Genoa Church repairs in progress

Staff Reports

The first test of Genoa's management agreement with the county was a flooding emergency of sorts. The blower motor on the town church furnace failed over the Martin Luther King Day weekend resulting in frozen pipes.

Genoans expressed their gratitude to Lisa Granahan on Tuesday for swinging into action, getting the heater fixed and connecting with contractors to repair the pipes supplying the bathroom and the church's fire sprinkler system.

Granahan reported that the furnace motor failed on Jan. 14, the day the church was reserved for a memorial service. The memorial was moved to the town hall with the help of Genoa chairwoman Kitty DeSocio.

Granahan said the furnace was 24 years old and work on the church made it more practical to replace it rather than try to repair the motor.

Anderson Heating was called and a new furnace installed for $2,575. Jackrabbit Plumbing looked at the water pipes and determined there were only a few leaks.

While the water was turned off to the fire sprinkler system, there was a concern that the system might leak on the church's carpet, so plastic was spread out to protect the church. Town board members authorized repairs to both the pipes and sprinklers.

This is the second year in a row the weather has affected operation of the town church. In 2006, the New Year's flood blocked access for the church. Rental of the building for memorial services and weddings is a source of revenue for the town.

The church was rebuilt after the Genoa Fire of 1910. The fire sprinklers were installed in 1992.