Sustainable Nederland Community Library

In November 2009, Nederland voters passed ballot measures 5a/5b to fund construction and operations of a new Nederland Community Library, which will be a valuable community asset. But an aggressive construction schedule is limiting community input. You only get to build a new building once, after that, many opportunities to integrate energy-efficiency and renewable energy measures are lost forever. We believe that sufficient time and greater community involvement should be allowed by the Library Board in the design and construction process, and schedule, to carefully consider the integration of renewable energy features such as Solar-Thermal, Geothermal, and Solar Photovoltaics, and that Grant funding for these options be aggressively pursued, and that a Public Purchase Agreement (PPA) for financing these renewable energy options be given serious consideration, and sufficient time and flexibility to succeed. We, the undersigned, believe that our community should demonstrate environmental leadership by achieving a sustainable Nederland Community Library facility, with greater commitment to energy-efficiency and renewable energy measures than is now planned.