The Park Ridge Public Library scheduled a three-week project beginning Thursday, Nov. 12, to install snow guards on its building at 20 S. Prospect Ave.

The devices prevent large sheets of snow and ice from sliding off the roof, according to a library announcement. The project is expected to take about three weeks.

Work will cover the roof areas north and south of the library's main entrance and the south side of the building parallel to the parking lot. The contractor will use the staff parking area. Public parking will not be affected.

How the project got here

Library Director Joanna Bertucci recommended the snow guard system in February after the building's ice melt system did not perform as expected during snowfall, according to a Building and Grounds Committee memo. Facility Manager John Priala co-authored the memo.

Snow guards work alongside the ice melt system by holding snow in place so it melts gradually, rather than allowing large sheets to slide and refreeze at roof edges and walkways, the memo stated.

Preliminary quotes from three roofers in February ranged from $25,000 to $35,000. Because all exceeded the library's $25,000 threshold for spending without competitive bidding, the project went out to formal bid.

Bids and board vote

The library opened bids on May 7 and received three proposals, according to board packet documents. L. Marshall Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc. of Glenview submitted the low bid at $78,000. G.E. Riddiford Roofing Company of Arlington Heights bid $79,950, and Metalmaster Roofing Inc. of McHenry bid $87,126.

All three bids came in well above the roughly $50,000 estimate. The project scope had been expanded from earlier plans to cover the area outside the Children's Department windows.

Andrew Jose of Green Associates, the project architect, reviewed L. Marshall's qualifications and recommended the firm for the contract. The library board's Building and Grounds Committee voted 7-0 on June 9 to award the contract, according to meeting minutes. Two trustees were absent.

Paying for it

The $78,000 expense was unplanned and unbudgeted. To cover the cost, the board authorized withdrawing $85,000 from a certificate of deposit at Liberty Bank that matured July 3. The extra $7,000 provided a contingency for unforeseen expenses.

The board also amended the fiscal year 2026 Building Improvements budget to $977,636 to account for the spending.

L. Marshall was notified of the award on June 17, according to a July board packet.