MONROE - Members of the New Glarus village board are now "just waiting" for the votes on their advisory referendum on the April ballot, according to Village Administrator Nic Owen.
The referendum is being used as a way to gauge the community's desire for a new library, where they want it and whether they wish to spend about $1 million for it.
Owen presented a public information meeting that was not well attended on March 4, he said. About 18 people came to listen to him lay out the facts about the locations being considered and the cost.
The financial impact on the village taxpayers for borrowing $1 million for a new library is estimated to be about $64 annually on a $150,000 home during the repayment period of the debt.
Attendees also got to view the two locations currently under consideration on a map of the village - Glarner Park located west of the fire department and a parcel west of the Swiss Center of North America. The board has determined both sites are suitable for building. Both parcels are owned by the village.
The referendum asks voters first to vote yes or no on whether the village should borrow up to $1 million in funds and allocate an additional $40,000 of capital project undesignated revenue funds for the building of a library.
A second question on the referendum asks voters to choose which location they prefer.
The second question seems to imply that only those who voted yes on borrowing should vote on the location preference. But Owen said every voter is allowed to vote for a location preference.
The library board had planned to build a 10,700-square-foot library with 4,000 extra feet of space - part of which would become offices for the Town of New Glarus, next to the Swiss Center, and had raised about $700,000 in funds and pledges. Groundbreaking was expected in the spring of 2013.
But those plans were put on hold when some New Glarus residents and business owners wanted the library closer to downtown, and Glarus Park was pegged as the preferred site by them.
Continuing operation costs for the larger library facility also put some village trustees on alert as to how those costs would affect future village budgets.
The referendum is being used as a way to gauge the community's desire for a new library, where they want it and whether they wish to spend about $1 million for it.
Owen presented a public information meeting that was not well attended on March 4, he said. About 18 people came to listen to him lay out the facts about the locations being considered and the cost.
The financial impact on the village taxpayers for borrowing $1 million for a new library is estimated to be about $64 annually on a $150,000 home during the repayment period of the debt.
Attendees also got to view the two locations currently under consideration on a map of the village - Glarner Park located west of the fire department and a parcel west of the Swiss Center of North America. The board has determined both sites are suitable for building. Both parcels are owned by the village.
The referendum asks voters first to vote yes or no on whether the village should borrow up to $1 million in funds and allocate an additional $40,000 of capital project undesignated revenue funds for the building of a library.
A second question on the referendum asks voters to choose which location they prefer.
The second question seems to imply that only those who voted yes on borrowing should vote on the location preference. But Owen said every voter is allowed to vote for a location preference.
The library board had planned to build a 10,700-square-foot library with 4,000 extra feet of space - part of which would become offices for the Town of New Glarus, next to the Swiss Center, and had raised about $700,000 in funds and pledges. Groundbreaking was expected in the spring of 2013.
But those plans were put on hold when some New Glarus residents and business owners wanted the library closer to downtown, and Glarus Park was pegged as the preferred site by them.
Continuing operation costs for the larger library facility also put some village trustees on alert as to how those costs would affect future village budgets.