AVON FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY RENOVATIONS & ADDITION PROJECT
BUILDING COMMITTEE MINUTES
JULY 6, 2009
I. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:03 PM by Chairperson Diane Hornaday in the Avon Room in Town Hall Building 1. Members present: Chairperson Diane Hornaday, Barbara Leonard, Diane Carney, Tad Kuziak, Janet Stokesbury, and Secretary David Goldsholl. Members absent: Scott Boos. Also in attendance were Assistant Town Manager Blythe Robinson, Library Director Virginia Vocelli, Donna Miller, Assistant Library Director and Mary Suter, Library Board of Trustees.
II. COMMUNICATION FROM AUDIENCE
None.
III. COMMUNICATION FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS
None.
IV. UPDATE ON STATE GRANT PROCESS
Ms. Hornaday told the Committee that she had been contacted by Ms. Suter after Ms. Suter had attended a Libratects meeting in Simsbury at which she learned some new information about the State grant bonding process. As a result of that meeting Ms. Hornaday decided to call this special meeting and ask Ms. Suter to come and update the committee on this issue. Ms. Suter explained that she spoke to Mary Louise Jensen at the meeting who told her that given the lack of a State budget being passed and the current economy, bond commission meetings to approve projects such as this have been cancelled recently. It is not clear when these issues will be resolved and when projects will be moved forward. She reminded the Committee that until Bond Commission approval is received the Town may not sign a
contract for construction or purchase any major equipment or furniture or the grant would be in jeopardy. We can complete the design process. Ms. Carney asked why we did not know this beforehand. Ms. Suter and Ms. Robinson said that the rules for how and when to expend funds on a project have not changed. What has changed is that normally bond commission approval comes fairly soon after a grant announcement is made. With the economy and the state budget crisis that process has been put on hold with no clear direction on when it will change. Mr. Goldsholl brought up the request we received in March from the State Library about the status of our project, and the fact that we told them we did not have local approval at that time. That gave the State the opportunity to put our approval on the back burner for the time being, he suggested. Ms. Stokesbury said she has spoken to several people in the State capitol and understands that
all projects that receive a grant award eventually get approved; it may just be a matter of time.
The Committee discussed the total project cost of $9.5 million versus the intended borrowing amount by the Town of $8.0 million. There was general expectation that given this recommendation the Town Council would be firm about insisting the project receive the $1.0 million state grant and $500,000 private fundraising or be scaled back so that the Town would not borrow more than this amount. Ms. Hornaday pointed out that if we do move forward to complete the drawings, then the project would be “shovel ready” when the bond commission does approve the project. Ms. Stokesbury said we still have to decide if we think a referendum will pass. She also thought the debt service schedule is very advantageous.
V. OTHER BUSINESS
None.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
Ms. Stokesbury motioned, Ms. Leonard seconded, and all agreed to adjourn the meeting at 7:30 PM. None opposed or abstained.
Recorded by:
Blythe Robinson, Staff Person
David Goldsholl, Secretary
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