There has been much talk over the years regarding the Grafton library and it’s future. We are approaching the March 14th elections where the voters will decide. Warrant Article 19, if passed, will give the Library Trustees the opportunity to start Phase One of the build.
Many in town are divided on this proposal. To get a better understanding of this complex issue, we asked the following key questions to both Cindy Kudlik (Chair of the Select Board) representing the Select Board and Andrew Cushing (Secretary of the Library Trustees).
Grafton Times: Is there a perceived need for a new library or not?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “There is not a perceived need for a new library by the Selectmen or many people in town. The 2021 Strategic Plan Survey only garnered 105 responses from Graftonites, with only 46 of them claiming to be current library users and only 6 respondents saying they feel a new library would improve Grafton. Many people in town are apathetic, thus only 105 responses from a town with 1388 people living in it, that’s a pathetically low response. Interestingly, 30 of the 109 respondents (4 non-resident responded) identify as former library users and 33 stated that they never use the library at all.”
Andrew Cushing: “More than just perceived, there is an acute need for a library that offers universal access, restrooms, and more space for the programming and needs of a 21st century library. The Town has known this since the master plan in the 1980s, but planning in earnest has been underway for over a decade.”
Grafton Times: What is this based on? Share details of study/research.
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “Grafton 2021 Library Strategic Plan (https://www.townofgraftonnh.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif7476/f/uploads/grafton_public_library_strategic_plan_2022-2026.pdf)”
Andrew Cushing: No response provided to Grafton Times.
Grafton Times: If Phase 1 is the only dollar amount voters ever approve, what will become of this “building envelope”?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “It will sit unfinished and be an eyesore visible to everyone who drives through our town on Rte 4. Unless the voters approve Article 5 and the Selectmen could repurpose, sell or demolish it.”
Andrew Cushing: “We are confident that approving this first phase will position the Trustees and FOGL to receive a once-in-a-generation grant being offered by the State of New Hampshire, as administered through the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA). This $20 million pot of money is being set aside for “community centers” that are shovel ready, show community support, benefit an underserved community, incorporate energy efficient design, and have matching funds. Grafton is well-positioned to receive enough money to cover costs for the library’s completion. Better yet? We have a team of grant writers that are familiar with CDFA and have successfully received funding from the agency.
Grafton Times: Must it legally need to be completed? If so, who is responsible for this cost?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “Nothing in this warrant article would legally require the building to ever be completed. Any costs to complete it could end up on the Grafton taxpayers.”
Andrew Cushing: “If this funding does not come through, the expectation is that the second phase will be paid for by a mix of private donations, grants, and money from the capital reserve fund.”
Grafton Times: Have firm, fixed-priced contracts been obtained? If not, are these simply estimates?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “There are no contracts that we’re aware of so yes, the numbers provided by the Library Trustees and FoGL are only estimates.”
Andrew Cushing: “We have a contract with the timber framer to re-assemble the barn frame. The other costs were generated in conversations with contractors and our design team. When this article passes, we will have the confidence to contract with firms.”
Grafton Times: What are the current annual operating costs for the library?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “In 2022 $16,902.16 was spent from the General Fund. The $16,902.16 breaks down thusly: $976.60 Heating Fuel, $484 Media/Subscriptions, $1,060.47 Phone/Fax/Internet, $120 Professional Development, $299.60 Restrooms, $992.41 Electricity, $12,849.08 Wages. We are not given reports on what comes in and out of the accounts held by the Library Trustees & staff so for those numbers you’ll need to look at pages 70, 71 &72 of the Town Report. If you’re asking specifically what it costs to keep the lights on, heat and phone/internet that was $3,029.48 in 2022. $2362.36 in 2021.”
Andrew Cushing: “The library operates on a budget of about $20,000/year. A small chunk of that (less than $1,000) comes from interest earned on our trust funds and savings accounts and donations. It’s worth noting that this budget places Grafton in the bottom 5% of all libraries in the state, per capita.
Grafton Times: Is the select board obligated to pay these?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “The Select Board is obligated to oversee the annual budget and ensure that all money raised and appropriated is handled properly according to state law and internal policies. When the Selectmen go over annual budget requests with Department Heads we discuss the bottom line as well as individual line items as needed. The Budget Committee then will make further changes to the proposed amounts and the Selectmen are responsible for paying invoices that are turned in accordingly.”
Andrew Cushing: No response provided to Grafton Times.
Grafton Times: What will the annual operating costs be for the new library? What does this include? Be detailed. Electricity, heating, septic pumping, etc. If estimates, what are these estimates based on?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “This is completely unknown to us and we haven’t even heard any projections from the LT or FoGL. There has recently been talk of net-zero solar but I think we all know there will be some monthly bills to be paid regardless of how many solar panels are placed on the roof or on the ground along the roadside. Consolidated Communications raises prices every year, sometimes several times a year, and if we ever get High-speed fiber run through town we can likely expect those costs to increase even more, after an initial teaser rate expires. The current building is 660 sf and the one they’re proposing is over 2200 sf so figure about 4 times as much space to be heated or cooled and have lighting for.”
Andrew Cushing: “We do not anticipate the library operating budget to increase dramatically after the new library is constructed, though the Trustees will continue to advocate for adequate support. Our energy modeler has found that a net zero building is possible. That means that all electricity (including heating and cooling) will be produced on site. This would free up a few thousand dollars every year that we could instead allocate to staffing, programming, or media purchases.”
Grafton Times: Who is obligated to pay annual operating costs for the new library?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “The taxpayers.”
Andrew Cushing: “The operating costs are part of the library’s budget, as approved by the budget committee, selectmen, and ultimately the voters.”
Grafton Times: Who is obligated to pay major repairs for the following: building envelope, solar, HVAC systems, septic, etc.?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “Technically, the Library Trustees are responsible for library buildings, but the bulk of their funding comes from the taxpayers so we would all be obligated to pay for major (and minor) repairs.”
Andrew Cushing: “The library’s capital reserve fund would remain. Just like maintenance at the current library, that capital reserve fund would be tapped for maintenance needs at the new library.”
Grafton Times: Will the new library require more staff? Why or why not? Will the hours change?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: No response provided to Grafton Times.
Andrew Cushing: “Not necessarily more staff, but the Trustees would like to see more hours of operation if the budget allows. These goals are called for in our strategic plan, which was developed after a town-wide survey, interviews, and input from our team including a representative from the planning board and selectboard.
The design of the new library allows for closing off the media portion of the building, allowing the building to be used more easily outside of library open hours.”
Grafton Times: Part of the $170k for Article 19 was claimed to be volunteer hours. Is this still true with the new, amended Article?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “It was never true to be volunteer hours, despite the hopes of those proposing the project. The article clearly read $170,000 (One hundred seventy thousand dollars) and did not mention in-kind donations. Now that the article has been amended, the taxpayers can be certain that the requirement of a cash (check, ACH transfer, cashiers check or money order) from FoGL to the Town of Grafton in US Dollars must be received before any work can begin. Should the Trustees of the Trust Funds deny a request, once the $170,000 is received, to withdraw $40,000 from the Library Capital Reserve Fund (which they should because this is contrary to the purpose for which the CRF was established), FoGL would then be required to give the town another $40,000 before any work can begin. This all must be done this year or the article will not take effect.”
Andrew Cushing: “Yes, although we did not author the amendment so cannot speak to that author’s intentions.”
Grafton Times: If volunteers are relied upon, is there a contract? If not, what is the mitigation strategy if the volunteers fail to complete their agreements?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: No response provided to Grafton Times.
Andrew Cushing: No response provided to Grafton Times.
Grafton Times: Who is responsible for cost overruns?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “Unfortunately, should this article pass, the taxpayers will ultimately pay the price for a mismanaged project because the Library Trustees and FoGL are run by the same folks that have been mismanaging the Center Meetinghouse project that has run over time and cost since it’s inception. There is no guarantee here that if this unneeded new library project begins it will ever be finished without bankrupting the town or driving taxes up like the unneeded school renovation did which might drive many of our poorest and elderly neighbors into bankruptcy or in danger of losing their homes.”
Andrew Cushing: “Cost overruns would be incurred by FOGL.”
Grafton Times: If article 19 is adopted, when will Phase 1 be initiated?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “Should Article 19 pass, Phase 1 cannot begin before all money is received.”
Andrew Cushing: “Work would commence this year on site work, with our timber framer scheduled to assemble the barn frame as early as possible in 2024.”
Grafton Times: When will Phase 1 be completed?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “Unknown, but the Warrant Article does not say it is non-lapsing, therefore we can assume that the money appropriated for 2023 must be spent in 2023.”
Andrew Cushing: “We expect the envelope to be completed in 2024.”
Grafton Times: What are the rest of the phases? What are the number of phases? What are the deliverables for the rest of the phases? What is the timeline for the rest of the phases? When will they start and finish?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “Unknown. We’ve heard there will only be one more and that they don’t know how many phases there are. It’s anybody’s guess right now as there is no solid plan, timeline or estimated costs that have been shared.”
Andrew Cushing: “The subsequent phases would include interior finishes and would be complete as soon as funding allows. That will largely also depend on this year’s passage of Article 19 to allow us to tap into the state grant.
Grafton Times: Anything else the voters should know?
Cindy Kudlik/Select Board: “When asked several years ago why they are so bent and intent on a new library, Deb Clough shared a story about a little girl wetting her pants because there was no bathroom at the library. This was decades ago. That problem could have and should have been resolved years ago for far less cost to the taxpayers. Heck, we’ve personally already donated enough in the last decade to solve that problem ourselves so we have to ask what the real motivation is. When offered options to resolve that issue this past year, the suggestions to address the facility needs were dismissed because, among other reasons, it wouldn’t solve the parking problem. Yet when the Trustees held an informational meeting this February they still had not determined how many parking spaces the site engineer should incorporate in his design.
Furthermore, when the Strategic Planning Committee concluded their work in 2021, after 7 months of meetings that involved all of the Library Trustees, the Library Director, the President of FoGL, and representatives from the Selectmen and Planning Board, there were 10 steps outlined to take place over the course of 2 years before anything would be built, IF it was determined through the process that something should be built. One of those steps was to “Secure Select Board approval” which clearly has not been done and truly hasn’t even been attempted by the Library Trustees. Another goal is to “Explore interest in and feasibility of collaborating with other town entities to create and operate a combined Community Center/Library.” That also hasn’t been done. The goal just after that is to “Project total costs (capital and operating) associated with lead options.” We haven’t seen this, either. The Selectmen urge the voters and taxpayers of Grafton to vote no on Article 19 and not allow construction to begin on this idea of a project that hasn’t yet been fully planned.”
Andrew Cushing: “Our plans are available here: https://www.friendsofgraftonlibrarynh.org/about-the-barn “
We would like to thank both Andrew and Cindy for responding in a timely manner.
Given some of the discrepancies between the answers, Grafton Times has identified a few topics to be further investigated. Please check back.
[Grafton Times Note: It should be apparent from the above answers that even though Phase 1 of the new library might have no taxpayer cost if the full $210k is raised as contemplated in Article 19, the new library will be far from “free”. We hope this article helps the voters make a more informed decision come election day.]
Jake and Ryan
3/4/23