Council approves Friends of the Library phase‑2 refresh; authorizes $10,000 contingency use

At the Feb. 18 meeting the Friends of the Soda Springs Library announced they had selected Drew Erickson of Wood Eye Industries as contractor for a phase‑2 upper‑floor refresh focused on the study room.

A Friends representative told the council the phase‑2 bid is "about 18 to 20,000" and that Friends have budgeted up to $30,000 as a cushion for unforeseen issues such as asbestos or light‑fixture replacement. The representative said the south wall facing the courthouse was not included in the original bid and may require additional work once demo begins.

Councilors discussed whether phases could be combined to save money and whether the library had sufficient contingency. One councilor recommended authorizing construction while also allowing the Friends to use up to $10,000 of city‑held or Friends' funds toward phase‑3 or to cover contingencies, with a requirement to keep the council informed of major discoveries.

The council moved and approved a motion to proceed with phase‑2 and to permit the Friends to access up to an additional $10,000 toward phase‑3/contingencies from available funds; the motion specified use from the fund balance rather than the regular budget lines. Councilors emphasized minimizing interruptions to patrons and asked staff and the Friends to schedule a pre‑construction meeting so all parties understand the scope and potential HVAC or ceiling issues.

No roll‑call vote with individual names was recorded in the transcript; the action passed by voice vote. Staff will coordinate a meeting between the contractor, library staff and relevant city department heads before work begins.