FAYETTE — The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday to award a $55,700 contract to James and Whitney Co. of Chelsea to replace the Public Works garage roof with AdvanTech sheathing and PBR metal.

The decision followed months of deliberation and consultation with the contractor.

Town Manager Mark Robinson introduced Troy Trimble, an exterior specialist from James and Whitney Co. who attended in person, quality control manager Jeremy Whitney and sales manager Richard Zampini, who joined via Zoom.

“The original proposal that Troy presented was back on Aug. 21,” Robinson said. “We went through several meetings as a board, we asked for Troy’s professional opinion about using AdvanTech. There has been a lot of discussion. You decided as a board that James and Whitney would be the preferred contractor to negotiate the job.”

Trimble presented an updated proposal, recommending AdvanTech sheathing as the preferred material for the project.

Whitney elaborated on the benefits of AdvanTech over CDX during the meeting. “CDX is a great product when you don’t have tongue and groove. AdvanTech is definitely the preferred sheathing for this type of application because of the tongue-and-groove application,” he said.

Trimble explained that tongue-and-groove roofing uses wooden planks with interlocking edges that fit tightly together, creating a strong, smooth and visually appealing surface often used for exposed ceilings or roof decks.

“We have a garage erected in 1972, a metal frame,” explained Robinson. “There currently is no sheathing. There is simply the insulation wrapped over that metal and heavy gauge metal screwed into the metal rafters.”

Trimble clarified the scope of the project, which includes removing the old roofing, installing AdvanTech sheathing, and adding PBR metal roofing.

“The AdvanTech is giving you a water barrier you don’t have now,” he said. “Without that AdvanTech sheathing, it is just leaking into the building. And right into the insulation.”

Chairperson Lacy Badeau addressed the visible deterioration of the roof. “I appreciate that you took photos of the roof,” she said. “I think it is important to see how much deterioration there is.”

The discussion shifted to concerns about insulation, which was not included in the project quote. “The time to replace is when you are taking the roof off,” Robinson noted. “Spray foam is a winner.”

However, Badeau remarked, “There is a lot of controversy over spray foam.” Efficiency Maine was mentioned as a possible resource for insulation assistance, though Badeau described it as “a big maybe.”

After awarding the contract, Whitney expressed his gratitude, saying, “I just wanted to say thank you very much for awarding this opportunity.”