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Residents and library campaign leaders debate costs as board reviews capital drive and storage request
Summary
At a Village of Cottage Grove Board meeting, a resident questioned past spending on earlier library site studies while the Library Board reported $525,000 in contingent pledges toward a $1 million capital campaign; the board approved temporary storage space for library programming materials.
A resident raised detailed concerns about past village spending on earlier library planning while the Library Board gave an update on its capital campaign and requested temporary storage for program materials.
The resident, identified only as Mark during the public comment period, said the village has spent about "$182,737.42" of taxpayer money on earlier work tied to a prior site and consultants and urged that amount be subtracted from any referendum total. He also listed invoices and outstanding amounts for vendors tied to prior planning work, saying some funds remain unpaid.
The Library Board, represented by Cindy, told the board it has been working from a 2022 feasibility study and set a minimum capital campaign goal of $1 million, with an overall aim between $1 million and $2 million. Cindy said campaign leadership has recruited 28 volunteer leaders and that contingent pledges currently total $525,000, which she described as "over halfway to our goal of a million." She said the campaign is in phases and noted a "silent phase" followed by active solicitation of businesses, foundations and private donors.
Board members and staff said Summit Credit Union will provide a one-to-one match on donations from the "100 Extraordinary Women" component of the campaign; a board member later clarified Summit’s memorandum of understanding shows Summit will contribute up to $100,000 under that program regardless of how many of the 100 women have pledged.
Cindy told the board the Friends of the Library group had pledged land sale proceeds and that documentation and recognition levels for donors are in place. The board discussed whether campaign stewardship would remain with the village or be transferred to the Friends group if the referendum passes.
On a separate but related agenda item, the Library Board requested temporary storage space for program supplies. Village staff identified a likely location in the Parks and Recreation area; the board approved a motion to provide shelving in that space and asked staff to handle logistics, with staff saying they would use existing shelving where possible and return if purchases were required.
Why it matters: The capital campaign and referendum will affect project financing and how much local taxpayers are asked to contribute; public concern about past expenditures was raised directly during the public comment period and recorded for the public record.
Looking ahead: Campaign leaders said their work remains contingent on the referendum outcome and that the campaign will continue in phases whether the village retains stewardship or hands it off to the Friends group.
