THOUSAND OAKS : Council OKs Budget for Work on Library
With virtually no discussion, the Thousand Oaks City Council agreed to spend up to $515,000 to repair the main library’s quake-damaged roof and clean out potentially dangerous mold spores discovered last month.
Construction crews working to rebuild the library on Janss Road were overcome by the spores on Sept. 11, delaying the long-awaited reopening of the branch for months.
Since then, analysts have been conducting tests to determine whether the spores are a health risk. Results so far have been inconclusive.
The work plan approved late Tuesday calls for contractors to remove drywall and contaminated particles elsewhere that inspectors suspect forced workers from the building. They also will improve the building’s roof and drainage system.
Library officials moved about 290,000 books to a temporary facility on Willow Road after the Jan. 17, 1994, earthquake damaged the library.
The main branch was to have reopened in February, but the date has been pushed back to August because of the mold, which investigators said was probably caused by sprinkler damage after the earthquake.
City Manager Grant Brimhall expects the $515,000 to be reimbursed by federal emergency funds or an anticipated insurance settlement.
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