Published: August 10, 2007 08:43 am      

Burnside discusses library’s looks

Was it the Burnside City Council? Or was it Burnside, Bath and Beyond?

The aesthetics of the new Burnside branch library was a topic of conversation Monday night, as councilors reviewed choices of brick, shingles and the overall look of the building, as offered by architect Farzin Sadr and designer Jerry Wayne Dixon.

Brick choices for the building included a darker, more classic look as well as a lighter, “peach”-colored frosted brick similar to the new downtown library. Councilor Jim Rasnick wasn’t a fan of the second choice, noting that it looked too “pink.” Everyone agreed that the darker brick was a better look, resembling a government building, and “timeless.”

“It’s not something made for show,” said Dixon. “It’s something substantial, something made to last.”

Grayish “pebble” shingles were also selected for the library’s roof.

The discussion was a continuation of the presentation from the June council meeting, when library director Judy Burdine, Sadr and Dixon first showcased the materials they were considering for the Burnside branch library, which is targeted for completion in June of next year, with a price tag of about half a million dollars.

The designers had said at the earlier meeting that they wanted to incorporate elements of “green” buildings into the facility, designed to be economically and environmentally responsible. That includes buying the bricks from regional sources, which saves money on fuel and puts money into the area economy, using fluorescent lights that automatically shut off at night via a sensor, and a porous pavement outside so rain doesn’t turn into runoff but rather goes into the ground. The bricks the architects brought in were all from a plant in Stanford.

In other city council business:

• The ordinance adjusting the pay scale of a number of city employees according to class grade was approved unanimously by the council after a second reading. Employees of a certain numerical grade — such as police chief Eddie Glover, asst. police chief Bruce Blevins, water manager Roger Huff and wastewaster system operator Charles Bryant — can make a certain amount based on a predetermined salary scale. For instance, the police chief, a 7-grade employee prior to the meeting, could make between $21,000 and $34,500 annually. The change in grades effectively gave these city employees a raise.

Later in the meeting, when the potential need to adjust the city’s budget and lay off some employees if Burnside were to lose the ability to serve alcoholic beverages in the upcoming option election was discussed, Rasnick pointed out that the council had just passed this ordinance and if the revenue from the alcohol and restaurant taxes dried up, the city would not likely be able to pay these employees according to the new scale.

• The council unanimously approved a price of $15,400 from Wilson & Company, PSC, to conduct an audit for the city’s budget, including an additional $2,500 fee for auditing the activities of the new sewer department.

• A discussion on adjusting the city’s tax rate was tabled until the September meeting to wait for the outcome of the August 28 option election on alcohol sales. If Burnside were to lose the capacity to sell drinks, the city might need to raise property taxes, interfering with any action the council might have taken.