Library Renovations Up for Town Meeting Vote

Voters at the May 12 Spring Town Meeting will be asked to approve a budget of $75.2 million for FY’26, which begins July 1. That figure represents a 3.3 percent increase over the current fiscal year.

The largest portion of the budget is education, which totals $35.8 million. Of that amount, $33.7 million is designated for Seekonk Public Schools. That’s a 2.5 percent increase over the current fiscal year. Foundation enrollment is 2, 040 – a decrease of 36 students.

The Tri County Regional School assessment is $2 million, a 44 percent increase. Seekonk represents 8.8 percent of the foundation enrollment, totaling 84 students. The required town contribution is $1 million over a 30 year period. The debt assessment is $635,000.

One of the warrant articles proposes the appropriation of $10.4 million to fund the construction, renovation and expansion of the Seekonk Public Library, including demolition, landscaping, paving, utility and other site improvements.

A feasibility study was conducted in late 2023/early 2024 and the final report was issued last November. Among the findings: “The library is located at the site of the former Newman Avenue Landfill.  In an earlier study, a structural assessment identified up to 3 inches of settlement at the southwest corner of the library building. A substantial reroofing project was undertaken in 2008.” 

“Seekonk Public Library has inadequate stack space to store and display properly its entire physical collection and continuously weeds the collection to provide space for new acquisitions. Lighting levels in some areas is inadequate. The library compensates for reductions in the physical collection by increasing access to electronic sources of information and popular reading, although these resources are expensive and not user-friendly to the entire service population.”

Voters at the October 2022 Town Meeting rejected authorizing funds to construct a $24 million building. The new building would have replaced the current 14,880 square foot facility at 410 Newman Avenue.

A voter petition warrant article asks for the appropriation of $9.5 million for the construction and furnishing of a new South End Fire Station at 69 School St. Voters at the May 2020 town meeting allocated $425,000 for the design of the facility at the former school administration building at 69 School Street. The town owns that property. The 8300 square foot building would consist of three components, including dispatch, living quarters, and fire suppression. A debt exclusion, or temporary tax increase, would’ve been required to be approved at town meeting before construction began.

Other articles include:

• To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $825,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Undesignated Reserve, as requested by the Medeiros Farm Committee, with such sums to be expended under the direction of the Select Board, for designer services for the Medeiros Farm project at Elm Street and Lincoln Street.
• To see if the Town will vote to appropriate from Ambulance Receipts the sum of $119,797.25 for the second year of a four (4) year lease/purchase for an EMS/Rescue vehicle for the Fire Department.
• To see if the Town will vote to appropriate from the Building & Infrastructure Stabilization fund the sum of $150,000 for repairs to the Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School heating system, including all incidental and related expenses, to be expended under the direction of the School Committee.
• To see if the Town will vote to appropriate from the Building & Infrastructure Stabilization fund the sum of $300,000 for remediation of asbestos floor tiles at the Seekonk High School.
• To see if the Town will vote to transfer from the PEG Cable Access and Cable Related fund the sum of $83,000 to Seekonk Public Schools for PEG purposes.

The entire warrant can be viewed on the town website: www.seekonk-ma.gov. The meeting will begin at 7 pm at Seekonk High School, 261 Arcade Avenue.