GLOVERSVILLE -- The $1.5 million modern City Hall, with construction lagging about 2 1/2 months behind schedule, could be occupied sometime in the early fall, city officials said today.

Yesterday, crews at the Frontage Road construction site completed the enclosing of the building, which was scheduled to be done before winter set in late last year.

Mayor Eugene D. Reppenhagen and City Engineer W. Steven Seaboyer concurred that the project is lagging behind schedule. Because of that fact, the new municipal building will not be completed in the spring.

Seaboyer estimated that the work on the one-story modern-design building could be completed by the end of the summer and that all city offices could be moved into it sometime in the early fall -- possibly September or October.

As far as reasons for the work falling behind schedule, Seaboyer pointed out that there were some minor problems with some of the subcontractors, but attributed the major contributor being the weather.

Last fall, the mayor pointed out that the project fell 45 days behind schedule for the reasons of weather and the delay in the arrival of steel, which was delivered about three weeks late.

He said at that time that there was a conflict between the general contractor, Cozzolino Construction Corporation of Albany, and a subcontractor, West Side Structural Company of Watervliet, which led to the delay. "However, the mayor would not explain that conflict.

The construction crews did install the exterior Sheetrock in the fall to allow work on the interior by plumbing and electrical contractors to continue throughout the winter. Meanwhile, the final work that completed the enclosure was the roof which was finished yesterday.

Perched on top of the roof is a pine tree, symbolic in the construction industry of a job completed (in this case, the finishing of the roof and complete enclosure of the building).

Insulated roofing panels were placed on the roof and subcontractors are now working on the laying of asphalt papers and the eventual spreading of the hot asphalt. Mayor Reppenhagen said.

With that under way, the major concentration is focused on the interior of the building and plumbing crews are continuing their work. Seaboyer also pointed out that work on the heating system for the building, which will be a heat pump, has been started by Campito Plumbing and Heating of Latham.

All of the city departments will be housed in the building of approximately 20,000 square feet, with the exception of the fire department and the recreation department and Civil Service Commission which will remain in their respective buildings.

In addition to that, general construction crews are beginning to install the studding for the partitions that will be erected in the very near future. Insulation as well as the Sheetrocking of the interior also is continuing, Seaboyer said.

There was a minor ice problem in the south end of the building, where the police department eventually will be housed, but that ice has been cleared from the site. The problem was caused by the open roof during the winter months.

Mayor Reppenhagen said that with the building completely enclosed, work should "speed along" in the interior. Concerning exterior work, he said that the work on the final brick facing should begin sometime next month or in April.

The plumbing contractor is Mike VonStetina Plumbing and Heating of Scotia, while John M. David Inc. of Gloversville is the electrical contractor.

All of the city departments will be housed in the building of approximately 20,000 square feet, with the exception of the fire department and the recreation department and Civil Service Commission which will remain in their respective buildings.