Lynn Library trustees vote on upgrades

LYNN – The Board of Library Trustees has $485,000 left from the sale of its branch libraries and is grappling with how best to spend it.”Some requests for repairs and alternatives will exceed that, and I wondered if we should consider trying to save some money for a rainy day,” said Chairman William Conway.While a figure of $50,000 was tossed around for a rainy day fund the board decided in the end to spend the money since it never had a rainy day fund before and the needs of the building are great. But how best to spend the money was the question.Conway noted that the board previously voted to spend $165,000 to replace the main electrical panel in the basement and install five additional sub panels throughout the library.Trustee Joe Smart said that would be wise since the electrical panel is likely original to the building, which dates back to 1900.Phase II of the renovations was to spend an estimated $225,000 on plaster repairs and painting the inside of the building, which Trustee member Edward Lynch called a steal.”That seems like a great bargain to me,” he said.However, Conway said it’s since come to his attention that electrical outlets are needed in the Teen Room and in the Trustee’s room, which is also Library Director Theresa Hurley’s office.”And those should be done before we paint and plaster,” he added.Trustee Rick Wood said he was concerned that bringing a new electrical service into the library with wires that are probably original to the building was asking for trouble.The new service will allow for expansion in terms of electrical use, which would take some of the pressure off old wires by lessening the amperage, Smart explained.”Right now you can’t plug in an extra fan without tripping the circuit,” he said.Trustee Rolf Flor suggested that if new wires were being run for new panels perhaps all the wiring should be replaced at the same time simply because it would be easier.”That would cost a fortune,” Lynch said. “Once you start trying to snake things down ? you’re going to run into money.”The suggestion to put money away for a rainy day included the idea that it could be used to pay for things like additional wiring, outlets or even a much-needed elevator, Conway said.Instead, the board voted to replace the electrical panels, which is already out to bid, spend roughly $10,000 on bathroom renovations, and put the painting and plastering on hold. The motion made by Flor also included seeking an estimate to add electrical outlets.Conway said they could then regroup to prioritize the remaining funds, which would be about $310,000.”I like this idea,” said Flor. “It makes sense to do the electrical panels and the bathrooms, and hold off on the painting and plastering.”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].