WESTBOROUGH – “Vote on the project, not the process.”
This was said several times during the Select Board meeting on Nov. 22, in reference to the Westborough Public Library’s building project.
The project will be on the special Town Meeting warrant on Dec. 10 at 9 a.m. at Westborough High School.
A vote to appropriate $36,698,556 for the project failed to get the needed two-thirds majority during the Oct. 17 Town Meeting. Several residents objected to having another special Town Meeting on the project, saying the October vote should have been enough.
Resident Boyd Conklin called the vote a “valid and binding decision.”
“The revote undermines the town meeting form of government,” said Steve Buttiglieri.
Melanie Board of the Advisory Finance Committee, which voted against recommending the project in October, said she would prefer repairing the library over the proposed renovation project.
“Let’s repair what we have,” she said.
Westborough has received a $9.4 million grant awarded from the Mass. Library Building Commission. Library officials have said the grant would not cover the repairs, which are estimated to cost $19 million.
A recent report on interest rates also drew some comment. Should the project be approved and goes out to bid, a 4% interest rate on a 20-year plan could tack on another $11 million.
Some residents suggested that instead of a Town Meeting, the library project could go under a debt exclusion and be decided via a town-wide election.
In response, Mary Johnston of the library’s Board of Trustees said a citizens’ petition asking for a revote was legal, and that “citizens came forth, asking to look at it again.”
Select Board supports Westborough library project 3-2
Select Board members were split on supporting the library project. Shelby Marshall acknowledged that Town Meeting “needs a closer look,” but said that residents should “vote on the project, not the process.”
“If you care about it, show up,” she said.
The Select Board voted 3-2 to support the article with Marshall, Allen Edinberg and Sean Keogh in favor and Ian Johnson and Patrick Welch against.
“To me, the vote was heard,” Johnson said.
“This is a tough one,” said Welch.
After considering the project’s overall costs, including the interest, and the desire to explore other options, Welch decided against supporting the article as well.
There is a deadline of Jan. 9 to have the project accepted by the town, and if the project is declined, the grant will likely go to another library project.
Additional funds from the state are possible, but an announcement may not come until sometime in January.
Also on the warrant is an article for a zoning amendment for the library project. If the article to fund the project is turned down, this article would be passed over.
The warrant is available via the town’s website.
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