Hooksett Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis says the ceiling of the Police Department is poised to crumble on top of him.

Poor insulation, bursting pipes and melting snow account for the majority of concerns in the 12-year-old Hooksett Safety Center complex. But that’s just in winter.

During the summer, Agrafiotis said, downpours often lead to officers strategically placing buckets and trash cans around the building to catch leaking water. Bug infestation is another hot-weather problem.

“I used to pick up the bugs in the conference room prior to commission meetings,” he said. “I stopped doing it.” Police Capt. Jon Daigle said a combination of poor construction and minimal maintenance over the building’s 12-year life has led to the conditions the department currently works in.

“That first summer when we first moved in, it started leaking when it rained,” Daigle said. “It’s still leaking now.”

Throughout the years, the town has replaced ceiling tiles and pipes, but only after the tiles collapsed and the pipes burst, Daigle said. The water damage has ruined expensive electrical equipment and is likely breeding mold spores, he said.

Daigle said it is frustrating that no one can seem to pinpoint where the problems originate. Another setback is the reality that the town only has one part-time building maintenance employee on the payroll.

Working 20 hours a week, it is impossible for one individual to address all the building concerns in town, Daigle said.

“I think it boils down to nobody knows exactly what the problem is,” Daigle said. “I’m not even sure what the answer is.”

Agrafiotis said the department was dealing with a hot water pipe that had burst on the first floor and flooded the armory and storage areas on Thursday, Jan. 18.

Interim Town Administrator Carol Granfield said the myriad concerns are worth consulting with an architect to see what areas of the safety center need addressing.

“It sounds like it’s been one thing after another,” said Granfield, who saw the first-floor water damage Thursday. “I think it needs evaluation beyond what our people can do. It’s unfortunate that when all this first happened 10 years ago, we didn’t jump on it.”

If Hooksett voters approve the $14.6 million operating budget recommended by the town council, a full-time building maintenance employee could be hired.

Town Councilor Bill Gahara, who also toured the safety center that Thursday, said the building needs more than just new ceiling tiles and insulation. “Obviously, this is a huge problem,” Gahara said. “To put a Band-Aid on something like this constantly is not good.”