Lewes committee recommends $40,000 grant to library for first year

The Lewes Library Project Committee has recommended the city grant the library $40,000 for its annual operating budget once the new 28,500-square-foot library is open next year.

The recommendation comes with a caveat: After the 2016-17 budget year, the city will reevaluate its financial position to determine if continuing a grant is fiscally feasible. The city currently gives the Lewes Public Library $47,000 to cover utilities and maintenance of the Adams Avenue building. Although the new library will be twice the size of the existing building, library officials say it will be much more energy efficient and require less maintenance.

While most expenses for the new building are estimates, committee Chairman Fred Beaufait said the city needs to determine now how much it will commit to the library to facilitate budget planning for both parties next year.

Because many costs are unknown, the committee struggled with earmarking money long term for the library. Bob Comeau, who drafted the recommendation, said the unknown nature of both the city's future financial position and library's expenses warrants reevaluation of the city's annual grant sooner rather than later.

“It's not a negotiation between the city and the library,” Comeau said. “Part of the evaluation process would be to gather data from the library with respect to its costs and to evaluate the city's own financial situation as it becomes known.”

Beaufait said the city's longstanding tradition of supporting the library should continue to some degree.

“We've been very generous to the library,” he said. “I see no reason that the city should all of a sudden pull out. That, to me, doesn't make sense. We've got to continue to provide some support to the library. The question is what can we afford?”

The committee's recommendation did not include funding for landscaping maintenance of the 4.3 acres that will be home to the new library and an extension to Stango Park. Mayor and city council had previously approved up to $9,000 annually for landscaping work for the entire 5.6-acre parcel, which also includes a 1.3-acre section for a new trailhead. However, representatives from the city's contracted landscaping company have told city officials it will likely cost $25,000 to $30,000 annually for the 4.3-acre library and park section. The trailhead, also under the care of the city once complete, is now estimated to cost $5,000 annually, according to the landscaper.

“This is a rough estimate,” said Beaufait. “They looked at the plans, and this was the landscaper's cut based upon what they saw on paper.”

As a comparison, Beaufait said, Canalfront Park costs the city about $21,000 annually to maintain.

Rather than assign a figure for city council to consider, the committee suggested officials reach out to the library's landscape architect who developed the plan and the city's landscape maintenance company to determine if a more modestly priced plan can be worked out.

The committee's recommendation of an annual contribution piggybacks off of previous recommendations regarding the library's construction fundraising campaign. On Jan. 16, the committee said the city should lease to the library – at no cost – 4.3 acres of the 5.6-acre Thompson property. Because of earlier efforts aiding the library's construction campaign – an estimated $1.2 million – the committee said no additional money should be given to the library.

The committee will meet at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 29, in what is expected to be its final meeting before submitting its recommendations to mayor and city council. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss a final report.