The Sechelt Library has permission to move forward with renovation plans and District of Sechelt staff will work with the library to investigate possible funding options.
Chief librarian Margaret Hodgins presented library renovation plans to councillors at the Nov. 9 finance, culture and economic development meeting.
She said the library was working on making its facility more accessible by way of a Canada 150 Grant; however, that work would not address the safety concerns of library workers who are in an overcrowded and hazardous back room. The Canada 150 Grant would also fail to address the need to reorganize the library’s layout to make it more welcoming and suitable to the public’s needs.
Hodgins explained the plan included a new entrance on the south side of the library, an expanded adult working/reading area, a new teens’ area, a new children’s area with a “pocket park” outside that can be accessed through sliding glass doors, mobile book shelves that can be moved to create a variety of configurations, an expanded staff work area and a new meeting/programing room where the Sechelt community archives is now housed – provided there is another location the archives can move to.
“We’ve tried to minimize moving anything that was plumbing and use the existing structural features of the building,” Hodgins said.
The cost to complete the entire project (the Canada 150 Grant accessibility project and the larger library renovation) is estimated at $1.5 million.
Hodgins noted the library also had a phased plan that would cost $353,000 in 2017 if the district wanted to go that route. Phase 1 of the two-phase plan would see the accessibility and workroom improvements done next year, but Hodgins said pricing for Phase 2 of the plan could change as the cost of materials rises.
“What we need is permission to proceed with the partial or complete renovation, but also we’re asking that district staff continue to look at possibilities and options of how the capital project for the library can be funded at minimal cost to taxpayers,” Hodgins said.
The library board has been investigating different funding options at the committee level and has started a capital campaign to fundraise in the community.
Director of finance Doug Stewart said there are grant opportunities that can be applied for, as well as the ability to use public amenity funds or look at long-term borrowing, which would need voter approval.
Mayor Bruce Milne said the library’s renovation project would ultimately be approved or denied by the public.
“I think we’re going to have to put this in the capital budget with the need to get a referendum to approve it and if the community supports it, it would be about 0.5 per cent [tax] increase per annum,” Milne said, noting if grant money came in for the project it would be used to pay off the debt sooner.
“It seems to make sense to me that it’s up to the community. If the community wants it, they can have it. We certainly wouldn’t want to stand in the way.”
Councillors gave their permission for the library to pursue its renovation plans and for staff to investigate all possible funding options before bringing a request for funding to the 2017 Sechelt budget discussions.
