The company that will get the construction contract is Western Builders Inc., based in Granby.
An artist's rendering of the proposed new library in Granby.GRANBY - Thunderous applause rang out to the rafters when Granby voters approved the final $350,000 needed to finance a new $4.6 million library, at a special Town Meeting in the high school gym Monday night.
Library supporters were nervous at the start. After all, the shortfall had come as a shock. The town had approved a request for $861,304 just last October, and library supporters were sure it was all they needed.
They had also gotten professional estimates in January and May to confirm their position, said Virginia Snopek, president of Library Trustees.
Then the actual bids came in, and the bomb fell. The lowest bid for construction was $3,733,500. That was $350,000 more than the town expected.
“Surprised? We were astonished! Flabbergasted!” John Libera, chairman of the Finance Committee, told the crowd, and then went on to recommend approval of the $350,000 request in the strongest terms. The money will come out of the town’s municipal buildings stabilization fund, and will not affect taxes.
Libera told voters that because of a recent flood of government stimulus grants for construction projects, construction companies are less eager to take on “small” projects like the new library.
He reminded them that the design of the building was minimal, with nothing more to cut out. The construction cost doesn’t include furniture, which is being donated. It doesn’t include landscaping or paving.
He warned that if the town sent out for bids again, they would doubtless come in higher.
A few voters rose to question the need for a costly library.
But supporters came back full force. Pamela Desjardins stood up to remind people that they had turned down a substantial grant to build a new high school because they didn’t want to pay their share.
Now they had a $2,603,663 grant from the Massachusetts Public Library Construction program, and they would lose it if they didn’t provide the rest.
“I pray to God we don’t give up on this one,” she said. “It’s time we stopped crying ‘poor’ and time we start moving forward. We need to do something for out children, and this is a starting place.”
“It’s a heck of an economic deal for the town,” said Joseph Furnia. “We gotta do this.”
The motion required a two-thirds vote. The 168 “yes” votes were so overwhelming that the moderator did not have to count the “no” votes.
Part of the affirmation was no doubt due to awareness of the tireless leadership of Snopek in the fund-raising effort. Even now the Trustees president promised the assembly that the trustees will continue to seek donations and hold fund-raising activities.
“It isn’t about me,” Snopek said afterwards of her victory. “It’s about all of us.”
The company that will get the construction contract is Western Builders Inc., based in Granby.