That announcement came as the library Board of Trustees Tuesday night held their first meeting in the new facility and looked ahead on how to finance future projects.
Board member Carlyle Cox made the motion, unanimously approved by board members, to have the board's executive committee draw up a Special Purpose Local Option request to Hall commissioners for a new North Hall branch and expansion of the main library in Gainesville.
"It's time to move because if they're going to vote on it later this fall, that's coming quicker than we think," Cox said.
Cox told board members a third of the revenue for library system projects could come from SPLOST, with a third from the state and a third of it from impact fee revenues.
"If we don't get it in while its being formed in the next few months," Cox added, " you can't put it on after they vote and the next SPLOST would be five or six years away."
Library system director Adrian Mixson said Clermont patrons are very vocal about the need for a new library.
"They've been very vocal about it," Mixson said. "At community meetings on the future of the library system that's the one thing we heard. Clermont and north Hall wants something for that end of the county."
Mixson took board members on a tour to show them what kind of library $5.7 million can buy.
Mixson said the total budget was $6 million for the state of the art library, expected to serve 35 percent of Hall County's population.
Mixson said he's planning on Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle to be featured speaker for the grand opening event on Saturday, May 24, with Cagle to receive a lifetime library card.
"We're going to have lots of things for families," Mixson said, adding that the grand opening event would include free food, give-a-way books, puppet shows and story telling.
Spout Springs Branch library
Carlyle Cox discusses SPLOST
Library board members take a tour
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/4/209270