Sutton Library project gets financial boost from borough

PALMER — With a little help from the Mat-Su Borough in the form of what might turn out to be a loan, the project to build a new library and community center in Sutton is off the ground.

The Sutton Library has been a priority for that small community on the Glenn Highway for more than a decade. The current facility, most agree, is too small to meet the community’s needs and is so far past its useful lifespan that it’s falling apart.

Bids for the project came back under what the borough was expecting, but the borough still didn’t have enough money to pay for it. So last week the assembly was asked to pull $300,000 out of a fund set aside for emergencies to put the project over the top.

“We must offer them the infrastructure which will not just draw people to the area but keep them here,” said Sutton Community Council Chairman George Rauscher.

He said that once the library entices people to live in Sutton, the borough will see a return on its investment in the form of property taxes those new residents pay.

Sherri Scott, principal of Sutton Elementary School, said the library partners with the school throughout the year, reading to the kids and serving as a drop-off point for parents who need to get to work before the school day starts. She said when the library invites kids in after school on certain days of the week, 90 percent of her students attend.

“A partnership with the Sutton library and community center has allowed the students to have the resources that are available to students in Palmer and Wasilla,” Scott said.

Nancy Dryden, a founding member of the Alpine Historical Society, said the new library will be situated in such a way that the historical society and the Alpine Historical Park will be better able to work together. Currently, she said, most park visitors are from out of town.

“The thought was to have the park used more by our local residents, which can now happen if the library is developed so that our programs and the library’s programs can be intertwined,” she said.

The people of Sutton had raised $30,000 for its construction. A lot of the rest of the money will come from the state and a couple of grant-giving foundations — the Mat-Su Health Foundation and the Rasmuson Foundation.

Some of that Rasmuson money has to be used last to meet any overruns or complete the project. Since it can’t be accessed until the end of this year, part of that $300,000 request from the borough was to make up for the $191,000 the Rasmussen Foundation was holding back.

Borough staff said fundraising efforts will continue to hopefully offset the rest of the funding request. Planners have already taken steps to strip out anything they could think of, including hand dryers in the bathrooms, paving in the parking lot, countertops and some lighting.

But without the full amount in borough accounts, the project could not proceed. On the other hand, if the assembly approved spending the money, construction could start this summer.

Everyone around the assembly table expressed support for the library. But there was some concern about taking the money from interest on the land management reserve fund, which is supposed to pay for emergencies. Former assemblywoman Jay Nolfi offered testimony explaining some of that reticence.

“An emergency fund of $750,000 was designated” in this year’s budget cycle, Nofli said. “Should a natural disaster occur within the borders of our borough the costs could very easily exceed that amount.”

Assemblyman Ron Arvin seemed to agree with Nolfi.

“I support giving the additional money, but not through the land management account,” he said. “I hope it does pass, but I can’t support it.”

An amendment from assemblyman Warren Keogh actually upped the budget request by $48,000 so that the building could have a metal rather than an asphalt roof. The borough had initially gone with an asphalt roof to save money, but assemblyman Mark Ewing seemed to get a lot of support when he balked at that.

“I can’t believe we’re putting a shingle roof in a wind tunnel,” he said. “I’m all for this library. But I don’t want to shortcut this thing.”

Eventually, the assembly passed the whole thing with Arvin and Ewing in opposition. The crowd, quite a few of whom had testified to the projects merits, met that action with a round of applause.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.