Hennessey Mayor Bert Gritz has called a special meeting of the Board of Trustees for the board and citizens to discuss future plans for the public library.

The meeting is at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, at Town Hall.

The library is housed in a 94-year-old brick structure on Main Street. It has 22,000 square feet and includes the Ortman Auditorium and balcony, The Brick (kitchen/lunch room), a history center and other areas for children and teens.

There has been much talk in the community about keeping the structure, particularly by local preservationist and Town Trustee Richard Simunek for the past two years.

Also, most recently, from members of Hennessey Friends of the Library whose board has asked others to write letters, or call, board members.

In addition to Gritz and Simunek, other board members are Vice Mayor Clif Vogt and Trustees Harold Shaw and David Jones.

In addition to Simunek, board members Gritz and Shaw are also HHS grads and went to school in that building.

The library was built in 1928 as the high school, then 1964-84 used as an elementary school.

The town bought the property soon after and the town offices and library moved there in 1985 from Memorial Hall.

In 2007, the town bought a former bank building at First and Main streets and it continues to house town offices.

Sentimental issue?

Some have said that many who went to school in the library building have “emotional” attachments - and good memories - and that’s why they want to refurbish the building.

Some others say they want to keep it because they and their family use it and “it’s a piece of Hennessey history.”

Others say it’s time to move on and get a new or updated building and that it’s time to get a safe and smaller facility.

There are some who say problems with structure have gone on too long.

Call an election now?

Simunek said two years ago - and again last month - that the town should call an election and let voters decide about keeping the structure versus building, or buying one.

Others have suggested a town-wide vote should include how to pay for the much-needed repairs, or another building through bond issues or sales tax increases.

Current and past board members have said the town doesn’t have the “millions” needed to make repairs to the library.

Reasons for special meeting

The town board has a regular meeting scheduled June 9, but since the library discussion is expected to be lengthy, the special meeting was called, Gritz told the KT&FP.

Last month’s board meeting lasted almost four hours.

Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman urged the board to have all members present to make a decision about the library.

She said that after Gritz told the board he’d be on a vacation and wouldn’t make the June 9 regular meeting.

Library staffing issues

The town received resignations in late April from both of their library employees.

However, Director Lyndsey Kopsa said she would stay until mid-July to make it an easier transition for whomever they hire. The children’s librarian left last month and as of the May meeting, those positions have not been filled.

Kopsa told the board in May that, “The word is already out that the library could be closing. One gentleman came in and picked up his collection.”

Downsize? Move?

Shaw asked last month if the town should keep the building or buy another building in town.

Tillman said the library’s yearly budget is $95,000, including salaries, and Gritz said the insurance is $5,000 a year on the building.

“It’s the only town structure that isn’t insured at replacement cost,” he said.

Gritz suggested they might consider buying the 2,000 square foot former Hennessey Clipper building next door north of Town Hall.

That idea didn’t work for many FOL members who say there isn’t enough room to handle the many projects involving children and teens.

Library condition

Assistant Fire Chief James Matousek told the board two years ago the balcony in the auditorium is “a fire trap” and said no employees should be allowed “up there.”

He made those comments in a March 2020 meeting when Simunek said he would make a contribution, upon on his death, to donate more than $1 million to the library.

He said he was in his 70s and his doctor told him he was in good health.

“I don’t know if you can wait 15 years” without doing something to that building, Matousek said then.

“If we had a fire, it would all go up,” Matousek said. It would be a “disturbing issue as far as getting people out” of that building. “Anyone in the southwest part (reference section) of that building would be trapped.”

Gritz, who was also fire chief then and now, also said he’d worried about the wiring in the library.

“It scares me,” he said. “It’s a nightmare, literally. I’m not sure we could even save the fire station (located immediately north of the library) if there was a fire.”

“Farmer’s (Electric) was there recently,” said then-Library Director Ruth Ann Replogle from the audience. “They were afraid to even make an estimate of what it would cost.”

Also a problem in the 1990s

The town board in May 2001 had a similar problem.

It was “the old grade school” structure that was between the library and the town’s current storm shelter and old school gym that was torn down for $16,200.

“It took 10 years, one false start, a $2,000 demolition contract cancellation fee, a failed five-year halfcent museum sales tax election (failed by 61% in April 1999) and thousands of emotional and logical words on both sides of the question,” according to a Clipper story back then.