The Three Rivers Public Library’s board approved an expenditure of up to $45,000 for roof work at its regular meeting Tuesday evening. The funds would cover the cost of replacing the asphalt shingle roof on the library’s new building at North Main and Pealer Streets, scheduled to open next month. The amount includes approximately 20 percent contingency funds along with the amount indicated in a quote from Brussee-Brady, the contractor that is renovating the former Southern Michigan Bank and Trust Building.

Schoon requested the funds after seeing several ceiling tiles that indicated a leak on a recent site visit. Board member Mike Fleckenstein said he felt the roof replacement was important and necessary, but was frustrated that recent engineering reports didn’t provide sufficient information that would have allowed the board to have made an informed decision on whether to include the work in its renovation contract at an earlier time when it might have benefited from additional cost efficiencies.

The board has discussed the roof in recent meetings. Fleckenstein said one recent report said the roof didn’t have a lot of time left in it, “but some time.” Another, earlier report from July 2016, in which Keller Engineering was hired to look at the structural limitations of the building, occurred when the building’s purchase was still under consideration. That report said the roof had five years of life remaining, or less. This past winter, Fleckentein said, Brussee-Brady workers discovered some shingles had never been installed correctly in the first place.

Library Board President Julie Keefer said the repair decision “seems like a better investment now before we have a whole slew of people coming into the building,” and also said the repairs protect recent investments in the renovation work. Executive Director Bobbi Schoon said she had been hoping to wait a little longer for the repairs and was planning to approach the board to make a decision this coming fall.

Brussee-Brady told Schoon it would honor an earlier quote on the roof from several months ago. Finance Director Cathy Lawson said out of $358,000 in funds previously dedicated to other parts of the building project that came in lower than expected, only $20,000 has been spent recently on other changes and additions. She said “there (are) adequate monies to do the roof.”

The advantage of doing the work now, Fleckenstein said, is that it can be included under the current contractor’s work, which he said, “gets us around having to do sealed bids,” as well as avoiding the potential for more damage. He said there is a price premium to doing the work right away under that arrangement, but there is also a risk and other cost premiums involved in waiting until after the building is open. Schoon said the work will not significantly affect the building’s opening on schedule.

Opening to Proceed as Planned

Schoon plans to send out a postcard mailer shortly announcing details about reopening plans at the new building, including the curbside lending service it implemented as pandemic restrictions were partially lifted. The mailer will serve as a coupon good for forgiving any lent materials that are overdue. Board members also asked Schoon to include pictorial parking information for the new location. The board approved an expenditure of up to $3,500 for the postcards and postage.

The soft opening, when that curbside service resumes, will tentatively take place on September 14. “That’s our goal,” Schoon said. The building itself will not be open to the public, but officials involved in planning and funding the project will be able to schedule one-on-one tours. Schoon said she plans to post a virtual tour of the building online.

New Children’s Librarian Hired

A new children’s librarian, Peter Butts, is starting on Tuesday of next week and will assist in planning programs for the fall, but Schoon said she expects similar programming to the take-home summer reading kits that were popular earlier in the summer. Butts brings a variety of previous library and other relevant experience to his position, including a position at an elementary school in Portage.

Final Construction Work Continues

Construction continues to see unexpected efficiencies. Schoon said the new building is cooler in the hot weather, likely due to window replacements and other measures. A decision to change suppliers for a to-be-installed security camera system will also see a cost reduction. The previous supplier doubled its cost upon seeing existing wiring in the building, so Schoon sought costs for a wifi-based system. The chosen quote comes in for “significantly less money” than the original bid for the wired system, Schoon said.

Recently approved work which has since been partly or fully completed, including landscaping and signage, received positive comments from Fleckenstein and other board members. Work is down to installation of things like benches, bathroom tile, and shelving, which is either ongoing or soon to be completed. Some things, like plastic stair treads, will await completion of heaving moving to avoid damage. The punch list review date is tentatively scheduled for September 4.
New Features, and Sponsors, Reviewed

A variety of businesses and agencies have contributed to the project through grants and donations, particularly for “wish list” interior features. Schoon reviewed progress on various interior rooms, their features, and the sponsors of those features.

On the first floor, in a new fireplace nook area, Home Depot plans to provide a significant discount on an electronic fireplace once its units come in stock this fall. This will be supplemented by seating that features plugin stations for phones and laptops. Tables for an adult community room were donated by the Three Rivers Fire Department, and Schoon is working on acquiring a smart whiteboard for that space. A computer lab is also nearing completion. The Michigan Room has a dry erase table and a monitor.

On the second floor, a children’s story time and program room has a sink and cabinets to help with programming. An early literacy play area will feature size-appropriate seating for parents and children, book cubbies, and a colorful rug, which is funded by the Three Rivers Area Community Foundation (TRACF) which Schoon has reserved for the new children’s librarian to select.

A study room, funded by Wal-mart, will feature five new chairs, a table, a projection screen, and a glass whiteboard for various kinds of collaborative projects. A teen and young adult room will also have a whiteboard, and a television screen is already on hand. Both were funded by TRACF. A Federal Library Sciences and Technology Act grant funds some features of that room, including video gaming wall technology features and games as well as life-size Battleship and Dungeons and Dragons games, various board games, and other features.

Wal-mart’s grant, which totaled $5,000, also included funding for an additional laptop in the teen computer lab, as well as two private study chairs for the teen area. TRACF’s $3,000 grant also covered a book display area for the second floor. A $3,500 Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grant paid for various personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff and sneeze guards for desks, as well as six laptops and two tablets.

Several rebates also helped with renovation work. An American Electric Power rebate for $5,874 helped offset heating and air conditioning systems, lighting, and control systems. A Southwest Michigan Library Cooperative rebate in the amount of $260 helped pay for PPE, and the Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority provided $400 in rebates for signage. Schoon said total grants and rebates for 2020 add up to $19,918.47.

In other library business:

• The board voted to pass a budget revision that largely carries over previously approved expenditures from the last fiscal year that still need to be completed, including the balance of the construction contract.
• In addition to the children’s librarian position, one of two open Service Specialist positions has also been filled by a candidate named Jennifer Riley, who will start on September 8.

Dave Vago is a 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.