Hingham Select Board Approves $80,000 Library Chiller Engineering Contract

HINGHAM — November 4, 2025 — Hingham Select Board approves $80,000 engineering contract for aging public library chiller system. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to hire Allied Consulting Engineering Services, Inc. to design a replacement HVAC chiller at the Hingham Public Library, with full funding already available in the FY26 library capital budget. Library trustee and operations committee chair Steven Weiss and Director Linda Stone warned the board that the 2001-era system is failing and replacement parts are no longer manufactured, raising the possibility of a summer closure if the chiller gives out before a replacement is installed. The actual chiller replacement cost is expected to far exceed the $580,000 placeholder in the capital plan and will likely require a separate warrant article at the spring 2026 annual town meeting. The board also ratified a mid-term Teamsters Local 25 supervisors contract amendment — adjusting DPW start times from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. and adding a $300 essential-employee stipend — and approved a victualler license for a new Tropical Smoothie Cafe near the Stop and Shop on Lincoln Street.