The new Winthrop library will open as planned on June 11, but official transfer of the building’s ownership will apparently have to wait until the following week.
At its meeting last week, the Winthrop Town Council reviewed but did not act on a resolution transferring ownership of the library to the town from Friends of the Winthrop Library (FOWL), the nonprofit that build the facility with a combination of donations and state grant funds.
FOWL’s intent from the inception of the library project, which has taken about six years from start to finish, was to turn the building over to the town, which will then own it. NCW Libraries will operate, supply and staff the library. The new library site on White Avenue includes land the town purchased for the new facility, and adjacent land FOWL purchased to expand the area available for the building and parking lot.
A portion of the new building can be used for community meetings during the day or when the library itself is closed.
Consideration of the resolution “approving the gift agreement” from FOWL to the town was not on the council’s published agenda. Town Clerk Michelle Gaines said the proposed agreement, which FOWL submitted to the town in May, had only just been returned that day (June 1) after a review by Town Attorney Scott DeTro.
DeTro did not recommend any changes to the agreement but highlighted several paragraphs that he suggested the council review to be sure they were acceptable. One paragraph related to the length of the agreement; a second noted that the community rooms should be provided free to nonprofits but that the town could charge for-profit entities for the rooms’ use. A third specified that the town would be responsible for operation and maintenance of the library building and its landscaping, while FOWL would maintain a $112,000 long-term maintenance fund whose use FOWL would control. A fourth paragraph specifies that any significant structural changes to the library building would have to be approved by FOWL.
FOWL had hoped to gift the building to the town on June 11 during the grand opening celebration, which would have required council action last week because the council does not meet again until June 15.
Council members had questions about the portions of the document highlighted by DeTro, and indicated they would consider eliminating the “structural changes” clause. Mayor Sally Ranzau said she preferred not to take action that night.
FOWL Chair Shannon Polson and Executive Director Jill Sheley said they were not aware that the transfer agreement had been added to the previously published council agenda and so did not know to attend the June 1 meeting to answer questions. They said they remained confident that FOWL can satisfactorily address any council concerns.
