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Library director asks commission for $40,000 toward facility needs assessment after decade of maintenance issues
Summary
Leavenworth Public Library Director Matt Noyan requested city support—$40,000—to help fund a comprehensive needs assessment and planning process for the library. The library has raised about $16,000 and estimates the study will cost $50,000–$60,000; staff committed to follow up on ADA door/access issues raised in the presentation.
Matt Noyan, director of the Leavenworth Public Library, asked the City Commission to fund a needs assessment to guide long-term improvements to the library facility, requesting a city commitment of $40,000 toward an estimated $50,000–$60,000 study.
Noyan told the commission the library has raised more than $16,000 toward the assessment and that the proposed study would evaluate the building's condition, accessibility and layout to better reflect community needs. He cited repeated maintenance issues including a nonfunctional outdoor book drop, detached west-facing wall panels, recurring skylight leaks, an inaccessible delivery/loading arrangement, damaged or hard-to-reach interior lighting, and doors that lack accessible openers. He said those problems increase operating costs (he noted high gas bills), complicate deliveries and create accessibility barriers for patrons, including parents with strollers and people using wheelchairs.
Noyan said the library's existing facility was the subject of a 1984 needs assessment and subsequent renovations; he asked commissioners to consider whether future options should include renovation, rebuilding or relocation. He requested that the commission consider allocating $40,000 in the city budget for a formal needs assessment and said the library board would supplement if necessary.
During the presentation Mayor and commissioners asked follow-up questions on funding and accessibility. The mayor said staff would follow up on the ADA door and assess what actions are needed to ensure compliance for public spaces. Commissioners suggested pursuing targeted assessments (for lighting, for example) and exploring grant opportunities, though staff noted HUD-entitlement funds and federal library-construction grants are not currently available for this purpose.
Noyan provided operational details: the library processes roughly 13.9 tons of incoming material annually and has raised $16,000 toward the study. He also flagged constraints such as small meeting-room availability and circulation workflows made inefficient by the building's layout. Noyan asked that a city representative participate in the needs-assessment committee if the city funds the effort.
The commission did not take an immediate funding vote; staff said they would follow up on ADA accessibility items and that the budget process would be the forum for any allocation.
