New London to spend $250,000 on new library in 2022

By Robert Cloud

Members of the New London Common Council voted to commit $250,000 from the 2022 budget toward the library project.

Council members met as the Committee of the Whole on June 8.

Finance Director Judy Radtke said the last meeting regarding spending on the library project had been held on Sept. 28, 2021.

At that meeting, the council had agreed to commit $750,000 toward the library project.

Radtke said the council voted to move forward with a spending budget of $250,000 per year from 2022 to 2024.

Money for the project would come from a mix of bonding, fund balance, state grants and a state trust fund loan.

The library board at that time planned to build an annex across South Pearl Street from its existing facility.

The annex would include study rooms, computer spaces, a fabrication lab, an area dedicated to hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Special rooms would allow for creating and editing video and music.

Construction costs for the annex were estimated at $3 million, with $1.5 million in pledges from donors.

On April 12, First State Bank announced plans to donate its building in New London to the library.

Library Director Ann Hunt told the Committee of the Whole that the cost to renovate the bank building would be almost the same as new construction.

She noted that the city’s $750,000 commitment represented less than one-third of the library project’s cost, while most cities cover 70% of the costs for upgrading or building new libraries.

Other city projects

Radtke said the council needs to “look at the library in perspective of everything else going on in the city.”

The city plans major work on Lyon, Lima and Avon streets in 2022; Lucas Court, St. John’s Place, Lincoln Court, State and Mill streets in 2023; and Oshkosh Street/Beckert and North Water Street in downtown in 2024, Radtke reported.

Although some estimates are still pending, total costs for planned road projects will exceed $11 million.

“We can’t commit to anything in 2023,” Radtke said, regarding spending on the library project.

She offered several spending plans for the library project, including one that would spend $250,000 in 2022, zero in 2023 and $500,000 in 2024.

“If we don’t have the money are we going to have to cut back on downtown?” Ald. Mike Barrington asked. “You’re going to have to answer to 7,000 people for piss-poor streets.”

“I think it would be kind of crappy of us to whittle that down now at this point,” said Ald, John Faucher, noting that the city made a $750,000 commitment to the project. “A lot of things happened because we committed that $750,000.”

Other council members noted that economic uncertainties due to the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and inflation are making it difficult to plan for future spending.

Ald. Tim Roberts suggested that the city acquire the four parcels on South Pearl Street where the library had originally planned to build the annex. That money would go toward the city’s $500,000 commitment, wile allowing the city to acquire valuable downtown property.

The council voted unanimously on a motion to pay its $250,000 commitment to the library in 2022.

The council then voted 10-1 to commit $500,000 in 2024 provided the library approves deeding the four parcels to the city.

Roberts voted against the second motion.