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

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

Granby Free Public Library Trustee Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date:  January 4, 2010

Present:           Virginia Snopek, Dianne Barry, Carol Battersby, Leah Condon, Nancy Evren, Amy Kimball, Gwen Morrissey, Renee Still, Jennifer Crosby

Absent:            Bridget Roy

Visitors:          none

The meeting began at 6:38 pm.  Minutes from our previous meeting of December 7, 2009 were read. Dianne made a motion to accept them with corrections; seconded by Leah.  All in favor.

Virginia spoke with Rick Rosazza regarding the outside lighting.  He suggested we have National Grid install flood lights off the existing parking lot street lamp.

Phil Beaulieu gave a quote of $13,360 to side the library per his estimate (see attachment).  Virginia will send a letter to the Granby Historical Commission and their secretary Nancy Brooks asking that we meet to discuss the quote.  Town Administrator Chris Martin and Virginia have corresponded (see attached e-mails) regarding having the paint sanded then the building repainted.  Discussion followed as to how we should proceed.

Gwen, Carol, Jenn and Virginia volunteered to be on our annual budget committee.  Jenn will be attending the next departmental head meeting on Wednesday.  She is expecting that the budget will be discussed.

Publicity regarding wireless connection was the next item discussed.  It was suggested that we publicize the wi-fi and “play aways” through the Council on Aging newsletter and the Granby School’s PTO newsletter.

The floor was then open to the Trustees to ask questions or update the members on other events.  Dianne wanted to know if the interfloor call button was fixed – it has been, and if the downstairs backdoor is remaining closed and locked.  There are still a few issues with the door’s use.  Leah and Jenn next addressed the upstairs tables and the clutter that collects under them.  Presently, it is clean under the tables.  However, what sits on top of the tables still needs to be sorted through and put away.  Donated books end up back on the tables.  A solution is needed regarding where to store these until they are sorted.

Jenn will be sending an e-mail to the Friends letting them know that the Holiday Basket Sale is now over and that they need to decide what to do with the remaining items.

Renee updated the Trustees on the urns in the front of the library building.  If the urns are cemented in place, they will lose drainage ability.  Leah suggested tabling what to do with them until this spring.  The Board voted in favor of this idea.

To date, Leah has sold $89 of old library books on e-Bay. 

Renee reminded us of the upcoming School Building Informational Meeting January 13^th at 7pm at East Meadow School.  All are invited to attend as the committee and Skanska update the Town on their progress and present building options.  Another meeting will be held 2-3 weeks afterwards to discuss the cost estimates for these options.

Both Gwen and Nancy brought in flyers for the Springfield Falcons hockey game Saturday January 23^rd to support WMRLS.  Copies of the flyer will be made available at the front desk.

Library Director’s Report:  Jenn announced that we were awarded $8,916.10 in state aid.  We have received half now and the other half will become available this spring.  With this money, Jenn will be able to boost Janice’s non-fiction book purchases by $100.00 per month.  The Children’s Room non-fiction selections are in need of upgrading.

Warrants in the amount of $262.15 and $1,087.50 were unanimously approved. 

The next meeting will be held February 1^st, 2010 at 6:30 pm.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Nancy C. B. Evren, Secretary

Attachments:    Agenda

                        Beaulieu and Sons Proposal

                        e-mail correspondence from Chris Martin re: painting of building

                        WMRLS Wrapper

Last changed: Jul 12 2010 at 8:52 PM