How big a potential new library should be was among the items discussed Tuesday night during the library board meeting.

The board is also considering a November 2025 election date to try again to get community support for the project.

Board President Kenny Massey said the board had a discussion with Mar Lan Construction and an architect from Studio One in December on scaling down the square footage of the new library to between 10,000 and 12,000 square feet. He said this design would increase the amount of parking. 

Massey said he also spoke with them about designing the building with the ability to expand it in the future.

Treasurer Amy Jankowski said they are still waiting to hear what the cost of those plans would be. Once the board receives those costs, she said they will adjust their plans accordingly. 

Massey said November 2025 is being considered for the library election since City Commission and school board candidates would also be on the ballot during that time. 

In other business, Massey met with Laura Lewis, co-chair for the previous library campaign, to discuss plans for new committees to help with the library’s design process and with voter turnout. 

The board has streamlined what committees are necessary since its last meeting and is moving forward with filling roles in each. These committees will be made up of both board and community members. 

The Vote Yes committee, led by Lewis, will be responsible for providing information about the proposed bond issue and the election to the community. 

The building committee will give input on the library’s renovation and design process. Executive Director Carol Wohlford, Jankowski and Massey will be on this committee, as well as members from the community. 

“People on that committee should have an interest in the new library, even if it’s pro or con, to have them at the table to work through this process,” Massey said. 

The public relations committee will focus on finding opportunities to speak with the community and educate voters on why they should support the bond. 

The voter participation committee will find groups to support the bond, as well as advocate for voter registration and participation in the election. 

None of the committees are fully formed, but Massey said they will start meeting closer to the election. 

In other business, the board approved a coyote hunting group to use the library’s parking lot during a hunting tournament. The group will use the parking lot from noon March 30 to noon March 31. 

Reach reporter Ryn Drummond at [email protected] 

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