Hennessey Town Trustee Richard Simunek said he’d give his $3 million to the OSU Foundation instead of the town if the board decides to demolish the town’s historic public library.

He referred to the fund he’d made public two years ago that, upon his death, the town would get that money, if they matched it and used it to refurbish the “library, auditorium, museum, old gym and band building.”

Simunek made the comments last Saturday during a five-hour town board planning meeting that included the future of the library.

It also included the plans over the next 1-15 years of nine other departments.

That evening he wrote this email: “I can delete the matching requirement since it makes you uncomfortable.”

He sent it to Mayor Bert Gritz, Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman and media.

Simunek wants the 94-year-old library building restored. He has personally restored two downtown properties on Hennessey’s Main Street.

The former Champlin Station is now the Champlin Apartments and Roberts Sinclair Gas Station have been restored as a museum.

He has also suggested that voters should decide if the library structure should be kept or demolished.

New or remodel library?

Simunek’s ire was raised about four hours into the meeting when Jack Quirk commented from the audience that the library building should be razed.

Quirk made the comments during Library Director Lyndsay Kopsa’s presentation on the library’s 1-15 year plans for a “new or remodeled building.”

Quirk said it could cost $10 million to bring the library up to code. He said with only half that amount the town could have one new municipal building.

The town owns almost the entire block on Main Street, he said, and one energy-efficient structure could house the town hall, library and police and fire departments.

Simunek told the board he “didn’t understand the rationale for needing everything in the same place” and “statements have been made without knowing any of the costs for repairs.”

“We don’t have enough money to tear down the library,” said someone from the board table and another said, “Unless you used dynamite.”

“It costs $8,000 for an architect,” said another.

Use sales tax money?

There was discussion that when the town’s 3/4-cent swimming pool sales tax goes off that possibly voters would be asked to vote to construct, or remodel, the library, or pay for needs in any of the town’s 10 departments: water, sewer, sanitation, streets, parks, cemetery, police, fire, library, general.

Tillman said the loan on the $2.1 million pool could be paid off in seven or eight years. That sales tax started in January 2019 and is scheduled to run for 15 years, or until the pool is paid off.

Library’s needs

Kopsa listed “new or remodeled building” in her 5-10 year plan.

Her remodel plan included: Complete remodel of the current building, update all electrical, plumbing, fire and HVAC systems; exterior ramps; automatic entranc-es, and structural repairs to bring building into compliance with current building, fire, and ADA codes.

She listed 14 other items.

Library 1-5 year plan

In her plan report, Kopsa said they are “functioning” and “trying to get up to code and become more friendly to the communi ty,” then read this list for their 1-5 year plan:

• Hire a third staff member as they had almost two years ago.

• Install fire alarm system throughout main floor of library. “We have smoke detectors, thanks to Paul Caffey.”

• Install automatic door openers in west entrance to make it easier access. There is an ADA compliant ramp on main entrance.

• Update library flooring (south side of building), remove carpet, repair soft spots and lay down new flooring (vinyl or concrete).

• “This is a big project.” Remodel south entrance, level interior flooring, install double-wide doors with automatic openers, exterior wheelchair ramp/stairs combination.

Kopsa said they only have three computers now and she hopes to be able to offer more STEM programs in the future.

Questions to director Gritz said he understood there are about 20,000 books in the library, asked if that many are needed and what kind of books are being checked out.

Kopsa said most people who come into the library are older or retired adults and usually want fiction, young children who want picture books, and young families, or young readers who are starting to read chapter books.

Movies are popular with families and not many high school students come in, she said when asked.

Gritz said the library is an important asset for the community and asked the director how she felt the library is working.

“I’ve only been here for three years,” she said. “We’re functioning, but not thriving.”

There was discussion that the library needs to be re-wired, needed a sprinkler system and that insurance costs due to the square footage in that building are expensive.

At the meeting

Department presentations were made at the meeting by (listed in order reports were given): Alyssa Kubat (water); Bryan Burch (sewer); David Treanor (streets and parks); Gritz (cemetery); Sgt. Aaron Pitts and Chief Ed Cangiano (police), Gritz (fire), and Tillman (general). Other staff at the meeting included Troy Watkins, street department. All board members were present at the meeting: Mayor Bert Gritz, Vice Mayor Clif Vogt, Trustees Richard Simunek and Harold Shaw.

Other elected town of ficers present were Shelley Burch, treasurer, and Katy Walters, clerk.

In the audience in addition to Quirk were Ann Taylor with Friends of the Library, and David Jones, a candidate for town trustee. Both Taylor and Jones attended after the lunch break.

(Ed. note: Due to the length of this meeting stories on other reports will appear in later issues as space allows.)