‘Critical decision point’: Vernon Area Public Library District to survey voters to determine referendum feasibility

A random sample of voters in the Vernon Area Public Library District will be surveyed to help officials determine whether to proceed with a $39.5 million referendum question in November.

In coming days, voters will be contacted via email and postal mail by aQity Research and Insights Inc., an Evanston-based opinion research firm conducting the survey.

Library Director Anne Rasmussen said officials want residents to know communication from aQity is legitimate.

“We are at a critical decision point regarding our building project, and it is important for us to understand how our community would like us to proceed,” she said in a district news release.

Results will be presented to the library board this summer and play a “decisive role in determining the scope of any ballot request,” according the district.

The district has been working with an architectural firm the past two years to assess needs and refine a design, said Catherine Savage, head of integrated communications.

The process has included multiple rounds of input from library users, staff and community members, she added.

Officials now are evaluating a potential $39.5 million bond referendum to expand and improve the building. The project would involve renovating and expanding the current library building and reactivating the annex for public use, adding about 21,500 square feet of space.

Additional meeting and study rooms, new maker space, relocated entrance, expanded preteen and teen areas, and outdoor spaces are among improvements being considered. Details are at vapld.info/buildingproject.

The library district serves about 44,000 residents in Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Vernon Hills and neighboring communities.

At least 4,000 invitations will be sent to voters, with reminders to those who don’t respond as the data is being collected. The survey is expected to remain open through late May and will continue until a statistically significant number of responses are received.

According to the district, the 10-minute survey will help it identify which improvements matter most to residents, whether the proposed ballot language is clearly understood and to gauge community sentiment for a tax hike.

The library district’s last tax hike request was in 1990, when voters approved borrowing $6.9 million to build the library at 300 Olde Half Day Road in Lincolnshire.

Additionally, the district has applied for a $100,000 state grant for security upgrades. It also is awaiting word on a $10,000 grant request toward a $23,000 project to transform a drainage ditch into a bioswale with native plantings and other features.

“It will be lovely and it’s educational,” Savage said.