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Livonia council pauses Bennett Library ADA bathroom award, recommends CDBG funds instead for McNamara Towers upgrades
Summary
After bids for an ADA bathroom at the Robert and Janet Bennett Civic Center Library exceeded estimates, city officials recommended reallocating current Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to replace flooring in McNamara Towers Building 2 and referred the library bathroom item to the capital outlay committee for further review.
The Livonia City Council discussed plans to use federal Community Development Block Grant funds to make accessibility and facility improvements after bids to renovate the Bennett Library ADA bathrooms came back higher than expected.
The administration reported that an initial bid package exceeded the available funding; a repackaged bid for the women’s restroom came in at $121,740 from C & S Construction Management of Wyandotte. Mayor (name not specified) told council that, because the city is also planning a possible new library, spending CDBG dollars on a short-term library fix could be inefficient. The mayor recommended instead directing this year’s CDBG allocation to replace carpeting with vinyl plank flooring in Building 2 of McNamara Towers — roughly 82 units housing low-income seniors — and holding open the possibility of using next year’s CDBG funds for Bennett Library ADA work if needed.
Mayor (name not specified) said the reallocation would modernize McNamara Towers units and improve accessibility for residents there, while preserving the option to fund the library in the following year’s CDBG cycle. Administration staff said the CDBG program year runs July–June, and that council would see the 2024–25 and next-year funding proposals soon.
Council moved the library bathroom bid award into the capital outlay committee for further discussion rather than moving immediately to contract award. A council member made a motion to place the item in the capital outlay committee; the motion was approved for referral (study meeting action). Council indicated a willingness to revisit the library bathroom if the city later decides the Bennett Library will remain in use and funding becomes available.
Several residents urged the council to prioritize accessible bathrooms at the Bennett Library now rather than delay. Speakers said both the atrium restroom and the second-floor restroom lack accessible stalls or accessible door entry, and described the issue as urgent for citizens who use wheelchairs or otherwise need accessible facilities. The mayor and staff said they recognized those concerns and described the McNamara Towers flooring as a high-need use of the current grant year’s CDBG funds that would benefit many low-income senior residents immediately.
The council directed that the library bathroom item be discussed by the capital outlay committee and noted staff will bring back related documents and a clean ordinance package if changes to positions or funding are advanced.
The item was not awarded at this study meeting; the referral and first-read motions were recorded for follow-up in committee and on the regular meeting agenda.
