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Local veterinarian urges council to back Masons' donation of building to library for community center
Summary
During public comment Joseph Klein urged the council to support the library's potential acceptance of a donated Masons building to serve as a community center offering senior lunches, public‑health programming and language classes; the library is obtaining a structural-engineer report and would decide whether to accept the donation.
Joseph Klein, a local veterinarian and member of the library board, urged the Village of Saint Charles council during public comment to back a donation offer from local Masons for their vacant building adjacent to the library and to encourage the library board to accept it for community uses.
Klein said the Masons offered the building and even contributed a $500 check to the children's library. He described uses such as senior lunches, movie nights, language classes and a place for public-health officials to hold clinics or lectures: “It provides social interaction to meet the needs of our community,” Klein said, adding the building could fill a gap now that the county health department no longer has a presence in Saint Charles.
Klein said the library board plans to have a structural engineer inspect the building this week and that two tenants currently occupy downstairs space (a hairdresser and a nail salon). He asked the council to write a letter expressing support and “gentle encouragement” to the library board while the board considers the donation. Klein said the Downtown Development Authority and the township have prepared or planned letters of support as well.
Council members asked clarifying questions about which portions of the building the library would use and who would pay utilities; Klein said the upstairs would be used by the Masons (and they would pay their electricity upstairs), while the library would occupy the downstairs space for now but the Masons were turning over the entire building to the library if the board approves.
Next steps: the library board will review the structural-engineer report and then take up the possible acceptance of the donation; the council may consider a letter of support if the board requests it.
