by Frank Schroth

Bill Ritchie, Director of Consolidated Facilities, confirmed this morning that there was a failure of the solar panel structures on the roof of town hall that resulted in several falling off the roof. Mr. Ritchie said many look loose and a crane is being brought in today to remove all the remaining panels. There are ~140 in all.

Mr. Ritchie, who has been involved in maintenance and engineering for over 20 years, said,”I’ve never seen anything like this. [The priority] is to make it safe.” It is not known at this time what caused the structure to fail. A thorough investigation is going to take place. The immediate task is to remove the panels. Mr. Ritchie along with Building Inspector Joe Prondak have determined the town hall structure is sound and safe. However, Mr. Ritchie does have concerns that there may be roof damage that could results to leaks in the building.

[Editorial aside – Mr. Ritchie is an amazing guy and an incredible asset to this town. Other officials, most recently Police Chief Wells, have given him a shout out. It is richly deserved.]