June 1st, 2010- Town Meeting, 6:30 pm

We hope that all of the Friends of the Library are planning to attend the June 1st Town Meeting. Up for approval by townspeople is  a capital improvements bond which includes funds to protect the Town's investment in the Young Street property/site of new library and, of course, the budget line for current library operations.  See you there!

At Town Meeting we will be voting on two warrants relevant to the Library:

  1. The Capital Improvements bond to be voted on at the beginning of Town Meeting includes approximately $200,000 for work on the Young Street Property.
  2. Late at Town Meeting is the vote for the Library's operating budget.

Come support the South Berwick Public Library with your votes.

Library Director Mamie Ney has provided some notes about Library operations and the budget. Read this through and come out tomorrow night and support the operating budget for the Library. Click here to download budget notes.

Notes about the Young Street property/new library site and the Capital Improvements bond. (This is not a bond for construction of a new library.)

    * The Town invested in the Young Street property and the former St. Michael's Church building two years ago.
    * Plans are progressing for renovation of the building for a new library but in the meantime the building needs to be maintained and Town's investment protected.
    * A new roof and new siding are necessary to prevent more water damage.
    * Work is scheduled to begin in August, funded by an EPA grant with a 20% match by the Town) to remove mold and asbestos and to rework the drainage of the site to prevent future mold issues.
    * Once the asbestos siding is removed, new siding can be put on, to the specifications of the future library plans.
    * If we pass the Capital Improvements bond at Town Meeting June 1st, there will be funds for a new roof and new siding.
    * Not only will the building be protected until such time as funds are raised for new library construction, but significant progress toward a new library will have been made.