Strafford proposal too costly for library district

The board on Jan. 17 chose not to approve the Strafford Board of Aldermen's proposal to lease a 1,949-square-foot space for a library branch, citing an expensive rent agreement as its primary reason. The space, 113 W. Old Route 66, would rent for $9.28 per square foot, or about $18,000 per year.

“Considering the limitations of the building in terms of location, inconvenient space arrangement and unknown utility costs, the proposed rent, which is comparable to some commercial spaces in Springfield, is not acceptable,” said Annie Busch, library executive director, in a news release issued today.

Myrl Bowler, Strafford mayor and board member, said he and a library committee will continue to explore other locations, and he hopes to have another proposal ready to present to the Board of Aldermen at its Feb. 6 meeting.

“We were just trying to come up with something so we could have a library ¬- the school system needs it and our town needs it,” he said. “We'll have to sit back and think a little bit about what we want to do.”

In a letter to Bowler, Busch said the library board still is interested in a pilot project in Stafford and will investigate more efficient ways for the city to receive library services in the meantime. The district's bookmobile makes weekly stops in Strafford, which has a population of about 2,000.

If a space is secured through the library board, Bowler said renovations could be necessary, and funding for that must be approved by Strafford taxpayers. Renovations for the proposed building on Old Route 66 would have totaled nearly $100,000 he said.

“Getting anybody to spend that type of money is very hard in these small towns … when your budgets are so tight,” he said.

The library district has four Springfield locations - the Library Center, Library Station, Brentwood and Midtown Carnegie - along with branches in Republic, Ash Grove, Willard and Fair Grove.