Peachtree City

residents are going to hear a lot more about the bond referendum for the

library renovation and expansion in the coming months.

The Library

Commission held a public workshop Wednesday night to discuss what they

needed to do to reach the voters and persuade them to vote for the bond

referendum. In addition to speaking before local civic groups and organizations,

the commission will be producing a pamphlet and fliers. They also discussed

taking out ads in local papers and having a presence at local events such

as October's Fiesta on the Plaza.

If the referendum

doesn't pass, it won't be because people didn't know they could go out

and vote.

Commission

chairman Chris Clark stated at the beginning of the meeting that they

were now looking at "the good, the bad and the ugly."

"The good

is that we have a clear architectural vision, the city's permission to

have a bond referendum on the ballot and the Friends of the Library have

gone through the secretary of state and can accept donations to support

us and the bind referendum," said Clark. "The bad is that not

everyone likes the idea and that the library staff and the Recreation

Commission must stay out of the process from here on out. The ugly is

that it will take money to run the campaign to pass the bond referendum."

No one knows

how much money it will cost to run a successful campaign but assignments

were handed out. Clark also stated that the commission would have to speak

in a unified voice and have all their facts straight. The major facts

are these:

The referendum

will ask that the voters approve a referendum of no more than $4.9 million

for library repair and renovation $4.7 million for the project itself

and overrides and $200,000 for the cost of the bond.

Over $1 million

of the project will focus on repairs that need to be done no matter what,

including work on the roof, a revamped heating and air conditioning system

to fix humidity problems and getting up to Americans with Disability Acts

standards, among others.

The renovation

process will include a larger children's area, sound proof study rooms,

a larger A/V area, a larger adult section, new shelves, new equipment,

better lighting from a more natural light source, new books, a young adult

section and a reworked entrance.

The project

will cover all necessary expansion for 20 years, meaning, if approved,

the library should not be looking to expand again until 2023.

The workshop

was sparsely attended by the public but one audience member, Andrea Brzoska,

was very vocal in defining what she thought needed to be done.

"A lot

of my friends don't know what a bond referendum is or how it works,"

said Brzoska, who felt that a document be drawn up explaining the bond

referendum process. She also told the members of the commission the concerns

of her friends and neighbors. "Some people I have spoken to are afraid

that the library project is being marketed as a teen center. They are

also worried that city hall will look out of place next to a 'Cadillac'

of libraries."

Members of

the commission were surprised that these thoughts were out there, especially

since in several workshops the focus of the library project has been an

expanded children's section and an expanded adult section. Commission

member Madge Quick has heard some negative comments about the possible

coffee bar, she has also heard some people describe the proposed look

of the library as "the Taj Mahal or Epcot Center."

"We thought

people would be thrilled and enthusiastic about the project," said

Quick. "Because we are offering the community so much more than what

they have now."

For the most

part, people have been enthusiastic about the project, but are enough

people enthusiastic enough to pass the referendum? Vice chairman Marie

Washburn said that a majority of the plans for the project were based

upon the suggestions and complaints the commission had received over the

past five years, including the coffee bar which has come up in the suggestion

box every year for several years.

The Library

Commission will meet Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 6:30 p.m. and they will be

much closer to launching their campaign. Residents can expect to get a

pamphlet in their mail sometime in October and chances are you will hear

more before then. Commission member Barbara Chapman Swafford stated that

she would even be willing to stand out on Ga. Highway 74 with a sign.

As the vote

gets closer, the commission may just have her do that. After all, every

bit helps.