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04/26/2017 09:30 AMAfter the Board of Selectmen formally established the Ad-Hoc Library Expansion Building Committee on April 10, the panel has already met, elected an interim chair, and is getting ready to start making some big decisions.
The committee, composed of seven members including Library Director Beth Crowley, Library Board of Trustees Vice President Henry Griggs, Billy Budd, Curtis Graham, George Noewatne, Jr., Mark D. Rolfe, and Woodie Weiss, met on April 19. The committee appointed Griggs interim chair for the time being until committee members settle in.
“I am happy to accept,” said Griggs. “Whatever I can do to help.”
With the committee formed, the next big step is to review and sign a contract with LLB Architects, the firm with which the library had already been working with prior to referendum. Once the contract is signed, the committee can jump into some of the bigger decisions surrounding the design and construction of the building.
The current renovation plan for the E.C. Scranton Memorial Library is a scaled-down version of the plan that Madison voters narrowly defeated in a 2008 referendum vote. Current designs for the building work to preserve the historical architecture while improving the streetscape and expanding the floor plan. The square footage of the building will jump from 17,000 to 37,000 and a 45-space parking lot will be added.
The project to renovate the library has been estimated at $15 million, but thanks to substantial grants and fundraising efforts totaling now more than $4.7 million, the library asked the town to bond for $9.1 million. At referendum on Feb. 7, voters approved the bonding total with 1,897 “Yes” votes to 550 “No” votes.
The first bond anticipation note for the library is expected to be issued in June and will be reflected in the debt service for the town budget in fiscal year 2018-’19. Until the bond is issued, the town authorized a $300,000 special appropriation on April 11 for any pre-construction costs for the library. The money provides cash flow if needed before the bonds are issued and the sum will be reimbursed to the town via the bond proceeds.
In the meantime, the library is still in the process of fundraising to cover the library’s share of the project. The library has pledged to raise $6 million of the total cost of the project. With about $4.7 in the bank, Crowley said the library is reaching out to those individuals who pledged to donate in 2008, but failed to do so after the project was voted down at the polls.
“That is one area where we are going back to see if people are still interested in contributing to the project,” she said.
Construction will likely get underway before the remaining $1.3 million is raised, but library officials have said all contracts can be signed in good faith due to certain trust funds. The library, much like the town, holds certain funds in reserve in the event of unanticipated expenses. Crowley said the library, however, does not want to touch those funds and will continue to fundraise to cover the project costs.
“It’s good fiscal planning,” she said. “We have money in reserve in case we need it for unexpected things that come.”
For now, Crowley is in the process of finding a location in town to hold the library’s collection during construction and said she hopes to make a decision on a location within the next month. The Ad-Hoc Library Expansion Building Committee meets every two weeks on Mondays at 5:30 p.m., for now. Meeting dates and locations will be posted on the town website www.madisonct.org.