ORDER-2016-118 : Donation from the Connor Trust Fund in the amount of $85,000 to fund a Feasibility Study for Renovations to the Melrose Public Library; said funds to be deposited into Fund No. 2886

Transcript (~9 min @ 6:08)

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▶ 6:06 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: probably so I'm just gonna make some room sure the next order on our agenda is order number 2016 that's 118 it's a donation from the Connor trust fund in amount of $85,000 to fund a feasibility study for renovations to the public Melrose Public Library said funds to be deposited into fund number 2886 thank you very much for also joining us partner from the library and we're still under suspension of rules would you like to give a opening statement on the well

▶ 6:33 Denise Gaffey: I'll start off just I've been working with Linda for several months now to sort of help with the effort to in pursuit of eventually a grant through the library Board of Trustees and and as part of that effort we are we are putting together a feasibility study that's sort of the first step in applying for the grant application and this funding would be the Melrose Board of Trustees have have voted to allocate this funding from their donation account to fund the architect and the project manager for this effort and it's a very this is a very finite process in the sense that we are hiring them to to complete a feasibility study and preliminary schematic drawings just in support of a grant application and then the grant application is due about January 1st I think of 2017 and from there we will you know we'll wait to whether we get a grant award and where we fall on the list and I think they'll obviously need to be some discussions in the future about about you know funding for for a project but right now we're really kind of this is really just an opportunity to sort of step back and see what the needs are and I know Linda can certainly speak better to that than I can but we we need this we need the funding to hire the professionals to help us put together that to that piece

▶ 8:08 Speaker 3: sure when we did our last long-range plan for the library we got a lot of feedback not so much about the building but a lot of feedback about services that people are wanting whether it be through programming through increased quiet spaces through technology and what we found when we really looked at it was that we have a building that had its last partial renovation over 20 years ago and the addition that we have which was the previous major work done on the library was in 1963 so the the building itself is starting to not be flexible enough to allow us to provide the services that the community is wanting so we started to look into what our opportunities were as Denise mentioned there is a grant opportunity that's coming up and the mayor and the Board of Trustees agreed that it's a good time to look at what our options are and do a feasibility study and see in this preliminary stage what they what they have to say about where our opportunities lie and an advantage of this grant process is that the trustees are funding this phase and should we ultimately receive a grant those funds we count eventually towards local

▶ 9:57 Speaker 2: funding responsibilities president Khan so what what is this funding the entire feasibility study or yes the entire study okay so only library trust funds have been going to be used for the feasibility study no city general funds

▶ 10:16 Robert A. Boisselle: that's correct in the feasibility study is there going to be a cost analysis in other words they're going to come up with suggestions and so forth but is there going to be a cost associated with that suggestion yeah and what is the I

▶ 10:29 Robert A. Boisselle: mean you know you mentioned services quiet space and technology so you're not looking to build out where they're upward at this point or is that part of the feasibility study to possible recommendation I mean it's a beautiful building the way you can see it now I hate to see a three-story building and that property also but is that the option that the that's open for them to

▶ 10:55 Speaker 3: talk about they will be presenting us us with any of what they think are the best options to meet our needs it should be noted that the library is on a National Historic Register so anything that was proposed would have to fit into I mean

▶ 11:15 Robert A. Boisselle: Are these the only guidelines you're giving them, services, quiet spaces and technology, or are you looking for space at this point to have the children on one side and the reading class on the other side? And are you looking for reorganization or manipulation of the bookshelves, or are you thinking of doing away with books and going with electronics?

▶ 11:44 Speaker 3: we're not doing away with books but we are looking for more flexibility and the we're asking them and in fact if we are going to apply for this grant we are required by the grant stipulations to ask them to look at the building top to bottom and really assess what would bring us forward through at least the next 20 years it's about we don't have to do it again thank you very much thank

▶ 12:21 Monica C. Medeiros: you thank you I'm just curious says probably miss Gaffey on this one if the city has ever considered sort of swapping out buildings or you know is that something that would ever be considered in such a feasibility study or would it just look at this property well as a matter of fact on the grant

▶ 12:38 Denise Gaffey: funding agency requires as part of the study that you do look you do an alternatives analysis so we will even though we don't think ultimately we would end up in a different location in a different building we we do need to study that so we will be doing that that will be part of the process and I just

▶ 12:56 Monica C. Medeiros: wanted to say to you and we all enjoy the library for many amenities that it includes and staff as well and just also point out like how valuable there's meeting space at the library and how valuable that is to the community which is kind of lacking in this free community meeting space so I I do hope that that is included and remains in whatever the new design schematic might

▶ 13:24 Speaker 3: possibly end up being yeah it certainly will be thank you thank you any other

▶ 13:32 Speaker 4: comments from members of the committee first thank you chairman so I just had a

▶ 13:34 Michael P. Zwirko: quick question with feasibility all the men boys all kind of alluded to this but

▶ 13:41 Denise Gaffey: will parking also be discussed yep parking is another and another very important factor to the grant funding agency so they we have to take into consideration what our optimal parking arrangement is based on our population and other factors like in proximity to transit and you know downtown and things

▶ 14:02 Michael P. Zwirko: of that nature so yes I appreciate that and also um I just wanted to mention that it is a carnegie library so that's something that uh where i grew up in western massachusetts we had a carnegie library as well so i know that it's you noted earlier that it's on the register in the historical register so hopefully uh you know the integrity will be kept of the building and i'm grateful that i live in a community now that also has a carnegie library so i just want to make that comment great any other questions or comments motion recommend second the motion

▶ 14:27 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: to recommend from alderman MacMaster margola seconded by alderman inferna all those in favor aye any opposed okay that will be recommended to the full board for