Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Article 12 - Annual Town Meeting April 26, 2011

The Sherborn Library Trustees will ask Sherborn voters to approve Article 12 at the April 26, 2011 Town Meeting "to see if the Town will vote to approve the preliminary design for the renovation and expansion of the Sherborn Library, contingent on the receipt of a state grant, or take any action related thereto." The Board of Selectmen voted 3 - 0 in favor of Article 12 and approved the preliminary designs to renovate and expand the Sherborn Library at their March 24 meeting, contingent on the receipt of a state grant that funds 50% of the cost. Further, the Board of Selectmen voted to hold a Special Town Meeting in the fall of 2011 in order to vote to accept or reject the state grant award, which will be announced by the state in July 2011. The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Regulations require that municipalities vote to accept the grant funds within 6 months of the award, as the local determination deadline allows the state to move on to other eligible libraries awaiting a grant. The Advisory Committee then followed suit at the Public Hearing and budget voting session on March 26, with 5 Advisory Committee members voting in favor of the article and 1 against. As the Article is not a request for funding from the Town, the Advisory Committee's approval supports the Library's completion of the grant application. The Article 12 vote of the preliminary designs completes the application requirements to become eligible for a potential award of $3 million from the state to renovate and expand the Library. Article 12 next goes to Town Meeting on April 26. The Trustees, Library Design Study Committee, and project architects will present the preliminary designs to Sherborn voters. There are 32 cities and towns in Massachusetts competing for this award which has been increased to 50% of the total project cost this year from 35% in order to provide more incentive for municipalities to advance their projects in difficult economic times. The funding the state currently has available to support construction projects will fulfill 10 of those 32 project requests. Eligible projects that do not make this grant round's top 10 will be placed on a ranked waiting list until additional funds become available from the state. It is not currently known when the state will have the opportunity to replenish the Public Library Construction funds for a future grant round. Should the Library receive the $3 million grant from the state in this grant round, the Selectmen, Advisory Committee, and Sherborn voters will be asked to re-state their positions for the Library's renovation and expansion at fall 2011 Special Town Meeting by approving the Town's share of $2.5 million. The Library's renovation and expansion project requests funding for the addition of a children's room with a lower level community meeting room for Library programs and Town activities, meets compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act including the installation of an elevator and handicapped restrooms, replaces the 40 year-old heating, venting, and air conditioning systems with more efficient equipment and green design, upgrades the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to meet current building and energy code, upgrades technology for inclusion in the Minuteman Library Network, and makes capital repairs to the facility such as leaking skylights, glazing, and exterior masonry. On Monday, April 11 at 7:30 pm, the Library Trustees and Design Study Committee will hold their second open forum at the Library and invites the public to attend to view the designs and ask questions about the project to become fully informed for Town Meeting time.