Frustrations voiced during special council meeting for new Palmer library

From the moment the special council meeting was announced at the April 22 Palmer City Council, several council members made it clear that they were unhappy with the circumstances, specifically that the new city manager, Kolby Zerkel, would only have had two days on the job. This despite the meeting would allow residents to get an update on the design plans for the new Palmer Library.

The April 29 special meeting, which was held at the Palmer Depot, was a full house, as nearly 100 residents waited to hear from Gary Wolfe, of Wolfe Architecture, give an update on the designs for the new Palmer Library. They were also eager to speak to the council in support of the library. So many were there that a second audience participation segment was added to give the public a chance to speak.

However, before the meeting could get underway, city council member Victoria Hudson took issue with the items under new business, asking for two the items to be struck, as well as removing the executive session, citing the absence of the city attorney, Sarah Heath who had a family emergency.

The items under question were an information memorandum informing council on policies in regards to city-wide donations, and information memorandum regarding the construction budget, funding and financing alternatives for the new library.

“It (the agenda) was not reviewed by our current city manager before being published, or our legal counsel,” Hudson said.

“Let me just say after two years of waiting, our city manager is in her second day on the job. This agenda came through, of course, without her being able to look at it, without our city attorney being able to look at it,” said Councilman John Alcantra.

“These are information memorandums. All they are (meant) is to provide information the public to know what’s going on,” said Councilman Jim Cooper, who acknowledged the full audience in attendance wanting to get information about the library and the funding. ”That’s why there’s so many people here.”

“The longer we delay this, the longer that we’re going to sit with no dirt moved,” said Cooper, who said he was in favor of getting the new library up and running for the city. His comments were met with much applause from the audience.

As the back-and-forth went on, some council members felt there should be no rush for the meeting as the Palmer City Council meets the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. The special council meeting was called because Brad Hanson, the Community Development Director, is retiring and was providing the memorandums in question.

“There’s no need for this rush. Yes, it’s been two years, I don’t think giving our new city manager two weeks is going to make any difference in this timeline,” said Alcantra.

Mayor Steve Carrington reiterated that the items on the agenda were informational in nature. “I want to get the information out there. I want to hear from staff about the informational items so we could ask questions. That is my desire.”

The council continued to spar over the agenda, with Alcantra referring to the split vote as “political shenanigans.”

“This is upsetting. I wish I’d have just said ‘Hey, I can’t make it because I got a plane to catch. This is a very unfortunate day in Palmer’s history.”

After Hudson’s repeated questions about moving forward with an agenda not approved by the city attorney, City Clerk Shelly Acteson clarified that the attorney does not approve the agenda.

Once the revised agenda was approved, Gary Wolfe updated the council on the progress for the new library. “We’re coming in to landing. We’re about two weeks from being completed with the drawings.”

Wolfe said he is hoping that once everything is finalized, that they will be able to put it out to bid quickly, but noted that the bidding environment is “pretty uncertain” at the moment, and that he’s been working with an estimator to keep the project within stipulated budget guidelines. However, he said that with talk of tariffs, and speaking with contractors, there has not been any escalation of costs yet. “The recommendation is that the project get put out to bid as soon as can be put out to bid.”

Then members of the public were given their first opportunity to speak about the need for a new library and voice their frustration over how long it is taking for any movement on a new library.

Beth Skow, who was the library director when the Palmer Library roof collapsed in 2023, was the first to speak, telling the council about the many ways that public libraries and staff are utilized, from assisting visitors with PFD and IRS forms, to assisting people sent from the courthouse to find legal documents, and helping grandparents learn to navigate new devices.

“People from the community come to the library to access the internet and receive help navigating the information found online. Everyone is welcome.” Skow said that the community and asked the council to help the library provide the needed services for the community.

“Palmer needs, and the community deserves a new facility.”

Frank Bell said he was happy to see some progress on moving the new library forward. “It’s been over two years now since the library collapsed, and this community has been patiently waiting, with library users as well as users operating out of a grossly insufficient space during that time,” he said of the temporary library space being used on Arctic Avenue at the old Great Northern Engineering building.

Bell said that the library staff has been continuing to do an “amazing job keeping their programs running and keeping as many resources available as possible to our community.”

He also believes the vast majority of the community are excited for the new library, and asked that the council not listen to the few voices that might not want to have a new library built, citing a minority group that has been vocal about removing multiple books from public and school libraries across the Mat-Su Borough.

“I’m willing to bet you will still hear from some people who want to shut this project down.” Bell warned the council to not be distracted and that libraries and librarians deserve more, which received applause from nearly everyone in attendance.

Others recalled their past connections with the library, and what the library means not just to the patrons, but the community and businesses in Palmer.

Christy Corbin, whose roots in Palmer run deep, said that she and her young on to attend Baby Book Story Time after having breakfast in town, she wonders if her son will be able to enjoy the library as she did while growing up in Palmer. “My most precious memories were that of going to the Palmer Library. That building, its books, and its people have always played such a huge role in my life, and I find it sad that the youth of our community only know a shadow of the haven it could be.

All of the public commenters said they were in favor of a new library, saying it was past the time to have something started before costs escalate, and were eager to see the old building demolished as some see it as

“It’s been a couple years having this building broken in the heart of Palmer. Fix our broken heart here in middle of town,” said Ruth Holbert.

“It’s time to get it done and make it good and make it count.”