Editor's note: The following story has been updated with correct information.
NEW GLARUS - With no solid commitment on fulfilling fund-raising goals or an updated budget for a proposed new library, the New Glarus Village Board chose Tuesday not to pick a location for a new library.
Last week, the library board recommended the village board approve constructing a new library and borrow $1 million for the project. Some Tuesday, some village board members were concerned that fund-raising efforts have stagnated at a little more than 57 percent of the goal of $1.25 million.
Trustee Greg Thoemke said choosing a location before all the funds are allocated is like "putting the cart before the horse."
"I don't think it's wise to choose a location when the fund-raising goal is so far behind," Thoemke said. "And I'm not ready to make a decision on the location until we get an updated operating budget."
Thoemke also argued that the library had asked the village last year for a $48,000 increase in its budget for operating fees.
"If they (the library) can't operate a small facility, I don't believe we have any indication they can run a larger building at all," he said.
But trustee Petra Streiff disagreed, saying the requested money was not necessarily expected to be awarded, and it was designated for benefits for library employees, not for operating the library itself. Neither Thoemke or Streiff could agree what the money was requested for and asked the village clerk review last year's minutes to determine what the money could have been spent.
Some discussion between board members passed over possibly choosing one of the vacant buildings on 5th Avenue and building a smaller library there with the funds already raised, but nothing concrete was decided.
"Perhaps we're at an impasse with the whole thing," Trustee Eric Gobeli said.
As of the end of November, about $722,000 has been raised in cash and pledges with about $557,000 of that cash in-hand. The agreement with the village was to kick in the remaining $1.05 million for the $2.3 million project for a 14,800-square-foot library.
About seven people attended the meeting.
The library was prepared to start breaking ground in the spring of 2013 until businesses and residents protested the then-proposed location on the west-side of town on Wisconsin 39 near the Swiss Center of North America. Other options for a location were at Glarner Park behind Village Hall, or expanding Village Hall where the current library is housed.
A referendum last year came in almost right down the middle with 125 voting for the Glarner Park location and 118 voting for the west-side location.
Besides the estimated average of $64 increase of taxes per homeowner of a $150,000 home, residents have voiced concerns over both sites. Some are worried about losing a baseball field currently located at Glarner Park. Others pointed to the busy highway where children will be walking and the safety issues involved at the west-side site. Still others wanted neither location and to just expand its current location at Village Hall.
NEW GLARUS - With no solid commitment on fulfilling fund-raising goals or an updated budget for a proposed new library, the New Glarus Village Board chose Tuesday not to pick a location for a new library.
Last week, the library board recommended the village board approve constructing a new library and borrow $1 million for the project. Some Tuesday, some village board members were concerned that fund-raising efforts have stagnated at a little more than 57 percent of the goal of $1.25 million.
Trustee Greg Thoemke said choosing a location before all the funds are allocated is like "putting the cart before the horse."
"I don't think it's wise to choose a location when the fund-raising goal is so far behind," Thoemke said. "And I'm not ready to make a decision on the location until we get an updated operating budget."
Thoemke also argued that the library had asked the village last year for a $48,000 increase in its budget for operating fees.
"If they (the library) can't operate a small facility, I don't believe we have any indication they can run a larger building at all," he said.
But trustee Petra Streiff disagreed, saying the requested money was not necessarily expected to be awarded, and it was designated for benefits for library employees, not for operating the library itself. Neither Thoemke or Streiff could agree what the money was requested for and asked the village clerk review last year's minutes to determine what the money could have been spent.
Some discussion between board members passed over possibly choosing one of the vacant buildings on 5th Avenue and building a smaller library there with the funds already raised, but nothing concrete was decided.
"Perhaps we're at an impasse with the whole thing," Trustee Eric Gobeli said.
As of the end of November, about $722,000 has been raised in cash and pledges with about $557,000 of that cash in-hand. The agreement with the village was to kick in the remaining $1.05 million for the $2.3 million project for a 14,800-square-foot library.
About seven people attended the meeting.
The library was prepared to start breaking ground in the spring of 2013 until businesses and residents protested the then-proposed location on the west-side of town on Wisconsin 39 near the Swiss Center of North America. Other options for a location were at Glarner Park behind Village Hall, or expanding Village Hall where the current library is housed.
A referendum last year came in almost right down the middle with 125 voting for the Glarner Park location and 118 voting for the west-side location.
Besides the estimated average of $64 increase of taxes per homeowner of a $150,000 home, residents have voiced concerns over both sites. Some are worried about losing a baseball field currently located at Glarner Park. Others pointed to the busy highway where children will be walking and the safety issues involved at the west-side site. Still others wanted neither location and to just expand its current location at Village Hall.