Dear Editor,
The library needs more space and the proposed, community-fundraised Annex project, adding 1200 sqft, should hit all the "Go!" buttons. This is a volunteer led initiative, community fundraised, already has broad community support and approval and is ready to roll. What more could you want? Increased value of a capital asset? You got it. Improvement in community amenities? You got it. And all without prejudicing any other plans in the Cove.
However, the 'just do it' Council appears to have back-burnered the project by asking the library board to figure out how the municipality will fund additional $5k annual operation costs. Really? We just paid up to $62k for a retaining wall to gain about 18 inches of sidewalk by the ferry, without even putting the work out to tender and we don't even have the vision to move forward with a fully fundraised improvement to one of Bowen's most used and valued municipal amenities?
Reading between the lines, the Mayor's concern appears to be that allowing library expansion in the existing building would impact buy-in for the proposed community campus. However, library expansion is long overdue, and it is not appropriate to hold the usability of a community amenity to ransom in this way. As several members of Council observed, there is a long horizon and many uncertainties on the way to the community campus being realized, and while it's all very well to have grand schemes, achievable community initiatives should not be hobbled along the way.
Melissa Harrison
