Commissioners view progress during tour of new library

WORLAND – If you have walked by or looked inside the future location of the new Washakie County Library you will notice that construction has been well underway over the last month and a half as progress continues towards a June 2021 completion for the project.

During their regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 15, Washakie County Commissioners Aaron Anderson and Fred Frandson went on a tour of the building to view the progress. Also touring were Washakie County Clerk Mary Grace Strauch, the county's building maintenance manager Tom Schmeltzer, Washakie County Planner David Anderson and library donor Mike Healy. Commissioner Terry Wolf was testifying for a committee online during the tour, but was set to receive a tour of the progress later.

Frandson said that he also gave the Washakie County Library board a walkthrough of the building on Monday, Dec. 14.

During the walkthrough Frandson discussed how the building was a bit different than they had anticipated when it had come to the structure of the walls. He said they are having to find different ways to cover and texture the walls and still be cost effective within the budget that was laid out when Groathouse Construction was awarded the bid in October.

Frandson also highlighted the area where asbestos had been discovered in the floors of the building, and said that all of it had been removed from the building to make it asbestos free. According to Frandson, the entire process of evaluating and removing the asbestos cost about $28,000.

In the new plans provided by the county and engineers TSP, the affected walls are highlighted on the north side of the building and on the east side after the problems were encountered in the construction process.

PLAN DETAILS

Updated plans reveal more clearly the defined spaces in the new facility.

The back of the library will feature a children's section with windows that will allow for parents to view their children while allowing them the freedom to learn and explore on their own. The east side of the library will contain a kitchen up in the north corner along with a conference room and a teen section with study rooms below that.

The rest of the main floor next to the circulation desk will contain shelves along with appropriate seating and a separate reading room located in the southwest corner of the building. In the southeast part of the building there will be a separate room with information for travelers coming through the area as well as a restroom. That will contain stairs leading up to the offices for the Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce, offices for Washakie Development Authority, meeting rooms and offices for Washakie County Youth Alternatives.

The elevator will be located in the northwest corner of the upstairs portion of the building.