayor Joseph Maiurano said the committee needed to take two things into consideration, the history of the Norwich City buildings and the inefficiency of the current city hall. “Historically, all of the city offices were always in one building,” Maiurnao explained, adding “the layout of the building (the current city hall location) is not conducive to the effective operation of an office.”