Weathersfield Proctor Library to Petition Voters on Revised Library Plan

published in the Eagle Times, 4/19/14

by Chris Garofolo
cgarofolo@eagletimes.com

Weathersfield -

Trustees with the Weathersfield library will attempt to gather enough signatures to have a special ballot ready for the August primary in order to present a revised plan that significantly scales down the proposed upgrades to the century-old building.

Chairman Ernie Shand with the Weathersfield Proctor Library Board of Trustees said Thursday night that members will petition town residents to have a second vote on plans to give the building a face-lift at a lower cost than initially proposed last month.

"What we did the last time we put it on the ballot was [we went] to the Selectboard and asked them to do it, I think this time we have to go out and petition," he said. "And at the same time, we could go out and say 'If you're going to be out of town, get a mail-in ballot or go to the town office and vote early."

They would need roughly 125 signatures of registered voters to be safe.

Shand is optimistic the board will collect enough signatures to have a separate ballot vote during the statewide primary election on Tuesday, August 26. Library directors will have a finalized project price by the time they have a public hearing at a future date to review the latest revisions.

"[We'll] take a look and see what we can do. But to say if we want a million dollar [reduction], I don't think we have come to that," Shand said when asked if there is a target cost connected to the new plans.

Seeing significant growth in attendance over the past few years, library advocates put together an extensive $1.3 million expansion that would have doubled the existing space. The proposed article, however, was too costly for Weathersfield voters - municipal taxes on a home valued at $200,000 would have increased by $64 for the life of the 20 year bond - and it was rejected on March 4 by a 365 to 302 margin.

On Thursday, the library trustees began reviewing amended plans for the building. They are conceptual at this time and Weathersfield Library Director Nancy Tusinski said much of the space has been intentionally left blank to accommodate the changing nature of the project.

While there was some worry voter turnout in August would be low, the trustees hope people will come to the polls because of the library ballot.

"I think it's going to be our absolute lowest voter turnout on record because there's no significant primaries occurring that I know of yet," said Board Secretary Nancy McMenemy. "I think that with people not coming out in August and it does pass and people did not get to voice their vote because it was during a primary vote, there might be a lot of upset people in town."

But Tusinski said people who may not even know about the primary elections would flock to the ballot box because of the attention they intend to give to the library project in the upcoming months.

"If word gets out there's going to be a vote in August... I think both sides will turn out," she said.

Fundraising for the library project has continued regardless of any August vote. Next month, the library will sponsor a "Kiss-A-Pig" event, where town residents will vote on which local celebrity or official they would like to see pucker up with a swing. Residents will place a dollar in the box with the official's photo on it and the person with the most cash will have the honor of kissing a pig.