City officials discussed much-needed repairs to the Port Orchard Library roof during a recent Finance Committee meeting May 23, as the aging facility continues to experience maintenance issues while awaiting relocation to a new community center.

Public Works director Denis Ryan explained that the city, as the owner of the current library building, is responsible for capital maintenance and repair. The building, a former post office purchased by the city for library use, has long struggled with issues related to its flat roof section.

“We’ve spent much staff time on approaches, repairs, and maintenance to fix the flat portion of the roof,” Ryan said. “Last year, we received a quote of $35,287 to fully replace the flat roof section, which is just over 2,000 square feet.”

Ryan noted that while the city has been trying to delay significant investment in the building, the Kitsap Regional Library system, which operates the branch, has offered to contribute 50% of the cost. The proposed work would install a new roof membrane over the back portion of the building, which was originally a carport when the site functioned as a post office.

The pitched roof at the front of the building was replaced 8 to 10 years ago and is not part of the current issue, Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putaansuu said.

“We don’t know exactly when the building will be going away,” Putaansuu said. “It’s likely the library will be in there for another three or four years, and we can’t have the roof continue to leak.”

The mayor described the structure as “not the best construction,” noting that the back portion was enclosed post-office infrastructure not originally designed for library use.

“We don’t want to put any money into the building at all, but we can’t let the roof leak when we are responsible for it,” he added.

Port Orchard City Councilmember Fred Chang voiced support for the repair, citing delays in the timeline for the new Community Center, where the library will eventually relocate.

“I think we have to take care of the building and make sure the contents are not rained on,” Chang said. “I see the delay more as we don’t know when the community center will be available for them to move because we don’t know when Kitsap Bank is building their building.”

Plans call for the library to be prominently located on the Community Center’s first floor, featuring outdoor covered space with views of the waterfront. The project was outlined during an April 2022 City Council work study session, but a definitive timeline for the move remains uncertain.

The proposed repairs would take place within the next 60 days if approved by the city council.