Voters approve $5M Meredith library addition/renovation

MEREDITH — Voters on Wednesday approved, 202-17, a warrant article to raise and appropriate $5 million to pay to renovate the historic public library and build an 8,000-square-foot addition.

A warrant article approved last year authorized $400,000 to pay for the design work.

A public fundraising campaign has raised more than $650,000, reducing the amount needed to be raised through bond funding.

The 7,800-square-foot library was cited for safety code violations in 2011, prompting consideration of improvement plans.

The Benjamin M. Smith Memorial Library, 91 Main St., was built in 1900-1901. The brick, Classic Revival structure is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Another warrant article approved Wednesday in Meredith is an advisory measure calling on state and federal elected representatives to enact carbon-pricing legislation “to protect New Hampshire from the costs and environmental risks of continued climate inaction.”

“To protect households, we support a Carbon Fee and Dividend approach that charges fossil fuel producers for their carbon pollution and rebates the money collected to all residents on an equal basis.”

Meredith resident Rick DeMark said climate pollution needs to be reduced and that carbon fees and dividends are the cheapest and fairest way to do this, while creating jobs, saving lives and protecting household purchasing power.

“The bottom line here is to motivate innovation and get away from fossil fuels,” DeMark said. “Until a value, a fee, is placed on carbon, there’s no incentive for the emitters to change.”