East Troy board approves impact-fee funding to hire HGA for library facilities study

The East Troy Village Board voted to allow the library board to use up to $45,000 in impact fees to contract with Hamill Green and Abramson (HGA) for predesign work toward a possible library expansion or renovation.

Tammy, library director, told the board the library has completed a strategic plan and public survey and is asking the village to release impact-fee money so the library board can move forward with HGA’s option 2 predesign package and a limited set of optional services. "And so we're just asking you to release the money so that we can move forward and try to give the community a better space," Tammy said.

The request matters because the current library building was built in 1969 as a Lions Club youth center and is split-level, which limits accessibility and program flexibility, the director said. The library’s strategic plan and community survey showed the top community priorities are expanding space and creating more comfortable, private and collaborative areas. The board packet shows HGA’s option 2 (predesign with drawings and stakeholder work) at $36,750 plus optional documentation ($2,500) and a small miscellaneous item ($750), and the motion asked for authority up to $45,000 to allow some margin.

HGA was selected after interviews with three firms; presenters told trustees HGA brings integrated engineering, HVAC and cost‑estimating services that the library board considered important. Tammy summarized HGA’s outreach work, including on‑site community interviews and tours of comparable libraries. Christina Murphy, library board president, said, "This is the first time that I really feel positive that we are going in the right direction."

Trustees and library board members also discussed fundraising and naming-rights options. Board members said a successful predesign could support a capital campaign or public–private fundraising down the road. The village attorney and staff noted the impact fees cited are funds collected from new development and held with the intent of supporting library facilities; the board confirmed there is sufficient balance in library impact fees (officially described by staff as over $100,000) to cover the request.

President Johnson moved to approve the use of impact fees up to $45,000 to execute an agreement with HGA for option 2 and the optional services; a trustee seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote.

The library board and HGA will proceed with stakeholder meetings and predesign tasks described in the proposal. The board indicated it expects reports back from the library board and consultant in the coming months so that fundraising and budget planning can follow the predesign results.