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Pipestone Council to repair Carnegie Library east wall using grant and liquor-store funds, directs roof bids
Summary
After a presentation from the Paxton Area Community Foundation, the Pipestone City Council voted to use a federal/state grant plus city matching funds and a liquor-store fund shortfall to repair the east wall of the Carnegie Library and directed staff to solicit bids for the roof.
The Pipestone City Council voted on June 22 to proceed with repairs to the east wall of the historic Carnegie Library, using an existing grant and the city's matching funds and covering the remaining shortfall from the municipal liquor-store fund. Council also directed staff to prepare bid specifications and seek contractors for a separate roof project.
Paxton Area Community Foundation members Carla Hile and Steve Leeds urged the council to award the east-wall contract so the foundation could begin fundraising for the roof and other improvements at its July meeting. Hile told the council the foundation's board voted unanimously to request the city award the wall contract as a "sign of good faith" to spur private fundraising.
City staff outlined the grant and match status: the grant award is $122,162 and the city's required match is $126,162. Contractors' estimates and material choices left a current shortfall of roughly $30,000–$39,000 to complete the east-wall work; using stockpiled quartzite could reduce the shortfall by about $8,000. The city reported a municipal liquor-store fund balance of about $1.568 million.
Council members debated whether the roof or wall should be done first. Preservation consultants had described the wall as a more immediate structural threat, while others argued repairing the roof first would prevent further interior damage. The council ultimately moved to accept the grant, apply the city match and cover the shortfall from the liquor-store fund to complete the east-wall work now; that motion was seconded and carried. The council then approved a separate motion directing staff to put the Carnegie roof project out for bids so the foundation and city would have cost estimates for future funding.
The mayor noted the city had previously shored the east wall and obtained a grant extension; staff said the grant remains valid through the end of the year and that construction scheduling could be affected by weather. Councilmembers emphasized the risk of losing the grant if action was delayed and said fundraising by the foundation and private donors would continue for the roof.
Next steps: the city will award the east-wall contract under the terms of the grant and matching funds and will publish bid specifications for the roof so both the city and the Paxton Area Community Foundation can refine fundraising targets.
