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Oconomowoc council reviews library feasibility study, senior space and remote branch options
Summary
Library staff told the council a feasibility study and space-needs analysis are concluding; councilors urged exploring dedicated senior space in any library expansion and asked staff to evaluate a proposed remote library/virtual branch opportunity, though no budget decision was made for 2026.
City of Oconomowoc staff updated the council Tuesday on an ongoing library feasibility study and space-needs analysis and took questions about whether to include dedicated senior-center space and a proposed remote (or ‘virtual’) branch in future planning.
Library director Jennifer (Jen) presented timelines: the request for proposals will close soon and staff expects the feasibility study and space needs work to be complete by the end of the year. The study will inform next steps, including whether a capital campaign is feasible and how to phase any expansion. The city’s packet also included previous department budget priorities and status updates for items that overlap with the city’s strategic-plan goal to improve “quality-of-life assets.”
Several aldermen urged explicit study of dedicated senior space inside a future expanded library building. Councilors and several commenters described a senior center currently in poor condition and noted seniors sometimes do not use distant community-center programs because of accessibility barriers. Council members suggested that offering dedicated senior space in a new library could support fundraising and better address local needs; staff said they would raise the subject with the feasibility consultants and the library board.
A separate proposal discussed at length was a “remote” or “virtual” branch — a small staffed or unstaffed pickup/drop-off and basic services point located outside the main building (an example discussed was a pickup location near a large retail center). Library staff said the idea remains under research: costs for capital fit-out and ongoing operations are not yet known, and placing a remote branch in the 2026 budget without a cost estimate would be premature. Several council members encouraged staff to continue researching the concept because securing free or low-cost space could increase county circulation and nonresident usage.
Ending: No budget allocations were approved Tuesday. Staff will finish the feasibility study later this year, and the council requested that library staff and consultants evaluate scenarios that include senior space and provide cost estimates for any remote branch option during the next budget cycle.
