The Port Moody Public Library won backing from city council to apply for a federal grant for its long-awaited renovations — and a promise to kick in another $130,000 for the project.
The library board has requested capital funding of $450,000 twice in the past year for renovations that would repurpose the existing space to make it more efficient and user-friendly for its more than 300,000 annual users. Council approved just $45,000 to replace the carpet, which is buckling and causing a safety hazard.
At Tuesday's meeting, the library board's Jo-Anne Parneta told council they hoped to apply for a Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program grant of $225,000, with the required matching funds coming from the $45,000 already promised, $50,000 from the library's fundraising efforts and an additional $130,000 from the city.
"If the city is successful… a $450,000 project will cost us $175,000, which is an innovative way to increase services to library patrons," Parneta said.
But with the June 17 grant application deadline looming, council was unable to refer the decision to a finance committee meeting.
Several council members supported the move, saying it supported council's strategic plan goals and would provide funding for a much-needed community project that had been pushed aside for other priorities.
But Mayor Mike Clay disagreed, saying it was "dangerous to make decisions this way."
The library renovation had not been prioritized in the city's capital plan for 2015, Clay said, a decision that shouldn't be changed simply because "someone comes to council saying they need a decision tonight."
Council wasn't swayed by his arguments, however, and supported a motion to endorse the grant application and commit up to $130,000 in matching funds should the library's application be successful.
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