BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners and library clerk and treasurer Eveann Adams met on May 21 to discuss the future of the Tingley Memorial Library, funding for repairs and a renewed conversation about raising the library building for parking underneath.
Built in 1994, Tingley Memorial Library in Bradenton Beach is a non-profit corporation and is independent of the county library system. It was originally funded by benefactor Beulah Tingley.
“I wanted us to hear from board members and to discuss where we are and our thoughts for the future,” Mayor John Chappie said.
He asked Building Official Bill Palmer to outline the repairs needed to the building.
“The stairs are in pretty good condition but there are significant repairs needed to be done to the ramp; or probably replace the whole thing altogether,” Palmer said. “The columns underneath the decking have a lot of decay. The landing where the air conditioner is is not in good shape and the soffits have hurricane damage.”
Police Chief and Public Works Director John Cosby said the air conditioning duct work will need to be replaced.
“It’s old and is developing condensation. It has a commercial-sized air conditioner and at some point that’s going to have to be replaced; and that’s going to be very expensive,” Cosby said. “It’s hard to zone the library off because it’s one big open space, so the cost is going to be extraordinary when it comes time to do that.”
City Treasurer Shayne Thompson provided a financial snapshot of the library.
“The library typically costs anywhere from $50,000 to $60,000 a year to run,” Thompson said. “Last year, the roof was done and it increased to $103,000. The library bequeath fund the city is managing has a balance of $165,400, so barring anything unusual that’s roughly three years of funding before the bequeath is exhausted.”
Representing the library was Adams, who is currently serving as the board treasurer while a new library board is being assembled. Thompson said Adams told him the library has a little over $100,000 in funds that are outside the city’s control.
Adams said the original Tingley bequeath was more than $600,000.
“We have known for a long time that one of these days the bequeath was going to run out,” Chappie said. “It wasn’t going to last forever and that’s the pickle we’re in right now with the financials and the building structure. We’re getting to a point that we have to figure out what we’re going to do with the library as far as the structure itself and where the funds would come from. We’re going to have to start doing something (about the repairs) and there just isn’t money there.”
Adams suggested splitting costs with the city for the repairs.
“In the past, we have sometimes split the budgets with the city. We’ve had the new air conditioner and (termite) tenting and things like that,” Adams said. “Numbers have probably gone down a little bit because people are starting to move away, but it hasn’t been a real significant difference in attendees.”
Commissioner Deborah Scaccianoce suggested ways to bring people into the library – including rainy day videos for kids.
“The library has not been in the front of anyone’s mind, and it’s been closed. I think the intimacy of this library is awesome,” Scaccianoce said. “If we want to keep this library, we need to work toward bringing people back.”
She suggested introducing book clubs, as well as looking at grant opportunities for funding.
“I think it’s important to cut to the chase,” Chappie said. “The city’s hands are tied in a lot of ways. It’s the board that needs to be active to do this stuff.”
Commissioner Scott Bear asked if the city is still contemplating raising the library building and placing parking underneath, which could potentially result in the city bearing the cost of the ramp and stairs as part of the project.
“We have talked about it for a couple of years at least,” Chappie said. “If we could raise it and move it to get the maximum amount of parking spaces and create a paid public lot in the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency), then CRA funds could come into play. We went out for an RFP (request for proposals) in 2020 and we didn’t get any nibbles. I still think it is a good option to try to elevate it.”
Chappie suggested a partnership between the library and the Annie Silver Community Center.
The commission unanimously approved the appointment of Scaccianoce as liaison to the library board.
“You’ve got a new board (pending), so it’s an opportunity for you ladies to think outside the box,” Scaccianoce said.
“On the city side, we need to get some pricing and go out for an RFP and see if we can get that building elevated and moved; and we want to talk a little bit more about the multi-use aspect,” Chappie said. “That could be a way to solve several of our problems and we’d be able to funnel some moneys from the city that’s already being spent here if we put code enforcement or something there on one side. We can’t afford to sit on our hands anymore. The money’s running out folks.”
The library is currently closed and is being used as a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan center.
A note posted on the library’s front door says, “Library closed until further notice. Any books returned may be returned to the bookdrop on the left. No late fees.”
