Library may boost summer hours

For the summer months, extended hours are coming to the new Columbia County Library in Evans.

This time, officials would like to have the library off North Belair Road open one hour earlier, at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

At a Monday county committee meeting, commissioners favorably forwarded on the request, which must now be approved by the full commission at its next meeting, at 2:30 p.m. July 18 at the Evans Government Center auditorium.

County Commission Chairman Ron Cross said he's experienced firsthand how there is a demand for an earlier opening during the summer months now that students are out of school.

"One day, there were 22 people at 9:30 (a.m.) waiting to get in,'' he said.

If approved by the full commission, the earlier open time would end after the summer.

Barry Smith, the county's community and leisure services director, said the effect to the county budget for the earlier opening would be $6,956.

In other action at Monday's committee meetings, commissioners gave preliminary approval for non-theatrical lighting to be added at the county's new outdoor pavilion for events that last into the night.

"This will allow us to go into the evenings,'' Smith said, adding that the cost requested is estimated at between $20,000 and $25,000.

The full commission also will take up that request for final approval at its next meeting.