Council to revisit library space and pursue grant for multi-use community building

A library volunteer described a disagreement over use of a 'third room' that houses museum displays and asked the council to preserve display space and address maintenance needs. The speaker said she had placed books and local-history materials in the room to benefit visitors and worried about heavy, glass display cases near elderly visitors.

The speaker, who did not give a full name in the transcript, asked whether an adjacent parcel belonged to the library or the historical society; council members said staff would review the property's survey and boundaries and follow up after the meeting.

Council members also discussed a substantial federal or state grant opportunity staff had begun pursuing. A staff member told the council that because part of the city lies in a distressed county area the city could qualify for a 90/10 grant split and that the grant could provide up to about $2–2.5 million toward a combined community facility that could include a library, community center, police and fire components. A council member emphasized that such grants generally require a local match and that the city would likely need to cover roughly 10% of project costs.

Ms. Bailey moved to remove items from the library to make room for staff use. After council members discussed alternative options — including conversations with Maurice Walker about using an old church as a secondary site — the motion's maker and the seconder agreed to withdraw the motion and instead add a formal agenda item to the next meeting for staff to present options. The council voted to add the library-space item to the next agenda.

Council said staff (Corey and Brooke Mays) would continue the grant-writing process and follow up with the maker of the public comment and other stakeholders. No binding decision on facility relocation, capital funding or construction was made at the meeting.