Library Trustees Say Accessibility Overhaul Cost Threatens Full ADA Compliance Trigger

DOUGLAS -- February 24, 2026, Simon Fairfield Public Library trustees grappled with a narrow financial window for accessibility improvements at their February 24 meeting. Library Director Justin told the board that a Lula limited-use lift, the most viable path to making the children's basement accessible, costs roughly $70,000 installed, exceeding the library's $60,570 ADA compliance trigger, which is set at 30 percent of the building's assessed value. Crossing that line would require full code compliance throughout the building, including accessible restrooms and reconfigured stacks, at a cost the library cannot absorb. A prior architect estimated that pursuing improvements piecemeal rather than in a single project would add approximately $250,000 to a hypothetical $1 million job. "We're squeezing a lemon," Justin told trustees. "We're not making the lemon any bigger." The board also reconciled more than $1,000 in previously untracked PayPal donations to the Friends of the Library, making 2025 the strongest fundraising year in the recent comparison period, and received a $2,500 summer reading donation from Unibank.