Library committee warns MBLC grant could be lost if town delays vote

The Yarmouth Library Building Committee on March 26 discussed the risk that delaying a town vote would cost the project its MBLC grant, and reviewed recent advisory votes that could affect public support.

Library Director David Aronson told the committee the MBLC is finishing its report and intends to vote on April 2; committee members said a postponed town vote likely would forfeit that grant funding. Chair Judy Tarver said the committee was concerned about asking voters to decide on the project amid a crowded ballot.

The committee also reviewed advisory decisions made by other town bodies. Tarver reported that the Finance Committee, at its March 18 meeting, voted 1–4–2 not to recommend the library project, citing concerns about building lifespan, long-term staffing and operating costs, and the future use of the South Yarmouth Library building. Tarver and members said Oudens Ello provided life-cycle and operating-cost information to both the Selectmen and the Finance Committee to address those concerns.

Tarver said the Board of Selectmen voted 3–2 on March 24 to place the article on the election and Town Meeting warrants but raised questions about timing, noting other tax overrides and the debt-exclusion question on the same ballot. She said Town Meeting materials should include information on the MBLC grant opportunity, deferred maintenance at current library facilities, building-condition findings, and projections showing how the tax impact of the bond declines over its lifetime.

The committee recorded no formal policy action on the grant; members instead focused on outreach and presentation plans to clarify funding sources and operating assumptions for voters ahead of Town Meeting and the election. The MBLC vote is scheduled for April 2, and the committee is preparing slides and materials for Town Meeting to explain grant implications and budget assumptions.