Agenda 04-26-22; 8-a - Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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22 1 project to continue and one vote against it, with the one against being the same person that has 2 historically voted against it. She said that Carrboro is the county's partner and has been from 3 the beginning. She said there is such thing as good faith and reliance on a partner. She said 4 this is a joint project that has been looked at favorably from previous commissioners. She said 5 there has been a lot of time, energy, money, effort that has gone into this project so far for so 6 many good reasons. She said that if they turn their backs on the project, they would be failing 7 so many. She said that from a preservation perspective, there is the concept of embodied 8 energy. She said that is when you do not want to tear down and old building because of all of 9 the energy already spend building it. She said that while there is not a building at the project yet 10 but plenty of energy and money that has gone into it. She said if it were not for the cost 11 increase, the Board would be moving ahead and would already be spending $16.8 million for 12 this project. She argued that an increase of $5.4 million is not the whole cost of the library. She 13 said the commissioners will not all agree with where the money should go if not toward this 14 project. She said that a public library is as important as schools and a behavioral health center. 15 She said that because the Board believes in investing in early childhood. She said all speakers 16 have told the commissioners of all the other benefits—social safety net benefits—that the 17 county is charged with providing, that will be brought to the community with the approval of the 18 library. She said that providing a place to gather for the youth will prevent them from future 19 needs of behavioral health or crisis intervention. She said this will not be just a resource for the 20 middle class in Carrboro to use. She said there are over 20,000 people in Carrboro that are not 21 being served by a library. She said they have funded the Family Success Alliance because they 22 invest in early childhood and families. She said she cannot advocate for this project strongly 23 enough. She said she would propose allocating $3 million in capital reserve fund to this project 24 and finance the rest. She said this is not a project the county should turn its back on and if that 25 happens, it is bad business for partnership with Carrboro or any other municipality. She said 26 that in regard to the Chapel Hill library, ever sense the project of the southwestern project came 27 up, that over time it would make sense for the county's contribution to go down over time. She 28 noted that libraries also provide internet access for people who do not have it another way. She 29 said many people do not have internet access and there should be public access to computers 30 in this part of town. She said she is passionately in favor of moving forward with this project. 31 Chair Price said Commissioner Greene said many of the things she was going to say. 32 She said a library is more of a place of books—it is a resource; it is for adults and people who 33 don't have resources at home in addition to children. She said it is important for students to 34 gather and study together. She said that schools close and people need a place to go in 35 evenings and weekends. She said libraries were important to the Civil Rights Movement in the 36 south. She said it is a place where differences can be equalized, because it is a place of coming 37 together. She said libraries provide a venue for tutoring and other support services. She said 38 that the Crisis Diversion Center is currently a concept and there is no guarantee that will be built 39 anytime soon, just because this library is not built. She said the people in Northside, Southwest, 40 the rural area, the refugee communities will be able to access the library and facilities. She said 41 this collaboration with Carrboro speaks to One Orange—human development in addition to 42 community development. She said that $5 million is a lot of money but would hate to see it go 43 by the wayside after all of the effort put into it. She said that she is in 100% support of this 44 project. 45 Commissioner McKee asked if there are plans to guarantee parking spaces remain 46 available for library patrons. 47 Bonnie Hammersley said there will be signage with time limits but there is not a way to 48 enforce. 49 Commissioner McKee said the motion in March of 2021 included reduction of 50 construction contingencies and window glazing to 36%, removal of the justice center and a 51 generator and to delay conservation easements. He asked if these have been incorporated.