FORT FRANCES—While no decisions were made as to a possible joint venture between the local public school board and library board to build a new library in conjunction with a new Robert Moore School, the parties at least got some food for thought on the matter Tuesday night.
Representatives of the library board, Rainy River District School Board, and the Town of Fort Frances got together for a nearly two-hour meeting at the Civic Centre to discuss the idea—first brought forward by the school board once chair Dan Belluz and Education Director Jack McMaster saw an article in the Times last month about the evident funding shortfall for the new library.
“My vision of the shared concept between the library and the school board, as far as savings are concerned, is that we’re building a house, you’re building a bedroom,” said Belluz.
“It seems that it would more cost-effective to add a bedroom to a house than have a stand-alone bedroom,” he added.
He noted some efficiencies could be realized in areas such as having one electrical system, plumbing, heating, computer resources, janitorial costs, and other areas.
As well, the school board property could easily accommodate a new library.
“I don’t see the school board involved in the design of the library at all,” added Belluz, noting the board wasn’t involved in designing the local Confederation College campus or the Townshend Theatre that was incorporated into the new site of Fort Frances High School in the late 1990s.
McMaster explained a potential partnership would see a public library built next to the school, with a specific section with suitable resources for Robert Moore students to use during school hours, and the general public to use outside of school hours (under the Safe Schools Act, the public cannot have access to students during school hours).
This student section actually would be located in the school and connected to the rest of the library through double doors, which would be opened to the rest of the library-using public after school hours.
He added the partnership would be of benefit to the school, and likewise, the school board is encouraging use of its schools for community use.
McMaster stressed the only reason the school board had come forward with the idea was because of the funding shortfall. “If there hadn’t been a funding shortfall, we wouldn’t be at the table today,” he explained. “We just thought we could help out.”
Belluz said he’s polled the rest of the trustees and they support a joint venture with the library board and town.
But beyond that, any cost-savings are just speculation right now, and there’s no way of knowing exactly what they’ll be until two architects—for the new school and the library—get together with their drawings.
That said, it’s not likely the cost-savings would be equal to the funding shortfall of well over $1 million town council is facing in its current budget.
Another factor is the timeframe. McMaster noted a Robert Moore architectural committee has been formed, but the new school likely won’t open its doors until the fall of 2010.
“Two years is a long time,” said library board vice-chair Arlene Georgeson, adding the current library project is ready to go to tender.
“We recognize you’re well on your way. We’re just throwing out some feelings to see, if there’s a funding shortage, the library board and town was interested in making this a reality,” said McMaster.
“I don’t know what you’re going to do about the funding shortfall,” he added. “Maybe two years is a short time if you’re still trying to raise money, trying to raise a million bucks.”
Several councilors weighed in on the school board’s idea.
“What I see is the school board coming to us tonight and saying, ‘You seem to be short of money. We might be able to help,’” said Coun. Ken Perry. “I don’t see a losing situation here.”
“The library board has a vision of what they would like to see in a municipal library for the Town of Fort Frances,” remarked Coun. Andrew Hallikas. “Will the library board be able to build a library they envision and get the extra money [through synergies] they need by attaching it to the school?
“That’s the really the question.”
“We have to negotiate it. We are around the table here for an amicable discussion,” noted Coun. John Albanese. “The nitty-gritty is going to come when the three players come together and see if its feasible.”
Coun. Perry said he felt the school board is “thinking outside the box,” and that the town and library board has to follow suit. “It’s a win-win situation if it could work,” he stressed.
“If we’re looking at operational cost-savings as the only cost synergy, I don’t think it becomes feasible,” countered Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft. “I think we have to have some construction cost synergies.
“If we’re going to do this together, the board of education is going to have to step to the plate and say ‘We’re prepared to put ‘x’ amount of dollars into this joint-use facility to see that it’s done.”
But McMaster clarified the school board can’t take education dollars and put them into a public library unless they build their own section and open it up to public use outside of school hours.
Library board member Alan Zucchiatti noted in similar school board-public library projects elsewhere, it’s taken years and years of planning to be successful.
“I’m not sure if the public library has the time, or wants to take the time at this stage, based on where we’re at,” he added.
“Not that I don’t think it couldn’t happen, but do we want it to? It could take five years,” echoed Georgeson, adding the planning would be complex to say the least.
But Coun. Sharon Tibbs pointed out there are success stories out there, and that the proposed venture is no different than the Townshend Theatre, for example.
Georgeson said it’s possible, however, that such a joint-facility would in the taxpayers’ best interest.
“Personally, I’ve not had one person have a positive comment about a joint facility,” she continued, adding factors ranging from location, differences in staffing, and even different budgets (and what happens if there’s cutbacks to either one) could be problematic.
“I think the town would be best-suited to a stand-alone facility to replace the current library,” said Georgeson.
“Our town has had a pubic library for, what, 100 years, and it’s always worked fine,” said Zucchiatti. “Now we’re getting a new library and the people have worked very hard to bring it to where it is now.
“It seems a shame to me that just because we’ve run into a stumbling block, which we will surpass and we will proceed given enough time, that we have to compromise to save money.
“It’s being a little short-sighted given that this thing will be around for the next 100 years,” he added. “A new building is something for Fort Frances to be proud of.
“I’m not saying a combined building wouldn’t be, but it would be something different.”
Several councillors noted the town is in a time crunch—given the library project is ready to go to tender and the town is in the midst of budget talks.
With the $1.6-million grant from the Ministry of Culture and other dollars already in place for the library, construction could start this year, and the town could put off funding the unfinanced share until the 2009 budget.
If the library project is put off for a year or more, construction costs could go up 10 percent a year—so not building it now could end up proving more costly for the town.
At a cost of nearly $3.9 million, that could translate to nearly $400,000 each year.
Yet another economic factor, pointed out by the library board, is that $527,000 has been donated or pledged to the “Building for the Future” fundraising campaign.
This was given on the belief that a stand-alone library would be built on the site next to the arena. If the conditions were to change, donors could very well pull their dollars out.
On the other hand, preliminary queries to the Ministry of Culture have indicated the $1.6-million grant for the library would not be jeopardized if the project were to be altered, so long as the money still was spent by the library board to build a new library in Fort Frances.
One-and-a-half hours into Tuesday night’s meeting, library board chair Joyce Cunningham said: “Do we talk about this for another six weeks, seven weeks, so that you can’t pass the budget, you can’t go to tender, we end up spending more and more money . . . and I still don’t see what we’ve gained.
“And nobody seems to have been able to tell me how I saved any money?
“I’m a really simple person when it comes to dollars. I’ve got my cheque book and I add it up. But I need some answers of where the saving is,” she added.
Belluz noted the next step is up to council and the library board. “We’re here as an act of good faith; to participate in your public library if we can,” he remarked.
McMaster added the school board is prepared to come back to the table to talk about it with the other parties when they so choose.
Mayor Roy Avis noted the library board and council will have to take what was discussed Tuesday night into consideration.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
