Avoyelles Police Jury's patience wearing thin on library projects

Thevenote vows quick action on Effie, Mansura branches

Establishing a new library branch in Effie and a new home for the branch in Mansura has taken longer than had been expected, and the patience of some Avoyelles Police Jury members was wearing thin.

At the Jan. 3 agenda-setting meeting, jurors had a lot to say about the proposed library system expansion. Most of their frustration seemed to be soothed by Library Director Theresa Thevenote’s comments at the regular meeting on Jan. 8.

At the committee meeting, some jurors called for scrapping the idea of building a new library in Effie in favor of leasing and remodeling an existing one.

There were also questions about why it should take over six months to build book shelves for the new library to be located in Mansura’s Train Depot Museum building.

Jurors are hoping both projects will proceed quickly after the Library Board’s meeting, which was held on Wednesday (Jan. 16) after press time for this edition.

Thevenote assured jurors the Library Board is ready to do whatever it takes to move the two projects forward as quickly as possible -- including authorizing more money for the Effie branch to overcome concerns over the library’s design.

“Back in June the Library Board voted unanimously that if nothing was done in six months, we would look at other options for the Effie branch,” Juror Marsha Wiley said.

She noted it has been six months and the Effie branch project is still in the design phase.

Parish Engineer Ron Bordelon told jurors in committee that the Cottonport Bank site in Effie has been met with some delays.

The project is budgeted for $90,000, using a different manufacturer for the pre-manufactured building than the bank is using for the adjacent building. However, it would require additional site work to ensure it matches with the new Cottonport Bank.

QUICKER ALTERNATIVE

The quicker alternative would be to use the same manufacturer as the bank. That would cost an additional $40,000.

Cottonport Bank is providing the land and other work to support the branch, but would require the library building to look like the new bank.

“The bottom line is we need to spend $40,000 more,” Wiley said.

She noted that Ward 1 taxpayers paid $48,500 for the 6.2-mill library tax in 2017 -- even though there is no library in that area.

Wiley said that in the past 10 years, Ward 1 taxpayers have paid over $400,000 to support the library system, yet never had the same level of access as taxpayers in most of the parish.

She pointed out that all Ward 1 residents want is to be treated like residents in the rest of the parish who have libraries located close to them.

“For some in Ward 1, it’s closer to go to a library in Rapides Parish,” Wiley noted.

Wiley said the amount paid for the library tax cannot be used for other purposes, such as improving parish roads. It can only be used for the library system.

By contrast, Ward 1 property owners paid $27,419 in a 3.5-mill tax for drainage that was renewed at the same time as the library tax.

Some have said the Police Jury should have “swapped” the taxes at that time -- increasing the amount for drainage improvements and decreasing the millage to support the library. It will be almost 10 years before the taxes come up for renewal.

$3 MILLION SURPUS

Juror Henry Moreau pointed out that the Library Fund has a $3 million surplus but projects are being held up over money issues.

Thevenote said she has been conservative with library funds over the years “just for this purpose, so there will be available funds for projects like this.”

Several jurors asked why the bookshelves for the Mansura Depot site have not been completed.

Thevenote said the shelves were completed just before the holidays, but she has asked that some finishing work -- including some adjustments to allow the shelves to sit flush against the wall. Those final touches should be finished in the near future, she said.

The Mansura branch will be moving from what jurors term “little more than a closet” to be housed in the recently completed Train Depot Museum.

The library will provide personnel to be on hand to assist museum visitors in exchange for the town providing the space to house the expanded library branch.

Thevenote said she would like to organize “an old-fashioned bucket brigade” to move the books from the current location to the nearby Train Depot. She said it would be a way of getting the community involved in the relocation.

While there may be some disagreement among jurors as to what should be done to expand and improve the library system, Police Jury President Charles Jones said everyone can agree “that we need to come to grips with these projects and get them done as quickly as possible.”

Thevenote said she has a personal interest in completing the two projects because she wants to retire in a few years and wants all of the current library expansion/improvement projects finished before she does.

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