6 p.m. meeting

Rockport to hear about library survey results Monday evening

Sun, 11/05/2017 - 8:00pm

The Rockport Public Library, in its earlier days, on the the corner of Limerock Street and Russell Ave, in Rockport Village. The library site, which was deeded to the town in 1943, currently sits empty while the library collection sits in temporary quarters on Route 1, in Rockport. (Photo by Carroll Thayer Berry)

ROCKPORT — The Rockport Select Board will make no decisions Monday evening, Nov. 6, after hearing a report from the Portland Research Group, which surveyed Rockport citizens late in early autumn about their opinions of the new town library location, cost and size.

The board will, however, consider an analysis of the survey data, and the public will be able to ask questions about the survey and analysis.

The Rockport Select Board voted June 1 to accept the one proposal received by the town earlier in the spring to create the survey. The three Select Board members present that evening — Geoffrey Parker, Owen Casas and Ken McKinley — voted unanimously to spent $9,850, plus or minus 10 percent, on the survey.

Bruce Lockwood, of the Portland Research Group, had replied to Rockport’s request for proposals, which had been circulated via municipal invitation and advertising with the Augusta-based nonprofit Maine Municipal Association.

The decision to ask Rockport residents their opinion about building a new library, its design and for how much, was made following a long board process. Last winter, after the Select Board assumed leadership of the new library project, there was a brief discussion about polling Rockport citizens to help determine why a $2 million proposal for a $4 million new library failed at the Nov. 8, 2016 polls by just nine votes.

But, the board decided against conducting a survey, only to reconsider it later in the spring. In May, the Select Board directed Town Manager Rick Bates to frame the survey parameters, and in the RFP, the town said it wanted “to understand exactly what details the majority of Rockport residents would agree to for a new proposal to resolve the current issues with the Rockport Public Library.”

In early September, Portland Research Group sent out surveys in regular mail to Rockport households. The firm also invited citizens to fill out an online version.

At the Monday, Nov. 6, meeting, the Portland Research Group is to make a presentation about the survey and entertain questions. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Geoffrey C. Parker Community Meeting Room, Rockport Opera House.

It will be streamed at livestream.com/Rockportmaine.

The agenda follows:

Call Meeting to Order
Please either turn off your cell phones and other electronic devices or set them to mute while in this meeting room or the hallways. If you need to take or make a phone call, please step outdoors.
Presentation from Portland Research Group
Portland Research Group will present the data gathered from the recent townwide survey regarding the Rockport Public Library. They will also present their analysis of the data.
Questions and Answers
Questions should be directed to the Portland Research Group and should directed specifically at the data and their analysis. Questions will be entertained first from the Library Committee and the Select Board, then from the public with final follow up questions from the Library Committee and the Select Board.

IV. Adjournment

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Rockport to hold series of meetings with engineers, architects, fundraiser about library location, cost

Rockport decides against demolishing its library, for the time being

Rockport outlines next steps: Tear down existing library? Reconsider RES site? Survey citizens?

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By nine votes, Rockport says no to building a new library in Rockport Village; approves ordinance amendments