Selectmen approve amended ADU library impact fee; library director details budget changes

At the Oct. 21 meeting the Greenland Board of Selectmen voted to approve a planning-board recommendation that reduces the library impact fee for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to $1,250 from $2,637.

Town planner Mark Fugyer explained he recalculated the per‑person unit cost for ADUs after changing the assumed occupancy for a smaller ADU footprint (about 1,200 sq. ft.), and recommended the amended fee as a mathematical correction. Selectman S9 moved to approve the amended fee and S7 seconded; the board approved the motion by voice vote.

The board then heard a detailed presentation from the library director (identified in the transcript as S10). The director said personnel makes up the majority of the library’s budget and that she requested a 3% increase for staff to help retain personnel, including converting a 24‑hour position to full time (the personnel change would raise benefits costs). “That’s about a 7% increase overall,” she said, describing the personnel and benefits drivers. The director also said a recent HVAC failure cost about $10,000 but was paid from unspent personnel money tied to a vacant position; since the repair the library’s electric bills have fallen (12%–30% reductions were cited for different months).

S10 described continued growth in programming and electronic usage: monthly program attendance has risen from about 150 to more than 300 people, and costs for electronic services (Overdrive, Hoopla) have increased, prompting a shift away from physical audio CDs toward streamed services. She noted a small increase in contracted landscaping/snow services and other operating costs but said the net library operational increase is modest and largely personnel‑driven.

Next steps: the board approved the ADU library impact fee change and staff will update fee schedules and communicate the change to the planning and zoning departments.