Described by Hilltops mayor Brian Ingram as a "big moment in our council", progress towards Young's new Joint Use Library Facility has taken a step forward with the project set to go to tender.
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Councillors at Wednesday night's Hilltops Council October meeting voted to sign off on the deed and lease document between the NSW Department of Education and the council.
Prior to the vote, mayor Ingram explained he negotiated a fixed operational cost associated with council's tenancy for the first 10 years, with the new facility to be built on Department of Education land at Young High School.
He stressed that council will pay upon demand $1 rent per year for the facility, with operational costs of $70k in the first four years, and $90k from years five to 10.
The cost beyond the 10th year will be determined by mutual agreement, the document says.
The document also shows council is currently paying ongoing costs for its library of $60,659.58 for just above 373.65 square metres.
The proposed two-and-a-half story building will include approximately 1000 square metres of dedicated community space and 300 square metres of shared space between the community and school.
The school area will be approximately 1400 square metres.
"The $70k from years one to four and $90k from five to 10 years I speak of are operational costs we would incur no matter where we were. The simple fact is, it is a little bit more than what we currently pay but we will have over three times the space to utilise," mayor Ingram said.
Cr John Walker was the only councillor who voted against the project going forward, noting there's no vehicle access to the proposed library.
"There's too many unanswered questions for the ageing demographic," he said.
Mayor Ingram understands it's an issue that "won't go away".
"There's no financial capacity for this to happen at this stage," he said.
"We can look at it and try and address it at a further date."
Councillors Wendy Tuckerman, Rita O'Connor, Matt Stadtmiller and Greg Armstrong were absent.
The next phases involve submitting an environmental impact statement and technical studies as part of the state significant development application with the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, and calling for construction tenders.
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