POLAND — The Select Board asked the town manager and deputy town manager Tuesday night to look into a town meeting article to hire an architect to design an addition for the Alvan Bolster Ricker Memorial Library.
Library Trustees Joseph Beardsley and Bill Almy requested an article go to voters.
The library at 1211 Main St. opened in 1963 and hasn’t changed much in its space and appearance since, Beardsley said.
In a poll of voters taken during an election, 70% favored expansion, 15% favored renovation and 15% favored no expansion.
Beardsley and Almy voiced frustration with a past Select Board on how the architect can be hired.
The trustees were willing to use money from the Stone Fund, which they oversee, but expenditures of up to $50,000 must be approved by the Select Board. And spending above that figure must get voters’ approval.
Almy believed the previous Select Board stonewalled efforts to procure available funds for an architect.
Beardsley and Almy said they hoped to have an article come before town meeting, allowing the trustees to spend up to $850,000 for the expansion, including costs for an architect.
Almy admitted the figure is an estimate since an architect would need to be contracted to produce a design and determine actual costs.
The trustees had a conceptual design done by an architect, who is a friend of the library, at no cost a couple years ago.
Deputy Town Manager Nikki Pratt said a warrant article needs to include a financial statement on how the expansion would be paid for by tax dollars, most likely through a bond.
Beardsley and Almy are submitting grant applications to raise money for the expansion.
The Select Board asked Town Manager Matt Garside and Pratt to look into preparing a warrant article requesting approval to hire an architect.
In other business, the board approved having ReVision Energy submit a letter of intent to have Poland change to solar power as its primary electrical source at its municipal facilities.
Voters at the annual town meeting would need to approve a multi-year agreement with the company, even though no initial cost is required.
ReVision pairs a nonprofit entity such as a municipality with a private solar investor who profits from federal tax programs that are not offered to nonprofit organizations.
According to the ReVision website, avoiding utility price hikes is one of the benefits of this type of partnership.
In another matter, Selectpersons Mary-Beth Taylor and Nathan McNally will work with Garside to determine how $50,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act will be disbursed among town employees.
Pratt noted nomination papers for two selectpersons, two library trustees, and one person each on the Regional School Unit 16 Board of Directors and the Budget Committee will be available Jan. 7.
The papers must be returned by 4 p.m. Feb. 16.
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