Pepperell Selectmen Transfer $60,000 and Set Special Town Meeting on Police Station Mold

PEPPERELL — January 6, 2014 — Pepperell selectmen voted Monday to transfer $60,000 from town reserves to begin fixing a mold crisis at the public safety complex and scheduled a special town meeting for February 3 to seek more money. Town Administrator John Moak told the board that the HVAC system is spreading mold spores throughout the building and that total repairs — including remediation, carpet replacement, and engineering — could run $120,000 to $150,000, well beyond the Finance Committee's roughly $67,000 reserve balance. Police Chief David Scott said three or four employees are showing symptoms of mold exposure and that one officer developed adult-onset asthma he may now attribute to the building. The board voted unanimously to transfer the $60,000 to police department repairs, to schedule the February 3 special town meeting, and to begin seeking a mechanical engineering firm immediately to evaluate HVAC replacement options.