Ginger Kendall, chairman of the Harvard Public Library Trustees, presented the draft 2008 fiscal year budget for the new library to the Finance Committee at its Tuesday night meeting. The FY08 budget shows increased costs over FY07 of $166,452, which will be voted on at Annual Town Meeting as a warrant article. According to Lorraine Leonard, town finance director, the warrant article will also have to include the increase in heating costs that are not reflected in this budget as well as the costs of maintaining the current library building. Leonard still estimates the final number to be in the $190,000 range.
Kendall pointed out that although the new library square footage is more than double that of the current library, the estimated operational cost per square foot will be almost halved. According to Building Committee Co-Chairmen Ray Moffa and Pete Jackson, this is the result of a building that will be as energy efficient as possible. “The only thing we didn’t do,” Jackson said, “was geo-thermal and solar.”
Library staffing includes three new positions: two 30-hour-per-week jobs and one part-time facilities manager, as well as some increased hours for existing staff. In response to questions about higher level of staffing than originally projected, Moffa told the committee that there is a need for additional flexibility. “We have to let people take vacation and get sick, which we don’t do now,” he said. Library Director Mary Wilson spoke of the need to have enough coverage to ensure safety for staff, children, and adult patrons. Selectmen Chairman Randy Dean requested that the trustees look at reconfiguring the schedule. “More part-timers or full-timers, but not in between,” he said. Employees with 20 or more hours are eligible for benefits.
Wilson gave the middle of March as the likely closing date for the current library. Then there will be a week to clean up the old library, which has been in use for 117 years; a week to move; a week to set up in the new facility, and a tentative grand opening date of April 7.
