Kathy Ferranti, a library trustee, told the Capital Improvement Advisory Committee on June 7 that the library is resubmitting a request for downstairs ADA restrooms and an electrical upgrade after a prior warrant attempt failed. The trustees are also exploring options to make the building more resilient as a community resource during emergencies.

Kathy said the trustees are asking for two ADA restrooms downstairs because staff offices and program space have shifted to lower levels since the last time the project was proposed; the library has experienced water infiltration and foundation drainage problems in the 1986 section, and some remediation and mold removal have already been performed by the library. “We have to open up the floor to… find out what's going on,” she told the committee about diagnosing the source of water intrusion.

Trustees also presented an electrical upgrade warrant: the library’s main service equipment is aging and electricians who inspected it recommended replacing the main 600‑amp service and gear. An estimate supplied to trustees places that work in the low‑hundreds of thousands (an estimate in the CIP packet was $215,000), and trustees said they are seeking an updated bid and will put the item forward for 2026.

On emergency shelter capability the trustees discussed whether adding a shower drain and floor drains in the lower level would make the library usable as a local warming/cooling shelter in lesser emergencies; Kathy said the addition of a shower and drains could reduce the need to open larger regional shelters. Committee members asked whether the library could host an emergency shelter under Red Cross parameters; trustees said they need to examine liability, staffing and HVAC/electrical capacity and would coordinate with CERT and town emergency planning.

The trustees asked the committee to treat restroom and electrical items as warrant-article candidates; they also said a full expansion remains a longer-term goal and will be revisited after a new library director’s planning work.

Ending: Trustees will refine cost estimates and propose warrant language; the committee asked staff to confirm town responsibilities (foundation remediation) and to include the restrooms and electrical service items in CIP ranking for possible 2026 warrant articles.