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, August 2nd. The group will be meeting promptly at 6:30 p.m.

Meeting Minutes

 

May 2009 Trustee Meeting Minutes
Posted on Dec 29 2009
Board of Trustees >>

Granby Free Public Library Trustee Meeting Minutes

 

 

 

Meeting Date:  May 4, 2009

 

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

 

Absent:            Leah Condon, Bridget Roy

 

Visitors:           none

 

 

The meeting began at 6:40 pm.  Minutes from our previous meeting dated April 6, 2009 were read; Carol made a motion to approve the minutes with corrections; seconded by Dianne; all in favor.

 

The first item on the agenda was an update on the installation of the fence.  Renee updated the Board on the continuing installation problems.  Dave Turcotte and Wayne Still volunteered to cement the posts.  Dianne made a motion that we hire someone to finish the fence.  Gwen seconded that motion.  Discussion followed regarding the pros and cons of having volunteers or a professional install the fence.  The Board voted unanimously to hire an outside party to complete the job.  Home Depot will be contacted for names of contractors.

 

The shelving for the Young Adults section is now complete.  Chuck Mercier will come in to install donated carpeting.

 

Leah has been working on the Children’s Room shelving.  She has also completed the Plan-O-Gram.

 

Rosemary Waltos (Ann Larson’s replacement at MBLC) met with Jenn, Leah and Gwen to discuss the library construction grant.  Virginia wrote a letter to Ms. Waltos about scheduling another meeting so that she can meet with Renee and Virginia as well. (see attachment)

 

The Educational Complex Informational meeting was the next item on the agenda.  Renee discussed the meeting and enlightened the Board on what is going on with the MSBA.

 

Fire Code requirements state that paper and posters along with mobiles cannot be displayed on the walls.  For fire safety reasons, all posters and announcements must be placed on bulletin boards.

 

A review of the Trustee By-Laws was done with changes made to wording.  Amy made a motion that the Board accepts the revised by-laws.  Dianne seconded this motion.  All in favor.

 

Virginia read to the Board letters she received from the ALA.  ALA has come up with new ways of fundraising, one of which can be seen at www.ala.org/altaff.

 

Memorial gift donations were collected for Carol Kent’s husband.  This money will be sent to the National Cemetery Memorial Fund in Bourne MA.

 

 

Librarian’s Report:  Jenn continues to research the wireless option for our library.  Comcast has offered a quarterly installment plan.

 

The Friends of the Granby Library are hiring Earthscapes Landscaping for the Patty Kislo memorial.  It will consist of a bench and pavers in the shape of a book, along with shrubbery.  This memorial will be located in the front of the library.

 

The American Library Association forwarded to all library directors the latest in economic stimulus provisions, including the possibility of money for local libraries.  How this will affect Granby is yet to be determined.

 

Jenn also received a Notice for Public Hearing update on requirement changes for state aid.  None of these changes affect our library.

 

The Action Plan needs to be revisited.  This will be taken up again at another meeting.

 

Carol updated us on the display case full of stuffed birds.  The Springfield Museum is interested in looking at our collection.  The Volunteer Coordinator program is being drafted.

 

Regarding the Special Town Meeting, if issues of security arise regarding the proposed community library, questions should be directed to Superintendent of Schools Pat Stevens.

 

The Book and Bake Sale was successful, bringing in $900+ in books and $160 in baked goods.  The Plant Sale is scheduled for this Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

 

 

 

The next Trustees meeting will be Monday, June 1^st at 6:30pm. 

 

Warrant items in the amounts of $1,310.61 and $1,396.08 were unanimously approved. 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Nancy C. B. Evren

Secretary

Last changed: Dec 29 2009 at 2:34 PM

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