What are our options?

Do nothing. We can stay where we are, but that is not without costs. We must bring the facility up to ADA compliance and make fundamental repairs. “Doing nothing” will cost up to $150,000 and put a “bandage” on our current space problems: books will be shelved on the floor, an unsafe entrance/exit will continue to be an issue. The patrons will continue to experience even more overcrowding than they presently do. While we can provide a “quick fix” now, these problems will continue to multiply and will need to be solved. The Library Trustees do not support this option, but present it as an alternative for community consideration.

Stay where we are and expand. The current library is owned by the Town and sits on a long, narrow lot. Since the building cannot accommodate a second story, expansion would require building out along the narrow lot, resulting in a “bowling alley” effect. The library consultant recommends expansion at another site, since the lot and current structure limit effective layout options. The Library Trustees concur and do not support expansion at the current site.

Stay where we are and build a satellite. Satellite options are expensive to operate and difficult to manage. Many communities, including Greece , have moved away from satellites for these reasons. The Trustees do not support his option, as it will add substantially to future operating costs.

Build a new library through renovation or new construction. The magnitude of the necessary expansion calls for a new facility. Renovation of an existing building on a different site or new construction are both viable options.

What was the proposition voted on August 2, 2005?

Proposition No. 1 of 2005

Shall the Town acquire the site know as Mendon Village Square Library site on West Main Street for its then appraised value, currently estimated to be $125,000.00 for construction of a Town Library, with an estimated 12,500 square feet, with construction costs currently estimated to be $3,125,000.00, the total cost to be paid $13,000 from reserve funds, $112,000 from current taxes, and the balance to be financed by the issuance of bonds having a maturity of 30 years?

Who owns the building and the property?

The Town of Mendon will own the Library building and the property.

Here is a summary of properties considered in 2001:

1. Sumner Property, East Street (this contained issues of a high water table, environmental issues, traffic).

2. Rittenhouse Property, East Street (this contained environmental issues, too, but it was sold before we could consider it further).

3. West Main Street (it had none of the above issues, the space was open, we could expand there, basically it had everything we needed. It was the most viable space for our new library).

4. We also considered the property behind the library that the Town owned. When the engineers reviewed the property behind the present library, they discovered engineering costs to accommodate new EPA laws are approximately $350,000.

Why not add on to the existing building?

We would need to follow the EPA laws and have a buried tank or retaining pond to take care of the parking lot water runoff. This is a very expensive proposition.

We would need to change the flat roof on the back addition, upgrade electrical systems to accommodate new technologies, add windows and natural light, and put a bathroom in that is ADA compliant. All of these things need to be done to building codes, EPA and ADA laws, and state finance laws in relation to building structures.

I’m concerned about our taxes!

Our Town tax rate is the fourth lowest in the county. Percentages can be confusing and misleading. With the added cost of the proposed new Library, Mendon will still have the fourth lowest tax rate in the County.

Our current Town tax rate is $2.28 per $1000 of assessed value per year. Our new Library will add 0.39 cents per $1000 of assessed value of your property per year. This is about $39 per year (about $3.25 per month) on a house assessed at $100,000. For the average household, this is about $78 per year. That’s less than the cost of 3 hardcover books.

The Town taxes are the only portion of your total tax bill that will increase to support our new library. The school, village or county portion of your tax bill will not increase to support the new library. Some people have a County/Town tax line in their bills. Only the Town portion of the tax will increase.

There is no future for libraries.

With the invention of home computers and the Internet you would think that this should be true. But it isn’t. Libraries are being used more today than ever before. Library usage continues to climb. Over 70,000 people visit the library every year!

]Why was the vote for W. Main Street and not Monroe Street ?

When the engineers reviewed the property behind the present library, they discovered how difficult and expensive it would be to take care of the parking lot water run-off according to the new EPA laws. It would have added $350,000 more to the cost of the project.

Why so large (3X the current building)?

A library building of 12,500 sq. feet is a modest sized library. The square footage allows us to continue operations and be viable for the next 30 years.

The proposed size is based on the population of our Town, how we use our library, the number of books in circulation, the number of computers that should be available, the amount of programs we offer, and our projected growth. Our actual rate of growth in the last five years is higher than the projected growth rate. Two separate library consultants arrived at the same square footage. Their reports are posted on this site.

When the Town of Victor built its Library it was sized properly. However the population of Victor has grown faster than expected. The Victor Library is ten years old and is already confronting space issues.

What if we want to do nothing?

The library is temporarily operating on a New York State waiver for handicapped accessibility. We need to have the building accessible to all people. This would mean adding an elevator and handicapped accessible restrooms to our present building. We would also need to widen the aisles and lose even more space for books. A significant amount of money would be spent on a library that is still too small.

If the community chooses to vote no, the Library Board will continue to ask the Town for an adequate library facility. The site selection process would begin again. A no vote could delay this much-needed facility even more.

Why was such a large library proposed?

If you have visited any new libraries that have been built in the last ten years, you will see that we are asking for a very modest library but one that we will be proud of, one that reflects that architecture and energy efficiency of today’s buildings and a place that you will be proud to visit and bring your family. It’s not just a place for books but also a place for meetings, classes, lectures, programs, and story times…..

The size of the building was determined by many factors. We have posted the two consultants reports which were used extensively in determining the size of the building. Look under Preliminary Building Report and Mendon Public Library Building Program on the details page of this website.

Will more staff be needed and therefore our taxes go up more?

It doesn’t seem logical to anyone who thinks about it that the present staff would be able to manage a library 3x the size of the present one. However, we expect these costs to slowly increase over time. We also plan to expand the hours the library is open.

Are there plans to improve the safety for bike riders and walkers to the proposed W. Main Street Site?

There are sidewalks, side roads and walking paths to the new library. It is less safe at the present library site due to the driveway and walkway layout. There are plans to install a traffic light on W. Main Street as the development progresses.

Why did the cost go up from $2 million to $3.25 million?

• The original concept of $2 million in 2003 dollars was for a 11,000 sq. foot, municipal Type B building (wooden frame) that costed for $110 a square foot and could only be bonded for 20 years according to NYS Finance Law. The 11,000 sq. ft. was based on the 1990 census that stated we had 6,845 people in the Town of Mendon . In 2003 the cost estimate was $2.3 million dollars. This concept would now cost $2.87 million dollars in today’s economy.
• After last year’s hurricane season, there has been a 40% increase in the cost of materials.
• The present concept that is being proposed to you for your vote on August 2 is larger at 12,500 sq. ft. It is for a Type A municipal building that can be bonded for 30 years according to NYS Finance Law. The size of the building is based on 2000 census that state we have 8,370 people in the Town of Mendon . This concept is proposed at estimated costs of $3.25 MM.
• $2.3 MM bonded over 20 years would cost the same amount per year in taxes as the proposed library. If inflation and increased construction costs were factored in as described above the cost per $1000 of assessed value would be significantly higher.

Why isn’t one of the three proposed sites in the Hamlet of Mendon?

Town surveys have indicated that the majority of town residents would like the library to remain in the village. Several additions to library service are being planned for the hamlet. The Library Board would like to see a book drop, reading room with a rotating collection, story times and other programs held in the hamlet of Mendon in the near future.

What was the estimated cost breakdown of the W. Main Street site?

Will New York State reimburse 50% of building a new library?

More Questions and Answers on Page [2]