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Library director urges joint feasibility study with community center, says study is not a request for a new building
Summary
Hutto Library staff told the advisory board a feasibility study would assess community need rather than seek immediate construction; staff recommended combining library and community-center studies to save resources and cited standard shelf lives for different study components.
Hutto Library Director (staff speaker) told the Library Advisory Board the proposed feasibility study is intended as an evidence-based assessment, not a request to build now. "The library feasibility study is not asking for a new library right now," the director said, adding that experts would evaluate need and return data-driven recommendations.
The director outlined typical shelf lives for study components to set expectations: demographics and community growth data are typically valid for "3 to 5 years," facility assessments for "5 to 10 years," usage and services analysis for "2 to 4 years," and cost estimates for about "1 to 3 years." She recommended the board ask the city council to approve a feasibility study and proposed that the study be joint with parks and recreation or a community-center study to conserve funds and improve coordination.
Board members emphasized the library's role as a community hub and discussed prioritizing current needs, including senior programming and teen services, while waiting on any long-term capital decisions. The director said she will share the same briefing with council members ahead of Thursday's budget presentation and noted she has already spoken with some council members and the parks & rec director about pursuing a combined study.
