Commissioners approve higher bid for library windows with local donations covering part of the increase

Daniels County commissioners on July 21 approved a revised $66,000 contract to replace windows at the county library after staff and a library representative reported an 8% price increase since the contract was first signed in February.

The library representative (introduced in the meeting as Arlene) told the commission the contractor would not release the contract until the county reaffirmed the higher price. "The cost went up 8% on the windows from February," she said, and noted a four- to six-week lead time for materials. Arlene said Friends of the Library would donate $5,000 toward the project and the Senior Citizens Library Fund $500.

Commissioners discussed logistics — whether blinds and trim would require additional work and whether the installation would force any temporary closures — and were told the contractor expected the job to be one day and that staff would work around the disruption. A motion to approve the revised bid and encourage moving forward was made by a committee member and seconded; the motion passed by voice vote.

The library representative also flagged that some interior blinds might not fit the new windows and could be remounted outside if necessary. She added the board planned to cover interior trim work and said the project was timed to complete before winter.

The commission did not vote to change library hours during the meeting; library staff asked the board to allow summer hours to continue through Oct. 1 while a staff member undergoes surgery, and commissioners asked the library board to formalize hours if necessary.

Next steps: staff will finalize contract signature logistics and schedule installation with the contractor so work can be completed before the heating season.