Sparta Approves Process To Begin City Hall Roof, HVAC Replacement

City of Sparta officials launching the process to replace the City Hall roof and HVAC system.

The Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Thursday night to accept bids for the two projects. Mayor Jerry Lowery said he received pictures earlier this week during a heavy rain event, showing it raining harder insider the building than outside. Lowery said because the HVAC unit sits on the roof, it might make sense to do that first.

“If we change, put a new roof on and don’t touch that unit, and then it goes bad, then we’re tearing a new roof off and cutting holes and stuff to repair that,” Lowery said. “So I think we need to look at it as one big project altogether, and that’s probably what we need to take bids on.”

Public Works Director Dillard Quick said a new HVAC unit could mean different line cuts to get inside the building, meaning cuts into a brand new roof.

“You’ll have to get the roofer to come back out here and reseal,” Quick said. “So it’d be better to do it all at once, because the unit is just as bad as the roof.”

Quick said the city has been patching roof issues for at least a decade. The roof leaks have impacted the ceilings in the building as well.

In other business, aldermen approved the purchase of a 300 horsepower motor and vertical pump for the water plant. Aldermen also approved the bid for seal coating and striping of city parking lots.