By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish library officials hoped to gain Parish Council approval this week on a $1.1 million contract to expand its Central Library branch in LaPlace, but a cancelled meeting will delay the matter into the new year.

The St. John Parish Council was supposed to meet Tuesday evening in LaPlace, but the proceedings were canceled due to a lack of a quorum. Council secretary Jackie Landeche said only four of the council’s nine members were available for Tuesday’s meeting.

Landeche said all agenda items for that meeting will be carried over to the Jan. 11 meeting in Edgard.

Library Director Randy DeSoto said this week the library system requested the council consider J.A. “Jack” Julius Construction Co. for the project. The Marrero firm was the lowest of six bidders on the project.

DeSoto said the project calls for a 5,800-square-foot expansion at the Central Library, located on U.S. Highway 51 near the St. John Civic Center. He said the addition would add much needed space for technical services, administrative offices and storage.

“It has become too crowded at that location,” DeSoto said. “This is something we wanted originally but couldn’t afford when we built the current building. We have been setting aside money for several years for this project.”

The 20,000-square-foot Central Library was completed in 2002 at a cost of $2.7 million. DeSoto said the parish library system is funded through a 10 mill property tax, which is expected to generate $3.5 million this year. He said the money is used for maintenance and construction projects during the year.

Desoto said the new addition would allow for three new rooms for private study and would also expand the space the library uses for public computer kiosks.

“The expansion will add offices for us, but we also get more room for the public to use,” DeSoto said.

In addition to the expansion, the library system is also handling a $137,000 renovation at the Reserve Branch on West 10th Street.

DeSoto said renovation includes new paint and carpeting, new furniture for the children’s area and more computer access.

If the council approves the expansion contract at the Jan. 11 meeting, DeSoto said construction would start within a month. The project would be finished before the end of 2011.

Another item on the council agenda is the awarding of low bids for the parish’s weatherization program for low-income households. The program, which utilizes funds from President Barak Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus package, is designed to assist low-income households with their cooling or heating bills by providing home energy and efficiency services.

The contracts are for plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilating and air conditioning repairs.