The Homer City Council approved a resolution at their last meeting on June 23 allowing Homer Public Library staff to apply for grants to fund the purchase and installation of a security grille near the building’s front entrance.
When the current library building was designed, the architects left room for the installation of a security grille between the meeting room and the main library floor, which would allow the meeting room to be used by community members outside of regular library hours without placing further burden on library staff by requiring them to remain present. The grille was never installed, but with high demand for meeting room use from community groups, library staff have been working toward finalizing the architects’ intention.
Security grilles are common features in other public buildings across the state, and in Homer at the Port and Harbor Office. The proposed library grille would fold away into a pocket wall and should not obstruct the walkway into the main library space.
A June 17 memorandum from library director Dave Berry to the council notes that HPL would copy security procedures for meeting room use exhibited by facilities in Palmer and Big Lake, where groups scheduled to use the meeting room must be present at the library at closing time and staff would lock both the grille and the main exterior door, leaving the group to use the room in between. Meeting room users would be required to ensure the outside door latches when they leave the building; Berry emphasized that the library’s main entrance should never be left open overnight.
Following communication with other library directors throughout the state that use similar systems, Berry found that “how much the room is used after hours depends on the library’s fees and policies, but in general the public appreciated having extended meeting hours and used the facilities responsibly. No one reported any problems with theft or vandalism.”
Berry also noted in the memo that the library would “likely” receive more requests for meeting room use following the grille installation — currently there is “a lot of competition” among groups wanting to use the meeting room in the evening, particularly for adults gathering after work.
The council approved Ordinance 24-24(A) last year to fund the design and installation of the grille. All engineering work for the project is complete as of last month and the State Fire Marshal recently issued a permit approving the project design.
According to Berry, the cost to complete the installation is estimated at $19,000; he recommended to council in the memo that library staff should pursue grant funding in the amount of $25,000 to “allow for inflation or unexpected contingencies” in order to complete the project.
Find Resolution 25-064 and related informational materials in full at www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/citycouncil/city-council-regular-meeting-331.
