DIDSBURY - Council has approved grant funding for the Didsbury Municipal Library for 2023 and received a brief update on the library expansion project.
The approval came by way of several motions at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting, held in person and in YouTube.
The motion reads: “Council provides an operating grant allocation of $48.20 per capital, based on 2020 federal census population of 5,070, to Didsbury Municipal Library in the 2023 budget operating budget; included in the total grant amount is the 2022 Mountain View County funding of $40,225, which maintains the total 2023 operating grant funding of $244,383.”
A second motion reads: “That council allocate an additional $7,691 one-time interim funding to the Didsbury Municipal Library 2023 operating grant.”
Another motion reads: “That council encourage the Didsbury Municipal Library board to request additional funding directly from Mountain View County for their 2023 library budget” and “That council match any Mountain View County top-up funding received by the Didsbury Municipal Library to a maximum of $12,000, which will include the $7,691 additional allocation.”
The 2022 operating grant to the library was calculated at $46.39 per capita, on a population of 5,268, resulting in total payment in 2022 of $252,074.
During a recent meeting, intermunicipal cooperation committee (ICC) members discussed that a town consumer price index (CPI) annual adjustment be considered for the library, and recommends that this be addressed for future budgets to the library to provide consistency in annual operating grant allocations to the library, members heard.
Library expansion request for proposal closes
Meanwhile, the call for a request for proposal (RFP) for the library expansion closed on Dec. 7 and administration is expected to update council on the project at an upcoming council meeting.
During his monthly report to council, chief administrative officer Ethan Gorner said, “Our plan is to bring what we have received from RFP to the January 10 council. We are reviewing that and will bring along some other information on the library to council.”
The RFP states, in part: “The town intends to retain a qualified consultant to prepare construction documents, which capture the vision for the renovation of an existing facility and a construction cost estimate to support the vision. The combined deliverable will inform a critical component of our Community Facility Enhancement Program Large Stream grant application.”
The deadline for the CFEP grant is June 15, 2023.
“Through numerous consultation processes, the town has collaboratively developed a conceptual vision, interior layout along with mechanical and electrical systems for a substantial renovation to support the growing demands on our municipal library,” the RFP states.
“The vision brings the two spaces together to double the size, improve the user’s experiences and enhance a vital area of our downtown. At this time, the town is planning to proceed with the next phase of the project in the preparation of the construction documents and a construction estimate for 2024-2025 construction.”
The construction documents referred to in the RFP are the drawings, specifications and other contractual documents appropriate to the size and complexity of the work, used to describe the size, quality and character of the entire work, including architectural, structural, mechanical electrical and other systems, material and elements setting forth in detail the requirements of the work.
“The town may, prior to and after any contract award, negotiate changes to the scope of work, the requirements or any conditions with or one or more of the proponents without having any duty or obligation to advise any other proponent or to allow them to vary their proposal as a result of such changes and the town shall have no liability to any other proponent as a result of such negotiations or modifications,” the RFP states.
