LISBON — Town councilors Tuesday approved the first reading of an amendment that would eliminate late fees for overdue library materials.
Lisbon Falls Community Library Director Diane Nadeau told councilors that overdue fines have not been effective in encouraging patrons to return overdue material. Overdue notices, bills and library card suspensions, however, have helped keep the library’s rate of loss low.
Library patrons pay 10 cents per day, up to $5, for an overdue item. These fines were suspended during the pandemic and reinstated in the past fiscal year.
The amendment would also raise the nonresident library membership fee from $50 to $60 per year due to rising costs of services, Nadeau said. This increase is in line with nonresident membership fees in neighboring towns and cities, she added.
The amendment will require a second vote from the council before being implemented.
Plans to add safety lighting and electrical access to the former Worumbo Mill site are moving forward. On Tuesday, councilors approved the request of Director of Economic and Community Development Ross Cunningham to raise the project’s budget not to exceed $58,000.
A local contractor, Enterprise Electric, notified the town that it was willing to donate five 30-foot LED light poles recently removed from a facility in Brunswick to the project. It was recommended that the town replace the donated LED fixtures on the donated poles, which is estimated to cost just over $5,000.
When the project is complete, the town will have greater access to electricity at the site, enough to host concerts and events. The total cost for bringing electricity to the site from the nearest Central Maine Power utility pole is nearly $52,000.
The project is part of the town’s plans to redevelop the former Worumbo Mill site into a combination public gathering space and event venue.
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