Special council meeting eyes library repairs
Facility closed two weeks for repairs
GRAVETTE — A special city council meeting was held last Friday to discuss renovations to the Gravette public library. The east side of the library was filled with citizens and several had to remain standing during the meeting.
Kurt Maddox, mayor of Gravette, opened the meeting with a review of recent developments at the library. When the state fire marshal inspected the library pass-through door and pronounced it unsafe, a structural engineer from Robbins Engineering Consultants in Little Rock was called in, and Maddox distributed copies of the firm’s report.
The REC report showed they found no signs of distortion or deflection in the wall or angle. However, their review of the angles, based upon the load supported by the lintel, indicated the angles would be over stressed. Given the fact the wall is quite old and relatively fragile compared to modern construction, they recommended the lintels be given additional sup- port. This can be accommodated relatively easily, they said, by adding steel structural members to the existing angles.
The engineering report also covered a review of fire damage that occurred many years ago. The damage was to a few floor joists and partially to one girder in the crawl space under the building. The report recommended two floor joists have masonry support built to support the joists and solid wood blocking between ends of the joists. Maddox said that work had been done the day of the meeting at a cost of $130.
No citizens spoke up during the comment period at the beginning of the meeting, but several persons tried to interject comments during the meeting. They were told by Mayor Maddox that they could not interrupt at that point.
Because the state fire marshal had recommended closing the library completely, council member Ron Theis questioned why the library was opened again the following Monday. Maddox said, at the time he made the comment he was looking at the west side of the library, so only the east side was reopened.
Melissa Burnett, another council member, asked if the fire marshal looked at the deck being built out back. Maddox said he did not inspect the deck because
county inspectors were taking care of that part of the project.
Maddox said that the council waived engineering requirements on the library project but specified that the work would be done to code and by licensed and bonded contractors. He said it was the contractor’s responsibility to get permits but they didn’t get them because they thought they weren’t needed when working for the city.
Council member Margo Thomas commented that the library problems shouldn’t have ever happened; but Rod Clardy, another council member, said, “Since it has happened, we need to make the repairs, get on with it and open the library.”
Theis also questioned why it had been so long after the fire marshal’s visit before action was taken to call in a structural engineer for his assessment. Since this is a safety issue, lives are involved, he said, and he also recognized that livelihoods of the library employees were involved.
Richard Carver, council member, said that since this was a city project and the building was a public building, they should have had plans and gone by the plans. Instead, workers simply did what they thought should be done.
Mike von Ree, city clerk, recommended that the library be closed for two weeks so the work could be done. Theis questioned whether the employees would lose their jobs if the library was closed and one employee spoke up, saying she had already lost hers. It was pointed out that she had not lost her job but had been laid off. Maddox commented that this was done because he reasoned that if half the library was open, only half the employees was needed.
Theis commented that the employee who was laid off was the wife of the man who had questioned the safety of the door supports and the damaged floor joists and asked if that were just a coincidence. Maddox said the city went by seniority and she was the newest employee so was the one chosen to lay off.
Theis said he felt the employees shouldn’t lose their jobs because the shutdown wasn’t their fault and Clardy agreed. Thomas recommended the council follow von Ree’s suggestion, shut down and get the work done.
Carver then made a motion to close the library for two weeks, get the work done and give the employees full pay during the time closed. The motion passed unanimously.