March 28, 2024

Monroe library expansion looks to use city property

New 40x160 ft community center addition proposed

A request for the city to vacate and deed a platted street north of the library for future expansion by the library was brought to the Monroe City Council at its recent meeting. Carol Diekema spoke on behalf of the Friends of the Monroe Public Library on the proposal which includes a 40x160 building located on the ground currently designated for the street.

“The Friends of the Library have known for some time that an expansion is needed. We first looked at the ground behind the library, which is currently the playground. It wasn’t large enough. What we are really wanting for Monroe is a building large enough to house 150 people easily. We couldn’t get that many people in behind the library,” Diekema said. “Looking at the maps again, I realized there is a platted but never opened street sitting north of the library.”

The building would be used by the library and would also be open to the community for meetings, events and gatherings. It would be connected to the library through an enclosed corridor space between the two building

“That way the library itself can be completely closed off at closing time,” Diekema said. “If people want to come in and have an evening or weekend event, they can use the building.”

Council members brought up how the platted street is often used as an access to two landowners in the area. Diekema acknowledged they do use the land but that it is city property.

“People, a lot of people, have been using this not only as an access but as a place to run their four-wheelers and dirt bikes. This is really city ground,” Diekema said.

It was also brought up that the landowners have said they might build on that land in the future.

“One thing I am struggling with is torquing off taxpayers and the library has benefits, don’t get me wrong, but taxpayers pay taxes and if they are going to add, build buildings on their properties, that adds tax value. This would hinder that,” councilman Nate Bradbury said.

Councilwoman Andrea Steenhoek added, “I struggle with the property owners that are saying they are landlocked. I understand they can go through their current drives.”

Public works director Jeff Timmons asked the council if they would then spend the estimated $150,000 to build a street at that location for the two houses. City clerk Kim Thomas responded that 60 percent of the Local Option Sales Tax has to be used for streets, as voted on by taxpayers.

“If all of the streets look like this, with all of our construction, it is going to take a bundle to fix Sherman Street,” Diekema said.

Thomas also shared her feelings on adding the community room at the library instead of another city location.

“I would love to see a community room, but I don’t know if the library is the place to put it,” Thomas said. “If you are going to build a community room, why wouldn’t you build a community room either with city hall, because we need a different city hall or we need to get people out of this building so we can remodel this building. I see what I work in and I go down to the library and see what you would in and I guess I feel like we need a new city hall more than we need a new community room. That is how I feel.”

She also asked if congregate meals for senior citizens could be moved to the community center on a permanent basis.

“It will be a collaboration when it comes to scheduling. If that is what we choose to do, and one of the grants we are looking to use has to do with senior citizens, it would make perfect sense to absorb those kinds of things and gear programming for senior citizens alongside that,” library director Brenda Tripp-Lanser said. “I have done research into that to see what kind of things we would adapt toward that programming.

“We’re talking about taking on this financial responsibility plus we are wanting to be able to use it to benefit the whole community. It’s not that I don’t feel you guys should have a nice place, I do. We have a little less than 20 percent saved. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have all of this (city hall) when the times come or when you want, I’m just saying there is a group of people that for a very long time have wanted to expand our library because they feel like there is a very strong value for that. What we are saying is let’s take our money and our capacity to raise it and let’s take that building and benefit the city by letting congregate meals come or 4H.”

The topic was tabled by council to be discussed at a future meeting.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com