Reaching an accord
Library board still pondering options for facility agreement
By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Monday, February 2, 2009 10:19 AM PST
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| Ontario Public Library head librarian Darlyne Johnson stands near city documents stored in the library’s basement. She said part of current negotiations with the City of Ontario regarding the library district’s current transition period is what will happen to these documents. Johnson said she hopes to keep the city files stored in the library in exchange for the city allowing the bookmobile to remain at the city shop. |
Ontario — Though talks are currently underway between the city and the newly-formed Ontario Public Library Board regarding how much, if anything, the city should charge the library for use of the facility, county officials have also made their voices heard on the issue.
“Our taxpayers stepped up to solve a problem and demonstrated a community mindshare to financially support library services,” a letter submitted to the city by Judge Dan Joyce and commissioners Louis M. Wettstein and Jim Nakano stated. “These services deserve as much funding as possible from the voter-approved tax base.”
However, Ontario City Councilman Norm Crume said he believed the city was on the right path in an interview after a City Council workshop Thursday afternoon.
“I think that it is in the best interest of the city,” he said of a $5,000 per month rental fee the city wants to issue.
Ontario City Councilman John Gaskill expressed a different viewpoint, however. Gaskill said he believed the first year would be a hard one for the library district and the city should not charge anything for use of the building for that first year. This period would allow the library district to figure out where it stands financially before being charged rent for the city-owned building.
At a special meeting Jan. 22, the council decided to create a contract to charge the library $5,000 for use of the building and agreed to pay half of the cost for replacing the elevator in the facility and the heating and cooling systems should the need arise. This rental agreement would last 10 years if approved by the library board and is slated to be reviewed every eight years. Ontario City Councilman David Sullivan said he believed a portion of the rent money could be placed into a fund that would help to pay for replacing the elevator or heating and cooling systems.
The library district board has the ability to either accept or reject this offer.
Before a library board meeting Jan. 27, Ontario Public Library Board Chair DonnaClaire Blankinship said she did not believe an article published in the Argus Observer should have contained information about rental discussions. She said many patrons have visited the library concerned about its future, and she did not feel such articles needed to be written because of how it made those patrons feel.
The Ontario City Council special session in question was an open one, however. At the council’s work session Jan. 15, Ontario City Attorney Larry Sullivan said the meeting could not take place entirely in executive session because more options were being discussed besides just selling the library building. According to Oregon law, a governing body may go into executive session to deliberate with persons designated by the governing body to negotiate real property transactions.
Blankinship said, however, she did not care whether the session was open or not. She said she would have preferred the meeting not be covered because of how emotional the situation was.
Though three of the five Ontario Public Library District Board members were present at the Jan. 27 meeting, Blankinship said it was not a “real meeting,” and the members would simply be discussing their options in regards to the library building.
“No decisions will be made,” she said.
She said the issue would further be discussed at the board’s next meeting Wednesday.
Another topic to be considered is what will become of the city’s files that are currently tucked away in the library’s basement, surrounded by large metal cages. Librarian Darlyne Johnson said the issue is part of talks about the library’s future storage issues.
“We’re trying to negotiate with them because our bookmobile is over at the city shop,” she said.
Johnson said she hopes to keep the city files stored in the library in exchange for the city allowing the bookmobile to remain at the city shop.
Other options for the building discussed at the council’s special session
—The city could opt to give the building to the library district.
—The city could sell the building to the library district.
—The city could enter into a lease-to-own contract with the library district.
—The city could continue with its plan to rent the building to the library district at a cost of $5,000 a month.
Larry wrote on Feb 6, 2009 9:31 PM: