Sault Ste. Marie City Council will be asked on Monday to look into alternate sites for an East End library, should the Churchill Plaza branch be closed.
A motion to be presented by Ward 2 Councillor Susan Myers and Ward 3 Councillor Matthew Shoemaker also calls on the library board to prepare cost comparisons on four other scenarios:
- alternate service delivery formats that would maintain some physical presence of the library in the east end.
- potential public-private partnerships that might keep some library presence there.
- negotiating a new five-year lease that would keep the Churchill branch in its existing location.
- operating with just two library branches: Korah and Centennial.
Earlier this month, City Council authorized the library board to pursue talks with Algoma District School Board about moving the Churchill branch to the former Alexander Henry High School site, where it would be part of a community hub including a daycare and French-immersion elementary school.
The 50-year-old Churchill Plaza location is rented month-to-month and the library could be asked to leave at any time.
Monday's City Council meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday/LOCAL2.
The following is the full text of the resolution to be considered by City Council:
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Library service levels - information request
Mover Councillor S. Myers
Seconder Councillor M. Shoemaker
Whereas the public library is currently in discussions with the Algoma District School Board concerning a potential community partnership at the former Alexander Henry High School; and
Whereas locating a public library in the former Alexander Henry High School would necessitate the City of Sault Ste. Marie changing the currently-set level of service for the public library; and
Whereas any change in the currently-set level of service for the public library should only be made after undertaking a full report on the existing level of service, as well as alternate options for levels of service not currently being explored;
Now therefore be it resolved that City Council requests a report from the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library Board providing for the following options:
- The costs, staffing requirements, benefits and drawbacks of maintaining the Churchill branch at its existing location if a five-year lease were negotiated and if such lease included “at risk” improvements to the site undertaken by the landlord.
- The potential for alternate sites for an east-end library within the City of Sault Ste. Marie and the estimated costs, staffing requirements, benefits and drawbacks of relocating the existing east end Churchill branch within the City of Sault Ste. Marie.
- Alternate service delivery formats that would maintain some physical space within the east end, while exploring whether any potential public-private partnerships could be formed to reduce the annual costs to taxpayers of the City of Sault Ste. Marie for providing a physical library space within the east end of the City of Sault Ste. Marie.
- An estimated budget for the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library showing the costs, staffing requirements, benefits and detriments if only the Korah Branch and Centennial Branch libraries were maintained.
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