GILL — Four months after a burst pipe flooded its first floor and basement, Town Hall will see renovations completed just in time for dozens to flood into the building for Annual Town Meeting.

“I think Friday through Monday of next week, we should be in pretty good shape,” Town Administrator Ray Purington told the Selectboard on June 5.

The subzero weather over the weekend of Feb. 4 resulted in a pipe freezing and bursting in Town Clerk Doreen Stevens’ office, according to Purington. This caused water to flood into multiple offices, with the Assessor’s Office and adjacent hallway being the most severely affected. Since the incident, Town Hall has been used in a reduced capacity, providing limited public access. Selectboard meetings were held at Slate Memorial Library while work was being done in Town Hall.

The work was undertaken by restoration company ServiceMaster Restore. Remediation included the removal of ceiling tiles and wood flooring, replacement of some wall materials and emptying the basement. Purington said new wood flooring was installed on the first floor last week.

“All my fears about how they were going to marry up the height of the old floor to the new floor, practically seamless,” he said, adding that the floor “looks beautiful.”

Painting and trim work commenced on Tuesday. Workers also began moving displaced office contents back to their intended places on Tuesday, Purington said. As of Thursday, all personnel had returned to their offices.

ServiceMaster’s restoration work, which has cost between $25,000 and $30,000, will be covered by the town’s insurance, Purington said. Insurance will also reimburse the town for electric bills that were inflated by having to run fans, dehumidifiers and other remediation devices. The town will pay for costs associated with flooring, repainting areas that were damaged during the asbestos abatement process and “lots of other incidentals.”

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.

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