Branch library screw up - does anyone in city goverment know what they are doing?

Regardless of your position on closing the branch libraries or keeping them open - you should be aware that the city of Evanston staff is screwing up again with your tax dollars.

That is they have had the City Council approve a project with no firm estimate for the work. That is they come up with a budget of about $700,000 and no estimate or real scope of the work at hand. Why wasn't a preliminary sketch prepared of the work?

Where is the firm estimate prepared by a competent professional? The library staff put the numbers together. Then they stated if there was a over run they would start cutting the scope.  I noted at the council they most likely have an asbestos problem under the floor at the north branch since old photos show abestos tile,

One council member defended the mismanagement by claiming the past library projects came in on budget and on time - so why did they spent several million dollars redoing the children room?

I have started all along the North branch can not have new restrooms added without taking out some of the stack area, that is the adjoining building should not be sold but combined into the library space. A better approach might be to share the space with another business such as a snack or coffee shop.

It appears to me the amount need for the work is way under estimated- and the city by the way claimed they need to renovate a rental building this is interest given they just sold a piece of property along Chicago ave to an developer, could have it been used for a south branch location with the developer building the shell space for the city in exchange for the land?  Will the Central street building be sold in a sweetheart deal to someone?  Retail space for a minimum bid of $380,000?

Regardless - taxpayers will pay more for less - which is typical when you have council members who have no understanding of how to develop a project working along with staff who are misdirecting the process. 

As for the operation cost of these facilities - it appears all or almost all staff are part-time thus they get no benefits - they clearly are not a huge cost compared to many other city departments, so it would be a drop in the bucket so to speak to eliminate them.