Report of the Ad Hoc Capital Committee

Background
This committee was charged with looking at the potential capital expenditures facing Granby over the next ten years.  We were asked to accomplish this by using, where possible, past studies of the buildings in Town, updated for current conditions, and informal cost estimates.  The purpose of this study is to give the Town a broad perspective on all the major capital expenditures the Town could resonably expect to be facing within in the next decade. 

We expect that there will be a relatively limited amount of funds tha taxpayers will make available for capital expenditures during this time.  This will not allow Granby to create ideal solutions to the Town's problems.

Furthermore, the sheer monetary cost of potential projects make it clear that the Town will have to find some solutions that in many instances are far from the ideal choices for the problems the Town faces.

 

Granby Public Library

The Granby Public Library is the municipal facility most in need.  The minimum recommended size for a Public Library for a Town with Granby’s population is 10,500 square feet.  The current library building has 2,500 square feet.  It was built through a Carnegie Grant in 1917 for a population of fewer than 1000 people, with a projected capacity of 5,000 volumes.  The Library building has remained fundamentally the same since 1917.  Today, ninety-three years later, Granby’s population is over 6000, and the same building with the same square footage serves as its Public Library, with a collection of approximately 27,000 volumes.  This insufficient space has had a definite impact on Library services.

The State of Massachusetts has agreed to support Granby in building a new Library with a grant of almost $1 million if Granby were able to include the Library in the secondary school building complex.  That particular plan has recently been rejected by the committee looking at the problems of the School buildings.

 

However, this indicates to us that the State is aware of the current situation, and that the Board of Library Commissioners has funds to support library construction.  Our estimate is that they would provide approximately a 50% reimbursement for a free-standing library building.  So a $2.0 million investment by the Town could build a library worth almost $4 million.

The Library’s current location at the end of the common does not lend itself to expansion.  The Town does not own enough land there to accommodate a larger building of the required size and provide the required parking.  Informal discussions with an architect have told us that it is very difficult to try to add to a Carnegie Library and have the addition blend into the original architectural design.  Additionally, the land itself, because of ledge, would not be easy to build on.  Those four problems, at least, would have to be overcome before an addition could be considered.  There would certainly be additional costs.

 

Another possibility has recently arisen.  With the purchase of a building for the Council on Aging, the Aldrich property will soon be available.  If the buildings currently on that property were razed, there could be enough room to locate an appropriately sized Library building and accommodate the necessary parking.

We would recommend that the Town explore locating a new Library building on the Aldrich property.  This could be a near-ideal solution for one of Granby’s larger capital problems.

 

The full text document of the Report of the Ad Hoc Capital Committee can be found down the page under "Trustee Meeting Minutes." 

 

Board of Trustees

Trustee Meetings

Held in the lower level of the library.

The next meeting is set for Monday, September 13th. The group will be meeting promptly at 6:30 p.m.

Meeting Minutes

 

April 2010 Trustee Meeting Minutes
Posted on Jul 13 2010
Board of Trustees >>

Granby Free Public Library Trustee Meeting Minutes

 

 

 

Meeting Date:  April 12, 2010

 

Present:           Virginia Snopek, Carol Battersby, Leah Condon, Nancy Evren, Gwen Morrissey, Bridget Roy, Renee Still, Jennifer Crosby

 

Absent:            Dianne Barry, Amy Kimball

 

Visitors:          none

 

 

The meeting began at 6:40 pm.  Minutes from our previous meeting of March 15, 2010 were read and approved with corrections.  All in favor.

 

The Granby Historical Commission sent a letter to Virginia regarding the painting and siding of the library (see attachment) with their recommendations for the updating of the outside of the building.

 

An e-mail from Virginia to the Town Administrator, Chris Martin regarding Royal Touch Painting was read to the Board.  Chris said he asked them for an updated price based on the new current wages.  He is waiting for a reply.

 

The library’s website has included a link to the Ad Hoc Capital Committee report with its municipal building findings.

 

Virginia attended the last Friends of the Granby Library meeting where she asked the members if they would be able to donated $50,000 towards the feasibility study for a new library building.  They will donate the money.  The Trustees are very grateful for their support.

 

Chris Martin e-mailed Rosemary Waltos asking how the MBLC came up with a figure lower than the $200,000 for the feasibility study.  He is going along with her recommendation that $100,000 will get us through the October 5^th letter of intent deadline.

 

There will be a Special Town Meeting April 26^th in which two articles will be presented asking the Town for approval of the feasibility study and approval to apply for grants.  Virginia encouraged all Trustees to attend this town meeting.

 

Virginia e-mailed Planning Board Chair Emre Evren regarding the Ad Hoc Capital Committee report and the Aldrich Hall site.  He told her to contact Jim Trompke, the Public Safety Complex Building Committee Chair to discuss septic and well water concerns.  Dick Bombadier called Virginia to let her know that the Public Safety Complex’s site plan never downsized the size of the septic system, even though it downsized the size of the building.  He said it was possible for the library to tie into the Public Safety Complex’s system should the library choose to build on the Aldrich Hall site.  This would be a dramatic cost savings.

 

The next item discussed was the raising of money to construct the new library building.  Ideas were given out on how to have fundraisers: auctions, mass mailing to celebrities, etc.).

 

Amy Kimball has chosen not to run for re-election to the Board of Library Trustees.  She has been a great supporter and hard worker for the library and will be missed.  As of this meeting, no one has taken out nomination papers to fill her vacancy.  Names of interested parties were given out and Virginia will contact these individuals to see if they are still interested.

 

Marty Jewett and Dave Desroisers’ names have been added to the Library Building Committee.

 

April 24^th is the Book and Bake Sale.  Volunteers are still needed for the afternoon, as well as baked items.  A sign-up sheet is posted next to the check-out desk.

 

Library Director’s Report:  Lisa Lanno asked if she could run programs this summer out of the pavilion.  But our pavilion policy clearly states that only non-profit organizations can rent the library’s pavilion.  Jenn will let her know that we cannot allow her to charge a fee for programming if she wishes to use the pavilion.

 

Jenn is still working on writing up a Facebook page policy for the teens in the library.

 

Renee asked Jenn about the landscaping around the pavilion.  Virginia will review her notes from previous meetings to see who else was contacted.  Jenn will contact these companies for quotes.

 

Carol asked about the urns in front of the building.  Because of the drainage issues and deterioration, Virginia will contact the Highway Department to see if they can remove them.

 

 

Warrants in the amount of $2,477.80 and $526.45 were unanimously approved. 

 

The next meeting will be held May 3^rd, 2010 at 6:30 pm.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 pm.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

 

Nancy C. B. Evren, Secretary

 

Attachments:    Agenda

                        Granby Hist. Cmsn letter re: exterior maintenance of library building

                        e-mail from Chris Martin re: warrant articles

Last changed: Jul 12 2010 at 8:55 PM

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