By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — The Board of Library Trustees had a preliminary discussion about addressing the building’s deferred maintenance issues during a Jan. 7 meeting.

Voters rejected the proposed $18.3 million Lynnfield Public Library renovation project 835 votes against to 540 in favor during the Special Town Election on Jan. 6. In the wake of the 2023 Fall Town Meeting rejecting the new $34 million Lynnfield Public Library project, the Select Board hired Tappé Architects in November 2023 to conduct a feasibility study that examined three different library renovation proposals. The Library Renovation Committee (LRC) authorized Tappé Architects to develop a design for Option 3 last spring.

Fall Town Meeting overwhelmingly voted to send the $18.3 million library renovation project to the townwide ballot vote by a 305-89 margin in November.

“It was kind of a surprising swing from what we saw at Town Meeting,” said Library Trustees Vice Chair/LRC member Anne Malenfant about the Special Town Election results. “It was a big turnout, which can be challenging as well.”

Library Trustee Darlene Kumar said property tax bills being mailed to residents on Saturday, Jan. 4 “didn’t help.”

“Very bad timing,” said Kumar.

Library Director Abby Porter recalled that the library needs a new roof. She said Department of Public Works Facilities Superintendent Chris Rais has begun getting cost estimates for replacing the roof.

“Hopefully that will be in the spring capital requests for DPW,” said Porter.

Kumar and Library Trustee Rich Mazzola both asked Porter what portions of the library are not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

While Porter said the library is “accessible” for people with disabilities, she said the building is “not fully compliant” with the ADA. She said the library’s front ramp is not in full compliance with the ADA because it is “too narrow.”

“We are also not in compliance with the elevator,” said Porter. “A stretcher cannot fit in the elevator.”

In response to a question from Mazzola, Porter said the library can apply for ADA accessibility grants.

“I can look into that,” said Porter.

Library Trustees Chair Joe Gallagher said he had a preliminary discussion with Town Administrator Rob Dolan on Jan. 7 on what should be the next steps for the library. He said Option 1, which had a $10-$12 million cost estimate, sought to address “basic building repairs.” He said town officials should “itemize” the list of repairs that the library needs, and develop a plan to fix the issues.

“Even if we don’t get anything, I think we have to start going through them,” said Gallagher. “I am very glad that the roof is under consideration. I think we need to have a conversation with Rob and DPW Director John Scenna about how we are going to fix the building.”

Gallagher said the library is currently at a “fork in the road” in the wake of the renovation project being rejected.

“In my opinion, this is a major setback,” said Gallagher. “We still have the same issues. We have to go down the punch list and have an open conversation with them.”

Malenfant agreed.

“Just because the library got voted down doesn’t make all of the issues go away,” said Malenfant. “They are still there.”

While Kumar said she was “incredibly disheartened” by the library renovation project being rejected, she said library officials should view the vote “as a challenge.” She said people “don’t understand how amazing this library is.”

“Let’s take this, go, not give up and let’s move forward,” said Kumar.

Gallagher concurred with Kumar’s viewpoint.

“There are obviously different lessons learned and people will have different takeaways,” said Gallagher. “I think a large part of it is people rejecting the town’s approach and lack of planning for these projects. I don’t think it is just, ‘Oh, I don’t like the library.’ I think there are legitimate issues with these things.”

Kumar recalled that townspeople approved the $18 million elementary schools’ expansion project in 2020 and the $63.5 million public safety and Town Hall project in 2022. She also noted that the Lynnfield Center Water District’s ratepayers approved the $20.5 million capital improvement program in 2021 and 2023.

“I think there is frustration there were three capital improvement projects in five years,” said Kumar. “There are also people who don’t understand and appreciate this library. Because some people don’t come here, they think, ‘Why do I need to support it?’ That is a challenge for us.”

Malenfant said library officials have to make sure the building’s issues “don’t fade into the woodwork.”

Porter expressed her support for Malenfant’s suggestion.

“I am planning to be more consistent about when an issue pops up by putting it online,” said Porter. “The issues need to be front and center because people come in, check out a book, come to a program and then leave. They don’t see everything that the staff sees all the time. I worry about the rodents that could come into the Children’s Room by the train table all the time. We have consistently had rodent issues. We had giant flies six months ago because something died in the walls.”

Porter also said she is concerned that the building’s extensive repairs will “trigger code compliance.”

“What will the staff do when we are not allowed in the building?” said Porter.

Mazzola said patrons as well as staff members will be prohibited from entering the library if the facility gets shut down due to code compliance being triggered.

“Basically, we would be out of business,” said Mazzola.

Porter said Mazzola was correct.

“The building could not be occupied until we come up to code,” said Porter. “In the union contract, the staff is paid for any unexpected closures if they are scheduled to work.”

Library Trustee Faith Honer-Coakley asked Porter if any repairs exceeding $500,000 would trigger code compliance.

Porter said yes.

“I worry about what we are going to find once we open the walls and the floors,” said Porter.

Town Administrator Rob Dolan informed the Villager that he stopped by library on Jan. 7 to give a “pep talk” to staff members.

“I wanted to make sure they were okay,” said Dolan. “I wanted to let them know that they are valued in the community. We will continue to provide great library services to the people of Lynnfield.”

During the Library Trustees meeting, Porter thanked Dolan for stopping by the library to “commiserate with the staff.”

“That was really nice,” said Porter.

Gallagher asked how was the library staff’s morale in the wake of the renovation project being rejected.

While Porter said the staff felt “okay” after the 2023 Fall Town Meeting rejected the $34 million new library project, she said the staff feels “a little disheartened” this year.

“The nice thing has been patrons coming in and saying very kind things,” said Porter. “I think what helps the most is making sure that the staff feels supported by the town because the vote didn’t really do that.”

Gallagher said the Lynnfield Public Library is “always going to be an institution in town.”

“We have to make this library the best version of what it can be,” said Gallagher.

Kumar said the Board of Library Trustees will support whatever Porter and the library staff needs.