At the Board of Selectmen’s Thursday, August 14th meeting, First Selectman Jeff Manville revealed that the town is committed to opening the Southbury Public Library two months ahead of schedule, on Tuesday, September 2.
Town officials have floated a November opening of the Southbury Public Library for most of the summer, but the announcement of an earlier opening comes just days before the one-year anniversary of the flood on August 18, 2024.
First Selectman Manville announced the news to a room of nearly 50 attendees at Thursday’s meeting while discussing the four-day workweek pilot program, resulting in a round of applause.
He credited the town’s Public Works staff and the town’s Finance Director for moving the restoration ahead of schedule, with a pending opening in September, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
First Selectman Manville said, “They were the people who said, ‘What do we need to get this ahead of schedule?’”
“They came through,” he added.
The library was severely damaged by the floods of last August and relocated to a temporary location at the Heritage Hotel, 522 Heritage Road, in February.
Earlier this month, the State Bond Commission approved a $350,000 grant-in-aid to go towards the restoration and repair of the library. This grant will cover the balance of the costs after potential FEMA reimbursement.
While the library’s elevator will not be immediately available, repairs are expected to come for its restoration.
The Record reached out to the Public Works Department for comment on Thursday morning but had not heard back as of Thursday night.
The Southbury Record 