Putnam County library chooses Ottawa site for new facility

OTTAWA - After nearly a year of wrangling with the issue, the Putnam County District Library board has chosen a site near the Educational Service Center on Putnam Parkway to construct its new library.

During Tuesday's board meeting, the board authorized the director to seek a sales contract with the village for the purchase of the four acres to the west of the Educational Service Center.

The board chose the Putnam Parkway location over a four-acre site east of the Putnam Ambulatory Care Center along U.S. Route 224 in Glandorf.

Cost estimates to build a new library are at $3.2 million, not including the land or contents.

The decision to build a new site came after the current building on Thomas Street was damaged in the August 2007 flood. The estimate to repair the Thomas Street building, including mitigation efforts to prevent future flood damage, came to $3.18 million.

Meanwhile, the board is still in negotiations with the County Risk Sharing Authority, the county's insurance organization, for damage to the building. The insurance company has refused to cover the damage because it said that part of the Thomas Street building is in a flood zone and the library board did not have flood insurance on the building.

The Ohio Library Council is paying attorneys fees to fight the insurance company.

The Columbus law firm of Zorys, Sater, Seymor, Pease, LLP, has been reviewing the paperwork in the insurance dispute to try to determine if the library has insurance for the flood damage.

The board is also considering a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development loan for a new structure if the insurance company does not pay for the damage.

The board has yet to make a decision on what to do with the Thomas Street building.