Once again the Columbia-Marion County Public Library is looking for a temporary location as it makes repairs from tornado damage.
A plan to use the former Rankin building on Main Street fell through after the library needed it for more than the four months it was available, and now the library is considering two commercial buildings owned by businessman Bob Buchanan.
The Board of Supervisors discussed the issue Tuesday.
The library has been closed to the public since it sustained substantial damage from an EF-2 tornado that destroyed the roof on Dec. 16 and the heavy rains that followed.
On Feb. 4 the county awarded the bid for a new roof, and at that same meeting businessman Mickey Webb offered the Rankin building, which most recently housed Jan Marie's, for use for four months rent free. After the four months Webb has plans for the building and would need the space and would be unable to give the library any more time, even if the library paid rent.
Cox and Associates, the architectural firm hired to oversee the repairs at the library, said the repairs will definitely take more than four months, closer to six to eight months, no longer making the Rankin building a feasible choice.
Buchanan, who grew up in Columbia and lives in Jackson, has offered two different buildings for rent. One is the Towne Square Shopping Center at the intersection of U.S. 98 and Mississippi 13 South. The location, which once housed Factory Connection, has 6,000 square feet and rent would be $2,000 a month.
The second location is in the Gardner Shopping Center on Main Street. The 8,775-square foot location is available for $1,650 a month. No decision was made at the meeting Tuesday because at the time the county was unsure the insurance company would pay rent on a temporary location.
Insurance agent Eddie Ray Breakfield later came in while the board was meeting. He has been reviewing the insurance policy and said he believes the policy will pay rent in order to get and keep the library running while repairs are being done on the existing building.
Once the location for the library has been decided, the board will have to approve the lease.
In other business, Jason Hicks with Sample, Hicks and Associates addressed the board with Dewayne Stuckey, president of the Tri-Community Fire District, to move forward with a state-backed CAP loan to purchase two fire trucks for the district.
The Capital Improvements Revolving Loan Program (CAP) would be for $578,000, which would be paid through the taxes the fire district normally receives from the county property taxes. The CAP loan would be at a rate of 2%, which is 1.75% less than what the fire district would receive through private funding.
In order to move forward with the loan, a public hearing had to be held. At the meeting Tuesday no one appeared to speak. The board approved moving forward with the CAP loan and gave Board President Tony Morgan the authority to sign the loan documents.
Hicks advised he will submit the loan paperwork to the Mississippi Development Authority. Once approval has been received, he said he will send everything to Morgan to sign.
