Atlas Twp.-The township will soon own a library.
That’s the message from township officials who voted 5-0 on Monday night to accept the transfer of the Lyceum building, home to the Goodrich Library from the Village of Goodrich. The vote comes after the village council voted 4-0 on Sept. 14 approving the transfer. Council member Richard Horton was absent.
Ed York, village council president signed the building deed releasing the property to the township within the next 30 days. Along with the building will be a $10,000 insurance claim check for repairs sustained during a winter storm, in addition to $6,000 from the village for one year of upkeep.
The move is possible due to an agreement signed on Sept. 15, 1958 when ownership of the building was obtained by the village from the township. The transfer is contingent on an inspection by Flint based THA Architect Engineers who will examine the roof, mechanical, and siding along with other structural aspects of the century old building. The cost for the inspection will be $1,200, however, it will not include a determination of asbestos or radon in the facility. In addition the board is concerned about lead paint on the walls in the old building.
Last month a new plan aimed to eliminate village funding of the building over the next three years and pass the costs on to the township was presented at the village council meeting. A funding schedule will begin this year at $6,000, decreasing to $4,000 in 2010; $2,000 in 2011; ending with no payments in 2012 and beyond.
‘If we don’t take on the ownership of the building it will close,? said Scott Statson, township trustee. ‘We need to work within our boundaries, the money the village is contributing to the library is laughable’if we don’t take charge we won’t have a library.?
Township Supervisor Shirley Kautman Jones suggested a vote in November 2010 regarding funding for the library building.
‘The transfer will shift the burden to the township,? said Jones.
‘Our pockets are only so deep, we need to determine an amount necessary to run the operation and then let the people decide.?