Here Is What the Town Council Will Vote on Regarding the Jones Library on June 17
Photo: picpedia.org (CC BY-SA 3.0)
During the Town Council’s June 3 discussion regarding the sole bid for the Jones Library expansion, which was 18% over budget, Councilor Cathy Schoen (District 1) made two motions. The first motion was to halt the project. That was defeated by a vote of 6-7 with councilors Robert Hegner (District 5),Heather Hala Lord (District 3), Pam Rooney District 4), Schoen, Jennifer Taub (District 4), and Ellisha Walker (at large) voting in favor. The vote on the second motion was postponed by Councilor Pat DeAngelis (District 2), using the charter provision for a councilor to end debate and delay the vote until the next council meeting. A vote on that motion is on the agenda for the June 17 meeting. The motion reads:
Move to recommend that the Town Manager not enter into new contract with architect for additional expenses for new design work for the bidding phase of the project if the deadline is extended and there is a decision to re-bid the project in the Fall.
In making the motion, Schoen argued that the project is already over budget on design costs, and that the value engineering proposed to lower the total cost will be severely detrimental to the library, in terms of historical preservation and sustainability and operating costs. She felt that spending more money on redesign for an inferior product was not prudent.
The vote on this motion must occur at the June 17 meeting. It does not preclude other motions regarding the library being introduced, although no others are listed on the agenda.
The Jones Trustees have received a six-month extension on the project from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and plan to go out to bid again in the fall. They have agreed to reimburse the town for the latest redesign costs and to take the estimated $550,700 redesign fees out of the library’s endowment. The Town Manager claims that he has the right to sign a new contract with Finegold Alexander Architects (FAA) without Town Council approval, as long as the money has been appropriated. It is unclear if Town Manager Paul Bockelman has already signed a contract extension with FAA. FAA requested that the agreement be signed by June 10 in order to give them 12 weeks to redesign the project and prepare the rebid documents. The trustees did not mention extending the contract for the Owner’s Project Manager Tim Alix of Colliers, which will also be needed if the project is to continue.
6 reasons for Amherst Town Councilors to stop the Jones library on Monday June 17
1. Library donors are sending a “vote of no confidence” for the project. Donations are only trickling in and have not met library fundraising campaign expectations.
2. The proposed new design dumb downs the building. It eliminates green building features and historic millwork. It will be a box like Walmart library that is not energy efficient nor a tourist destination.
3. It will be cheaper to repair the current facility. See data supporting that fact in previous Amherst Indy articles.
4. Taxes will increase. The budget is way over what voters supported in the town vote. Town Council has taken liberties to increase the budget without voter approval in the past 2 years.
5. The Jones budget overage will delay and risk financing more important needs – a fire station, school budgets, the new school, the DPW facility and road repair.
6. Project proponents have aimed to create a community center parallel to library functions with this project. The town unfortunately can not afford to build in this functionality.