Committee OKs early library hours

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

This time, county 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, the commission favorably forwarded on the request, which must 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 first hand how there is a demand for an earlier open during the summer months now that pupils 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 hours would end after the summer months. 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, the commission gave preliminary approval for nontheatrical 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.