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Dyer Library seeks $75,000 for youth-services expansion; total estimated cost $113,000
Summary
Dyer Library presented a plan to add about 650 sq ft to its youth services area and requested $75,000 from a FY26-restricted capital allocation; the total construction estimate is $113,000, with the balance from a restricted Deering-family endowment and fundraising.
Director Smith presented Dyer Library's youth-services renovation and expansion plan, which would add roughly 650 square feet by reconfiguring an adjacent meeting room. Smith said the children's area is currently 1,250 square feet and has become functionally constrained by increased family attendance.
The total construction estimate initially came in at $113,000, Smith said, but she asked only for the $75,000 that was previously allocated in FY26 and placed in a restricted special fund. She explained the remainder would come from a restricted Deering-family endowment and targeted fundraising. Smith told councilors the project has been scoped down to fit available municipal funds and the library will try to cover any cost overruns internally. "I am not going to be asking for more money for this project," she said.
Councilors asked about the project's absence from the FY27 budget, risk of cost overruns, and whether in-kind city services would be tracked. The city administrator confirmed the FY26 allocation was placed into a restricted fund that allows the library to request it now; Smith said she will track in-kind services and work with the city facilities team to reduce costs where possible. Council voted to approve the first reading and scheduled final reading for Aug. 3.
