

Advocates for expanding the public library urged town officials this week to move forward quickly and vote to spend $5.7 million of town money on the project.

Advocates for expanding the public library urged town officials this week to move forward quickly and vote to spend $5.7 million of town money on the project.

Laura Barry, chairwoman of the Hopkinton Public Library Foundation, said the town will increase its chance of receiving a $4.5 million state grant if it votes as soon as possible to contribute the remainder of the $10.2 million project.

Library Director Rownak Hussain and Marie Eldridge, chairwoman of the Library Trustees Board, accompanied Barry at the Permanent Building Committee meeting Tuesday night in Town Hall.

Barry said she "wecomes discussion" on whether a vote should be taken soon, perhaps at a special Town Meeting before the regularly scheduled Town Meeting in the fall.

The Permanent Building Committee Tuesday listened to the proposal but took no action.

"We’ve got to gauge what the feeling of the town is about spending money," said committee chairman Dan McIntyre.

Barry explained why a quick vote could be advantageous. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is in the process of distributing $100 million the commission received in 2008, she explained.

Hopkinton has been promised $4.5 million, but is fourth on the waiting list, behind Webster, Sandwich and Woburn.

In the meantime, some towns have boosted themselves to the top of the wait list by pre-approving their own portion of funding in anticipation of the state grants.

In addition, several towns have failed to get a grant they were promised, increasing Hopkinton’s chance of making it off the wait list.

The Permanent Building Committee said they will discuss speeding up the vote for funding with the Board of Selectmen and town manager.

Barry said the last renovation of the library was in 1967. Residents approved the project plans at the 2011 town meeting. The plans would expand the library from 5,000 square feet to 22,000, she said. It would also correct the fact that the building is not handicap accessible.

Meanwhile, Barry’s foundation has raised $45,000 from private parties, she said, and plans to continue to raise money and donate it to the town.

Contact Laura Krantz at 508-626-4429 or lkrantz@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurakrantz.
 
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