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Goffstown Public Library seeks options to cover $37,000 elevator repair; Select Board to review funding alternatives
Summary
Library trustees voted to replace a failing elevator hydraulic module at an estimated $37,000. Trustees asked the Select Board for guidance on whether to use the library's $50,000 capital reserve fund, request transfers from underspent lines, or pursue grants; staff will return with funding options at the next meeting.
The Goffstown Public Library board voted to replace an elevator hydraulic power module after a component failure left the elevator out of service and the building temporarily out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
"This is something that puts us out of compliance with the Americans with Disability Act," Jordan Willow Evans, vice chair of the library board, told the Select Board on June 8. The library reported the replacement of the hydraulic power module — which includes valve, pump and motor — would cost about $37,000.
Library trustees said the unit is nearly 30 years old and the board chose to replace the entire module rather than repeatedly repair individual parts. The full elevator modernization had been estimated at roughly $282,000 in a 2025 quote; replacing the current module reduces that later cost by the amount spent now, the library said.
Trustees asked the Select Board for guidance on funding. The library has a $50,000 capital reserve fund (CRF) but expressed reluctance to deplete it entirely because other building needs remain. Town staff suggested possible sources including a closer review of insurance/Primex coverage (unlikely to help for end-of-life mechanical failures), transfers from anticipated underspending in benefit lines, or splitting the cost between library CRF and operating budget transfers. Staff agreed to bring options and a recommendation to the board at the next meeting. The library has ordered the part; installation requires an initial 50% deposit and a six- to seven-week lead time.
