Libraries on the Waiting List for a Construction Grant: Securing local funding

Your local funding can come from any source, including:

1. Municipal appropriations
2. Donations in hand or with binding commitment
3. Trust monies allocated to the project;
4. Monies already expended for eligible costs related to the acquisition of real property within three years prior to the application due date or other date stated in the Program Notice for a grant round;
5. Monies already expended for eligible costs related to planning, study, or master plan costs and design services incurred within three years prior to the application due date or other date stated in the Program Notice for a grant round;
6. Monies held in a separate account allocated to the project;
7. Real property acquisition (if it was included in your application);
8. The value of land donated to the project up to a documented value of $800,000 (if it was included in your application)

You must secure your local funds and accept your provisional grant award within 6 months after the MBLC approves it. We will let you know in plenty of time when we expect the Commissioners to vote.

A "provisional grant award" is a grant award that is contingent on the securing of local funds. It means that the money has become available in our annual capital budget and we are ready to fund your grant. You must accept the provisional grant award and sign a contract with us in order to receive money.

This is sample wording for a warrant article and ballot question for securing local funding. Your town counsel will want to rewrite/revise according to what will work for your town. If your municipality has a city or town council, or has a mayor, those entities must approve as well.

Note that if going forward with your project depends on receiving a MPLCP construction grant, you will want to add wording that makes going forward contingent on receipt of the grant award.

1. This is a sample for the warrant article wording.

…vote to raise and appropriate $___ to fund the construction, renovation and expansion of the ___Public Library, to fund demolition, landscaping, paving, utility and other site improvement incidental or directly related to such construction, renovation and expansion, to fund necessary architectural, engineering or other professional and legal expenses and fees associated with this project, to fund temporary library operational space, storage and moving expenses, to fund furnishings and equipment and to fund the payment of all other costs incidental or related thereto; to authorize the town to apply for and accept any grants or loans available for the project, including the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners grant; that to meet this appropriation the Treasurer with the approval of the Board of Selectmen is hereby authorized to borrow the sum of $___ by issuance and sale of bonds or notes of the Town in accordance with General Laws Chapter 44, Section 7 (3) and Section 7 (3A) as amended, said sum to be expended under the direction of the Library Building Committee established under Article ___ of the [date] town meeting which is authorized to take any action necessary to carry out this vote, provided, however, that this vote shall not take effect until the town votes to exempt from the limitation on total taxes imposed under General Laws, Chapter 59, Section 21C (Proposition 2 ½) the amounts required to pay the principal of and interest on the borrowing authorized by this vote.

2. This is a sample for the ballot question.

Shall the Town of ___ be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to fund the construction, renovation and expansion of the __ Public Library, to fund demolition, landscaping, paving utility and other site improvements incidental or architectural, engineering or other professional and legal expenses and fees associated with this project, to fund temporary library operational space, storage and moving expenses, to fund furnishings and equipment and to fund the payment of all other costs incidental or related thereto.

Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program

90 Canal Street, Suite 500
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
617-725-1860
800-952-7403 (in MA)
617-725-0140 (fax)

Need more information or help along the way?

Heather Backman, Library Building Specialist
617-725-1860, x245
857-283-5668 (Mobile)
heather.backman@mass.gov

Andrea Bono-Bunker, Library Building Consultant
617-725-1860, x246
857-488-6264 (Mobile)
andrea.bunker@mass.gov