Perkins Public Library Trust trustees reviewed near‑final (about 95%) architectural and interior design plans for the new Perkins Public Library at 219 South Main Street and agreed to take no formal action at the meeting so members could consolidate comments; at the same meeting trustees voted unanimously to have the city review and close an apparent roll‑off dumpster purchase order that trustees believe carried over from prior site work.

The plans shown to trustees included interior layout, reflected‑ceiling and electrical diagrams, and exterior details. Trustees discussed signage wording (the plans reference "Charlotte Parrick's reading zone" in the children's area), ceiling heights (vaulted entry with other rooms at roughly 9–12 feet and meeting/reading rooms at about 10 feet), placement of structural poles and sightlines, flooring transitions (tile, luxury vinyl plank, and carpet), contractor‑provided dumpster requirements for construction, and the need for a fuller furnishings plan. Trustees asked colleagues to mark specific pages and items (for example, sign text or an end‑cap location) and to send consolidated feedback back to the architect through Brian Huckaby so the architect (Mervis) can produce a final 100% set.

Why it matters: trustees said the plans are close enough to finalize costs and support the city’s work to assemble a financial packet for lenders. City staff and a financial consultant are expected to prepare loan materials and circulate them broadly to banks; trustees said the city will publish the construction bid packet and administer the bid process, with the city commission ultimately needing to approve any loan and contract. The trust will remain advisory and discussed the possibility of acting as the owner's representative during construction, subject to further discussion with city staff and the city attorney.

On the financial report and purchase order: trustees removed the financial report from the consent agenda for discussion after questions about an open purchase order labeled for a roll‑off dumpster. Trustees said they do not currently have an active roll‑off dumpster on site and that the $600 figure mentioned in discussion may reflect an older carryover item; the exact accounting detail and whether the $600 is a monthly or annual fee was not specified in the meeting. The board made a motion that the city review the open PO and, if it is confirmed to be a carryover from prior work, that the PO be closed. That motion passed unanimously.

Votes at the meeting included approval of minutes from the Nov. 7 regular meeting and approval of the remainder of the financial report after the dumpster PO was separated for review. Trustees also decided to take no formal action on Item 5 (approval of architectural and interior design plans) so members could review the near‑final sets at home, compile page‑specific notes, and return consolidated comments to Brian Huckaby for the architect to address.

Trustees gave several specific directions during discussion: collect and consolidate written edits tied to page numbers for the architect; confirm signage spelling and placement (trustees expressed preference that the children's area be clearly labeled as such rather than rely solely on a named reading zone); verify the furnishings plan and electrical outlet locations; and coordinate with city staff on financing, bid publication, and contract administration. Trustees noted that the general contractor (when selected) will provide construction dumpsters during work, which undercuts the need for the open roll‑off PO if it truly is a leftover from demolition.

Next steps: trustees will individually review the 95% plans, send page‑specific comments to Brian Huckaby, and expect a final plan set and a color/finish board from the architect. City staff will continue preparing the loan/financing packet and the city will administer the bidding process once the plans and budget are finalized. The board did not set a formal approval date for the plans during the meeting and will revisit formal plan approval after receiving consolidated edits and any revised budget numbers.

Speakers and attributions in this report are drawn from the meeting roster and roll calls recorded at the meeting: Linda Barta (Trustee), Brian Huckaby (Trustee), Charlotte Parrick (Trustee), and Melissa Mills (Trustee). The article paraphrases discussion and records motions and votes as they were announced in the meeting transcript; direct quotations were not attributed when the mover or speaker could not be clearly matched to a single identified trustee in the transcript.