The "To Do" list of repairs to the 5-year-old Police and Fire station is slowly shrinking.
The $16 million Nahatan Street station opened in 2003, but had a number of outstanding problems and did not receive a permanent occupancy permit until earlier this year.
The original list of needs was substantial and consisted of major repairs and replacements, such as that of the building's heating and ventilation system. It also included smaller fixes, such as leaking showers and insufficient water pressure.
Thanks in part to the formation of a town committee to work directly with Fire Chief Mike Howard to address the building's needs, a number of repairs have been completed.
Committee Chairman and Selectman Bill Plasko said Friday bids are out to fix the windows on the side and back of the building.
Those windows were improperly installed, which caused them to leak.
The windows on the front of the building, which are also leaking, are a different type and consultants are still working to find out how to fix the problem.
"We don't know if it's going to be something as small as adding a little caulking or something along those lines, or a total replacement," said Plasko.
Two other repairs should be completed shortly. Work to fix interior floors on the fire station side of the building is expected to begin shortly, after which the building's apparatus bay doors will be replaced.
The only other outstanding item is the epoxy on the apparatus bay floor, which has been chipping and bubbling in places. The town has tried to patch the areas.
Howard told selectmen last month the patches appear to be holding up well, but it remains to be seen whether it will work as a longterm fix.
"That's something that could be zero (dollars) or $150,000," said Plasko.
Plasko hopes to have a final report and a request for additional funds to Town Meeting.
But Plasko said getting through the original list of repairs will not mean the town can ignore the building.
Howard has asked selectmen to begin thinking about ongoing maintenance, especially with the heating and ventilation system, because he said some repair parts are difficult to find.
"I think the vast majority of our warranties have expired," said Howard.
Earlier this year a cracked furnace boiler was replaced. The boiler was under warranty, but the town had to pay the cost of labor. The station also had a major failure in its heating, air conditioning and ventilation system when a compressor failed - the second failure in the past year.
"Unfortunately, the building is already getting old," said Plasko.
Daily News staff writer Brian Falla can be reached at 781-433-8339 or bfalla@cnc.com.
