WARSAW — Leaders with the Warsaw Community Public Library will present their case to the Warsaw City Council on Monday in hopes of gaining their support for a $17 million bond needed for significant renovations.

The request comes amid uncertainty about government spending as state leaders try to implement property tax reform measures, and just days after a primary election in which opposition to a parking garage proposal became a hot issue.

[caption id="attachment_131147" align="alignright" width="440"] Warsaw Community Public Library staff and board members show their support for an upcoming Warsaw City Council Monday. From left are Barbara Beck, Cathi Zdenek, Tim Keyes, Chris Merrill, and Jill Beehler. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Library Board President Chris Merrill acknowledged that there are concerns out there as they prepare to make their pitch.

“Yeah, I agree that does seem to be the case. I think it's because there's a lot of uncertainty in what's going on at the state level, especially,” Merrill said Monday after a board meeting.

He and others contend there's a sense of urgency over the building's aging infrastructure. One of the most recent problems involved a burst pipe that flooded part of the building and caused extensive damage.

“If we don't do this now, there's a chance that things will get (beyond what) we can fix in the next few years. And that puts us into a territory where we can be underground for being shut down by the fire marshal, for accessibility, for all sorts of different things. And because the uncertainty is what it is, I think we just try to be positive about it, and get done what we can. And if things do go south, then we'll do the best we can,” he said.

Merrill points out that it's tough for libraries to set aside money for big expenses and that bond issues are the common path for such projects.

“Like I said, we're doing the best with what we have, but we're kind of at the end of what we can do with the money that we're allotted. So we've got to come and ask for the big bill. And we think it's worth it. We hope everyone agrees, right?”

One of the building's biggest problems is accessibility, in part because it relies heavily on service elevators and stairs. 

On Monday, an area resident, Dennis Crumbly, brought his 92-year-old mother to the library board meeting to highlight some accessibility issues inside and outside the building.

Much of the handicap access is difficult to use and out of date with current standards. The building relies heavily on stairs, and the elevators have a long history of malfunctioning.

He said he thinks even if they move forward with renovations, which include parking lot improvements, immediate upgrades in the parking lot are needed.

Crumbly said he plans to attend Monday's city council meeting.

The library board fully supports the renovation plan, but the city council holds the final decision.

Library officials will make their support to the city council at a meeting that starts at 7 p.m. Monday at the training center adjacent to the city police station.

[caption id="attachment_131148" align="aligncenter" width="680"] Dennis Crumbley, left, talks to library officials (Director Heather Barron and Board President Chris Merrill) about accessibility that his mother, Marlene Collins (seated), faces when visiting the library. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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WARSAW — Some major long-term proposals are beginning to take shape for Warsaw middle schools.

Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said the district will likely eventually combine both middle schools at the Lakeview Middle School campus, which would lead to other changes.

The district has been looking at options for its two middle schools, and Hoffert said a growing consensus supports combining the two at Lakeview Middle School, which would undergo extensive renovations.

Such a move would lead to placing  STEM and Dual language Immersion under one roof at the renovated site, while the Career Center and alternative school would shift to what is currently Edgewood, located just north of the high school.

"Not all the questions have been answered yet, but we do feel like this direction does provide more for our kids academically, which is No. 1, and it provides more efficiency," Hoffert said during an interviewe for News Now Warsaw during a recording of In the Know, a public affairs show that will air this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.

The change would also reduce traffic congestion around the high school and improve school bus pick-ups and drop-offs, Hoffert said.

A final vote by the school board could happen within a few months.

Renovations for the consolidation would likely take 5-7 years, which means it would affect the current kindergarten students, Hoffert said.

At the same time, he said the transition would provide more space for child care services at the Edgewood property.

The school district currently provides child care services to about 60 employees and Hoffert said he supports expanding that on the main high school campus for students who have children.

"We would love in the future, sometime, to expand our child care so that could be an option down the road," Hoffert said.

He said he fully supports the idea.

"We believe it would be good for our community. When we look at child care, (It) is one of the biggest issues ... inside of our community. We realize what it has done for our teachers. We've been able to keep many, many teachers employed inside of our schools because of being able to host childcare."

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In The Know can be heard at the following times:

News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):

Fridays at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Saturdays at 7 a.m. 

Sundays at 7 a.m. & 2 p.m.

WRSW (107.3):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

Willie (103.5 FM):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

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