The city has perfected a three-step infrastructure strategy: ignore, deteriorate, then ask for more money. So when I heard about mold behind the library walls, I honestly expected the next recommendation to be increasing late fees on teen books and moving staff breaks to the parking lot. Deferred maintenance may be expensive, but apparently it's still cheaper than maintaining things.
This may be a window of opportunity. The library is too small even if it were in the pink of repair. This may well be time for a capital drive to rebuild it and add a 2nd story. Ideally, such a project might encompass the Senior Center, also a a candidate for expansion IMHO.
The stated species of mold supposedly detected is indeed one of the more hazardous types that can cause serious health issues for many people, especially those with respiratory diseases like asthma. I dealt with this issue hundreds of times as an insurance adjuster handling claims under the mold coverage that many policies provide. In that role I insisted on obtaining accurate sampling and testing by licensed industrial hygienists that were totally independent of the mold remediation companies. I have dealt with Servpro many times also. They are franchises, so I cannot speak about the one the county has contracted with, but the ones who work in Sonoma county were always very reputable.
The Sebastopol library is a vibrant hub in the community. This is sad news.
The city has perfected a three-step infrastructure strategy: ignore, deteriorate, then ask for more money. So when I heard about mold behind the library walls, I honestly expected the next recommendation to be increasing late fees on teen books and moving staff breaks to the parking lot. Deferred maintenance may be expensive, but apparently it's still cheaper than maintaining things.
Ugh, I do not relish the prospect of a whole summer without being able to take my kids to the library. We all love that place!
This may be a window of opportunity. The library is too small even if it were in the pink of repair. This may well be time for a capital drive to rebuild it and add a 2nd story. Ideally, such a project might encompass the Senior Center, also a a candidate for expansion IMHO.
The stated species of mold supposedly detected is indeed one of the more hazardous types that can cause serious health issues for many people, especially those with respiratory diseases like asthma. I dealt with this issue hundreds of times as an insurance adjuster handling claims under the mold coverage that many policies provide. In that role I insisted on obtaining accurate sampling and testing by licensed industrial hygienists that were totally independent of the mold remediation companies. I have dealt with Servpro many times also. They are franchises, so I cannot speak about the one the county has contracted with, but the ones who work in Sonoma county were always very reputable.
Great photo.