The Three Rivers Public Library board approved five change orders during a special meeting Friday for work at its new building on North Main Street.
The changes include a new expanding security gate for its technology room, removal of decorative floodlights outside the building, installation of two light poles in the parking lot, benches at a building entrance, and changes to the upstairs women’s bathroom to make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In total, the approved changes add up to $27,332.
City of Three Rivers Finance Director Cathy Lawson told board members there was ample money to support the changes in the library’s fund balance according to current estimates. Although the pandemic has impacted the library’s revenue, the library’s closure during the pandemic, staff furloughs, and other factors either saved or generated enough funds to leave approximately $348,000 unencumbered in the general fund on June 30, as compared to the $96,000 that was anticipated in the 2019-2020 fiscal year budget.
Library Executive Director Bobbi Schoon presented several options each for improvements in the women’s restroom, and exterior floodlights, which board members discussed prior to approving the changes.
Schoon said the original project scope called for leaving the restrooms as-is. However, as renovations proceeded, it became apparent that a new arrangement of partitions would be necessary in order to make the upstairs women’s restroom ADA-compliant. The new partitions, plus some demolition of existing features, meant that new tile would have to be purchased.
Schoon presented the board with two options. The first would have made a temporary solution of partially replacing the partitions, attempting to match the existing tile, and filling in those areas for $4,040. This would have required a further, more complete renovation during a later project phase once the library is open and operational. The second option, which the board approved, involved performing a full renovation prior to opening by installing all-new partitions and tile for $15,782.
The exterior floodlights, when working, once illuminated the sides of the building but have been non-functional for some time. They are mounted to four-foot-deep concrete bases, buried in the ground. Schoon presented the board with the option of removing the lights only for $1,222, removing the lights and bases for $4,466, or replacing the fixtures with new LED lighting for $12,306.
Schoon said removal of the lights entirely would permit more flexibility about location and arrangement should the board choose to install new ones in the future. Board Vice President Mike Fleckenstein also expressed uncertainty about the condition of the existing wiring, saying it could increase the cost of installing new fixtures on the existing infrastructure. Because of these concerns, the board chose to remove the lights and bases altogether.
The technology room gate purchase, which comes in at $380, adds a measure of security to a former vault that will contain computers, printers, and other equipment, while at $1,334, the light poles provide additional illumination to parking areas.
Schoon previously proposed benches as a solution to a design challenge at the building’s west entrance. A set of walls near that entrance were demolished to accommodate design changes the library wanted, leaving behind damage to the floor tiles.
Rather than incur a higher price tag through a complete reconstruction of the area, Schoon proposed building benches over the damage to accommodate patrons who might need seating while awaiting transportation. The board accepted Schoon’s proposal with a $5,370 quote from Brussee-Brady, the library project’s contractor.
Landscape and Parking Improvements Discussed
The board also reviewed proposals for improvements to the new location’s grounds and parking areas. With the new library building set to open soon, Schoon said the “outside looks like we haven’t touched it in the two years we’ve owned it, and we haven’t.” Due to a desire to remain fiscally conservative at the start of the project, the board at that time limited the project’s scope to work on the building itself.
In the interest of learning what it might cost to improve those areas prior to opening, Schoon has begun soliciting quotes for the cost of some basic repairs and upgrades. She presented one quote each for work on landscaping and the parking lot, and said she expects to receive additional quotes after site visits with more prospective contractors next week.
Schoon said the landscaping work proposed in the quote “will make it look great. It includes sprucing up what is there, it includes adding mulch to borders, it includes adding things in back.” In places where the ground is torn up, the work would include flattening it out and adding plantings. The parking lot quote includes removal of debris, weeds, and overgrown bushes, some asphalt patching and filling of cracks, application of a sealer coat, and rearrangement of parking spaces and bumpers.
The landscaping and parking lot quotes so far come in at just under $5,000 and $6,000 respectively. Schoon said she recommends adding a 10 percent contingency to each when approving the work. Fleckenstein and Library Board President Julie Keefer clarified some details with Schoon, but spoke favorably about the proposal. The board will vote on the proposed work at its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 28.
Local Moving Quote Approved
After a multi-month bid process that included two bids that were far over budget, the board approved a bid within its budget for moving the library from its old location on West Michigan Avenue to the new one at 88 North Main St.
Beating out bids in the amount of $29,000 and $50,000, the winning quote of $21,000 came from Clark Logic of Three Rivers, which has prior experience with similar such moves. Schoon said she received one other quote in the amount of $20,000, but it lacked enough detail for her to feel it was accurate, and the person who submitted it never made a site visit. When Clark Logic’s quote came in close, Schoon said, she didn’t want to chase the other submitter down for more detail.
Clark Logic’s bid covers all parts of the move except those that the library staff does not plan to handle in-house. Library staff will handle boxing, labeling, and un-boxing of most items, and some suppliers will handle moving their own equipment, such as the library’s copy machine. Clark Logic will supply its own totes for boxing items as part of its bid. Lawson said, “I just want to add that (Clark Logic Owner) Jamie Clark is a local business owner. He’s promised turnkey, and I believe he’ll do whatever it takes.”
Dave Vago is a staff writer and columnist for Watershed Voice. A Philadelphia native with roots in Three Rivers, Vago is a planning consultant to history and community development organizations and is the former Executive Director of the Three Rivers DDA/Main Street program.
