The Anchor Point Public Library was awarded funding by the Rasmuson Foundation earlier this month for repairs to the building and septic system.
In an interview Friday, library director Deanna Thomas said the $35,000 Tier 1 grant will be used to fix the septic system and solve costly problems that the library has been experiencing for months.
The foundation’s Tier 1 grant program is a noncompetitive program that awards up to $35,000 to Alaska-based nonprofits, tribes, and state and local government entities actively serving Alaskans for small capital projects and one-time investments, according to the Rasmuson website. Examples of projects eligible for the program include construction and renovation, equipment and tools, technology upgrades, library collections and more. The Tier 1 grant program does not require local match funds.
While the foundation also offers competitive grant programs with higher award potential, Thomas said she “went for what (she) felt was the sure thing.”
Approximately this time last year, she said, the 45-year-old septic tank started overflowing and the leach field “wouldn’t work anymore.” When the library had the tank pumped the first time, they discovered that there were “a lot of rocks in there” because “the whole bottom of the tank is just rotten.”
“All winter long, we have been having the tank emptied every three weeks, at $400 every time,” she said. “It’s been a costly deal for us.”
The library intends to use $30,000 for the septic system repair — which involves removing the old tank, putting the new tank in and relocating the leach field — and the remaining $5,000 to renovate the bathrooms. However, while the construction company contracted by the library is working with them to complete the project within the financial range of the grant, the original cost quoted to Thomas for the entire project was $57,000. The new septic tank alone, she said, will cost $18,000.
“If it turns out that it takes the full $35,000 to do the septic, then we’ll have to look for some more funding from somewhere else for the bathrooms,” she said. “We are just doing the best we can to keep afloat at this point.”
The Anchor Point Library accepts donations year-round through their website. Find them online at www.anchorpointlibrary.com/index.html, or visit them in person at 34020 North Fork Road in Anchor Point.
