The Library Facilities Needs Assessment Committee met at the Hatfield Public Library at 9:06 a.m.
Present: Dodie Gaudet, Susan Gaughan, Harold Green, Sheila McCormick, Lynn Omasta and Mary Williams
Absent: Martin Antonetti, Milton Howard
We reviewed the matrix again and made some adjustments. The final rankings remained the same: the top two sites are a new building near Dickinson and an addition/renovation to Dickinson; a new building near Smith Academy is in the middle; the two bottom choices are renovation of the Center School and addition/renovation of a portion of Town Hall.
Stephen Hale is coming to Hatfield on Monday, January 19 to view more closely the buildings that could possibly be renovated for a new library. He will be accompanied by an engineer. Harold will get keys to the Center School so that Stephen and the engineer can go inside.
Rosemary Waltos of the Mass Board of Library Commissioners (Ann Larson’s replacement) visited the Hatfield Library. She used words such as “deplorable” and “unacceptable working conditions”. According to Rosemary, there will possibly be a round of construction grants in January 2010. If so, libraries have until summer 2010 to submit their final plan. Rosemary sees no reason for LFNAC to go to Town Meeting before the construction grant round is announced.
The Committee debated the pros and cons of presenting the final plan at Town Meeting in May 2009. We should have completed site selection by early February. Exactly why are we going to Town Meeting in 2009? What are we asking the town? What will the warrant say? Many members want to report our results and get a feel for the sentiment for a new library. If it is not favorable, that gives us a year to market the idea.
Wording of the warrant is very important. The warrant will ask the town to accept the LFNAC report, give the committee permission to proceed with the project, and to apply for grants. We are not requesting funding at this point, although since the library will be open to all town residents, we expect the town to pay a portion of the building costs. We also expect to get approximately 50% (maybe a little more) of the building costs from the state and to raise a lot of money privately.
MOVED, SECONDED, VOTED: To ask for a “placeholder” for a warrant at Town Meeting.
MOVED, SECONDED, VOTED: LFNAC requests the Library Trustees to begin the fundraising process. LFNAC will help with presentations.
We need to plan educational programs, forums, meetings, promotional materials, etc.
We will mount the categories of the matrix and the resulting graph on the LFNAC blog. [Harold supplied the materials and Dodie imported the graphic into the blog, but it was too small to read. Harold will see if he can make the graphics larger.]
Sheila has distributed spiral bound copies of the Building Program to Selectboard members and will also give a copy to Louise Slysz.
LFNAC would like to meet with the Historical Commission to discuss the new library vis a vis the museum space. HC meets at the end of January.
Harold will go to the next meeting of the Center School group to learn what’s happening that may have an impact on LFNAC’s plans.
Our next meeting is Monday, January 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Library. Stephen Hale will attend this meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 10:59 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Dodie Gaudet, Secretary
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