N. Merrick Library bond to go to public vote April 11

The North Merrick Library’s $6.5 million renovation plan will go to a public vote on Monday, April 11.

The vote will take place in the library from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and to be eligible to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, a North Merrick resident and registered to vote with the Nassau County Board of Elections.

According to Tom Witt, the North Merrick Library director, 86 percent of the $6.5 million will go toward library renovations, and 14 percent will go toward construction of a new community room. Two construction firms that the library has been working with, H2M and Park East Construction Corp., generated the totals. Witt said that, if the bond were to pass, property taxes for a home assessed at $450,000 would increase by about $11 per month.

Witt’s primary concern is building a new roof. The library’s current roof is original from when the facility was built 55 years ago. The roof, Witt said, requires constant patching because of leaks, which is costly and potentially dangerous. Other renovation plans include a new boiler (the current one is original also), as well as installing an energy-efficient HVAC system (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning), lighting systems, insulated windows and solar panels on the roof. In total, Witt said, the cuts in energy expenditures would save the library an estimated $12,000 a year.

Witt said that the library’s financial adviser, Noah Nadelson from Munistat Services, Inc., told him that the library’s current situation is unusual, and that it is “very clear that this building needs renovation.”

To get the word out to the public, Witt said he spoke at several meetings, including North Merrick PTA and the North Merrick Community Association meetings, has held information sessions at the library that were open to the public, placed a banner in front of the library as a reminder to vote, and put a fact sheet up on the library’s website to detail the renovation plan.

“The key is to let people know there is a vote, what’s being voted on and make sure that you saturate as much as you can to make the community aware,” said Witt.