The Crown Point Community Library will seek budgetary appropriations, including approximately $15,000 for safety upgrades, at the Lake County Council meeting Tuesday.
Julie Wendorf, director of the Crown Point Community Library, presented the council Thursday with three budgetary appropriations: $197,500 from the library’s rainy day fund, $35,589 from the Library Improvement Reserve Fund for separate HVAC repairs, and $14,438 from the library’s excess welfare distribution fund.
The rainy day fund appropriation covers the cost of having to replace one-fourth of the library’s HVAC system, Wendorf said. In June, library staff discovered that portion of the library’s HVAC system wasn’t working, and the appropriation covers the cost of construction and three temporary units, she said.
The LIRF fund appropriation covers HVAC repairs that the library has completed since the beginning of the year, Wendorf said.
The library’s excess welfare distribution fund will go toward installing key fobs on doors for staff-only areas inside the library, Wendorf said.
“We’ve had some incidents at the Crown Point location that have made me want to double down on security and having safe places for staff,” Wendorf said. “We’ve had patrons gaining entrance to staff-only spaces that isn’t appropriate.”
The Lake County Council is the library’s fiscal body, Wendorf said, so to spend library funds not budgeted for requires council approval.
“I need approval to spend over our max allowable budget,” Wendorf said. “It’s not the county council’s money, it’s the library’s cash reserves.”
Council President Christine Cid, D-5th, said the appropriations will not increase the library’s levy. Cid said she supports the appropriations.
“The capital improvements are necessary and they are utilizing current funds,” Cid said.
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