Jones trustees short on expected library project contribution

Planning, fundraising continue of Jones Library renovation expected to begin this coming spring.

Planning, fundraising continue of Jones Library renovation expected to begin this coming spring. STAFF FILE PHOTO

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Staff Writer

Published: 03-10-2024 1:52 PM

AMHERST — Even though an end-of-January commitment from the Jones Library trustees to provide the town $2 million for the $46.1 million project to expand and renovate the 43 Amity St. building wasn’t met, town officials are anticipating no impact on the projected $8.7 million in interest payments on the project over the next 20 years.

Town Manager Paul Bockelman said this week that the town is incurring no substantive expenses related to the project until bids for the work come in and construction begins this spring.

“I have full faith that the board of library trustees will meet its obligation to do everything possible to expedite providing funds to the town to minimize the amount and length of time of borrowing the short-term loans during construction,” Bockelman said.

With bids expected to be received and reviewed in May, the main work and expenditures won’t begin until that time, he said.

The Jan. 31 date by which trustees and the library capital campaign would provide the $2 million was outlined in a spreadsheet accompanying a memo Bockelman sent to the Town Council on Nov. 27 titled “Detailed cash flow of funds specifically regarding the Jones Library fundraising.”

That memo was drafted as councilors were considering lifting the debt limit for the project by $10 million.

In December, the Town Council approved that increase, adding to the original $36.3 million appropriation approved in April 5, 2021.

Though the debt limit was raised, the Town Council kept town spending at $15.8 million, with the other funding sources including the $15.6 million Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners grant, $1 million from the town’s Community Preservation Act account and $13.8 million from trustees and the capital campaign.

Article continues after...

Yesterday's Most Read Articles

‘Home away from home’: North Amherst Library officially dedicated, as anonymous donor of $1.7M revealed
Around Amherst: Bockelman joins in launch of governor’s housing push
June dates set for big school vote in Belchertown
Ken Rosenthal: Time to change direction on Jones Library
Political newcomer defeats Shores Ness for Deerfield Selectboard seat
Town manager’s plan shorts Amherst Regional Schools’ budget

An accompanying spreadsheet, prepared with assistance from financial adviser David Eisenthal from UniBank, showed a $500,000 donation to the town from the library made in June 2022 and the expected $2 million donation by the end of January 2024, supplementing a $2.7 million initial installment from the MBLC grant at the end of 2021 and another $2.7 million installment from MLBC expected by the end of February 2024. The next $4 million from donations and other library trustees money is due by the end of January 2025.

At the Feb. 12 library trustees meeting, trustee Lee Edwards said that a new transfer of $800,000 from the capital campaign accounts, using money from the largest institutional donor, would be coming to the town, in addition to $300,000 already transferred from the library, meaning $1.1 million in new cash transfers.

By adding that money to the $500,000 provided in June 2022, the capital campaign and library trustees have transferred to the town $1.6 million. That remains around $900,000 short of what was expected based on the financial schedule spreadsheet.