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Library board presses county to address HVAC, grounds and Seneca branch maintenance
Summary
Oconee County Library trustees on May 20 urged county officials to expedite repairs to HVAC units, ductwork and grounds maintenance—particularly at the Seneca branch—after staff reported repeated requests and limited county capacity to do the work.
The Oconee County Library Board of Trustees on May 20 pressed county leaders to speed repairs at multiple library locations, citing an aging HVAC fleet, outstanding ductwork and sorely needed grounds work at the Seneca branch.
The board's Library Director (speaker 5) told trustees that facilities maintenance is "over every building in the county" and currently shorthanded, which has left some library repair requests low on the county's priority list. "They're prioritizing, you know, and, unfortunately, facilities maintenance is over every building in the county," the director said, adding that parts remain available for older 2011-model units but that many units will need replacement sooner rather than later.
A board member (speaker 2) described repeated staff requests that have gone unanswered and pressed for action. "Nothing's getting done," the member said, noting that library reports documenting tree removal, pressure washing and sign repairs have been submitted multiple times. The member volunteered to contact County Administrator Stuart Jones and council members to seek a resolution.
The director said a rental lift has been approved and scheduling remains the main hurdle for at least one HVAC repair at the Walhalla branch. She also suggested checking procurement rules to determine whether some tasks (for example, pressure washing or isolated ductwork repairs) could be contracted out if county crews cannot respond quickly.
Trustees discussed potential alternative funding sources: the Friends group has been contributing program and "wish list" funds that the director said are used for items such as appliances and furniture; board members also floated private sponsorships and named-section ideas with local partners as possible supplemental funding.
The board did not take a formal vote on directing staff to pursue contracting or other funding but members agreed to follow up: the Friends' grant application status was expected after the partnering group's meeting the next day, and at least one trustee offered to contact county leadership directly to seek prioritization for library work.
The meeting ended with the board saying it will continue to press county staff and explore both grant and private-sponsorship options to address immediate building and grounds needs.
