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Iredell County libraries to apply for $39,900 LSTA grant and seek E-rate discounts to expand outdoor, accessible programming
Summary
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners consented to a library request to apply for a $39,900 LSTA grant to install an accessible story walk and outdoor musical instruments at Jennings Park and approved participation in the FCC E-rate program to offset internet costs.
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners on a consent vote approved the library’s request to apply for a $39,900 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the State Library of North Carolina to install an accessible story walk and outdoor musical instruments at Jennings Park.
Julie Moore, who introduced the request, said the application is due March 1 and described the project: “We’re gonna put 30 story walk stands and outdoor musical instruments” along a fully accessible concrete path behind Jennings Park’s baseball fields toward the picnic shelter. Moore said the library removed a $1,500 skid-steer rental from the application after the State Library flagged it as a construction expense last year; that rental will instead be included in the library’s budget request. She said Parks and Recreation will install the equipment, reducing the county’s match to 10% and allowing the match to be in-kind.
Moore also asked the board to approve the county libraries’ annual E-rate participation, the Federal Communications Commission program that subsidizes internet access for eligible libraries and schools. “We typically, when we apply, receive a 60% discount on Internet access,” Moore said. She said total internet costs for the libraries are estimated at $13,140 and that E-rate discounts would cover approximately $7,884. She told the board Statesville and Troutman are under a three-year contract through 2027-06-30 while Harmony remains on month-to-month service with a provider listed in the packet.
The board recorded consent for both the LSTA application and the E-rate participation; no public debate or roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript. If awarded, the LSTA grant would fund materials for the story walk and outdoor instruments; installation is expected to be provided by the county Parks and Recreation department as described by library staff.
Next steps: staff will file the LSTA application by the March 1 deadline and submit the E-rate forms required for the upcoming funding cycle. The board did not set additional conditions in the meeting record.
