To the editor:
Although the Library Renovation failed at the ballot, the many issues with the Lynnfield Library building remain. So, as King George sings in the musical Hamilton – “what comes next?”
As many Lynnfield residents are aware, the town is developing a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to outline capital expenditures over the next five years. Capital expenditures are expenses the town makes to purchase, maintain, or repair fixed assets such as buildings or equipment. The CIP process was outlined by Director of Capital Projects John Scenna in the Jan. 27 Select Board meeting posted to Vimeo ( https://vimeo.com/1051225589 ). As noted in that meeting, all of the Library’s capital needs were contained in the planned debt exclusion, but since the vote failed the capital needs still need to be brought forward.
As an immediate next step, the Library Director will coordinate with Trustees and Library staff to develop a list of pressing capital needs and will present the list to the CIP committee on Tuesday, Feb. 25. These could include items such as fixing the pervasive lower-level flooding which requires the Library to fix ongoing damage to the property, replacing the roof, replacing the windows, or any of the other basic repair issues documented in the New Lynnfield Library and Library Renovation projects. The goal of this list is to address the most critical building repairs identified by Library staff and Trustees (rather than any expansions or improvements) so that necessary repairs can be made to this town-owned building.
From there, the CIP committee will review the list of capital needs along with the other capital needs provided by other departments throughout the town (Schools, Fire Dept, Senior Center, etc). CIP needs will be ranked, and potential funding sources (such as grants) will be identified. Make no mistake – this is going to be a challenging budget season, and the Trustees fully expect that there may not be funding for most or all capital expenses throughout the town in the next fiscal year. As Trustees and as Lynnfield residents, we look forward to working with the Finance Committee, Select Board, and Department of Public Works (DPW) to determine the Town’s financial strategy to responsibly plan for the many capital needs for the Library and the town.
In addition to the basic building repairs, there are many operational Library needs identified through the New Lynnfield Library and Library Renovation processes, such as lack of meeting or programming space, acoustic issues in the Main Reading Room, and so on. All of these items need to be identified and documented as potential projects, but not all of them need to be funded by Lynnfield taxpayers. Library staff can identify grant opportunities that could benefit the Library, reducing the burden on the taxpayer and the town. The Library Trustees also plan to work with the Lynnfield Public Library Foundation ( www.lynnfieldplfoundation.org ) to identify larger fundraising opportunities to pay for larger projects and improvements, and the Friends of the Lynnfield Library ( www.foll.org ) to develop funding for Library programming as well as smaller improvements to Library operations.
It’s important to realize that this is just the current plan, shared with Library supporters and Lynnfield residents in the spirit of transparency from the Library Trustees. Simply developing a plan doesn’t mean that any of these repairs will happen any time soon, or (unfortunately) that funding exists for any of them. However – one thing the Library Trustees do NOT plan to do is give up hope. The history of the Lynnfield Public Library is one of expansion and improvement to meet the Town’s needs. In the spirit of the many Trustees, Friends of the Library, and Library advocates who came before us and dedicated countless hours to build this solid foundation, we are here to move the Library into the future. A different Hamilton song defines “legacy” as “planting seeds in a garden you never get to see” – we view the immediate next steps of identifying CIP needs and funding sources as the seeds of a brighter future and new approach for the Library.
The Lynnfield Library Trustees sincerely thank the many, many residents who devoted their valuable time to attending the Fall Town Meeting and for advocating for the Library during the ballot vote. Even after the disappointing results of the recent special election, the Lynnfield Public remains committed to its mission to provide free, equitable access to services and programs, facilitate connections as a welcoming and inclusive cultural center, and uphold the foundations of literacy and reading through freedom of information.
The Lynnfield Library Trustees look forward to collaborating with the town, the Friends, and the Foundation to provide current and future generations of Lynnfield residents with the best possible version of the Lynnfield Public Library.
Sincerely,
The Lynnfield Public Library Board of Trustees, Joe Gallagher, Anne Malenfant, Faith Honer-Coakley, Darlene Kumar, and Rich Mazzola
