Library district board stands its ground
By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Thursday, February 12, 2009 10:37 AM PST
Ontario — The newly-formed Ontario Public Library District Board met with three city officials at its meeting Wednesday night to discuss the future of the library building — armed this time with a letter from the state librarian who said he believes the city should lease the library for a nominal sum.
“It would be unprecedented for the city to obtain a source of new revenue by leasing the library building it owns to the new library district,” State Librarian Jim Scheppke said in a letter to Ontario Library District Board Donnaclaire Blankinship.
Sheppke also wrote since Oregon’s library district laws were passed in 1981, the state library has seen 24 library districts formed throughout the state.
“In every case where the responsibility for providing public library services was transferred from a city or county to a library district, the city or county has always been willing to give their library building and collection to the new district, without compensation,” he continued.
He also pointed to the situation of the Chetco Library District in Brookings, where the city of Brookings chose to lease the library building to the new district for $1 a year for 5 years and then deeded over the building when that period was over.
Sheppke also reiterated information that has been brought up in previous City Council meetings as well as library board meetings—that the library building cannot function as anything else but a library after the city placed a $180,000 grant application for Federal Library Services and Construction Act funds in December 1966.
The money, which totaled 45 percent of the cost of the $400,000 project, was given with an assurance from the city of Ontario it would be used to construct a facility that will continue to be devoted to public library purposes until such time as it is replaced by a new facility.
Blankinship referred to the Malheur County/ City of Ontario library board, which functions as an advisory board to the city, about its recommendation regarding the building.
Malheur County/ City of Ontario Library Board trustee Michael Jones said he supported the state librarian’s opinion.
He said it is up to the city to stand up to its contractual agreement.
Malheur County/ City of Ontario Library Board trustee Donald Oakes made the motion to present the letter, which carried. The Ontario Public Library District Board then selected Malheur County/ City of Ontario Library Board trustee Paul Erlebach to present this letter to the council along with the Malheur County/ City of Ontario Board’s recommendation.
Ontario Mayor Joe Dominick said at the meeting Erlebach would be presenting the information at the Ontario City Council workshop Thursday afternoon.
After the Malheur County/ City of Ontario Library Board adjourned, Blankinship began the next meeting, this one for the newly-formed Ontario Public Library District Board. Blankinship appointed Gary Oates, business manager of the Nyssa School District, Erlebach, Ontario Public Library District Board member Sharon Jones and herself to be on the budget committee.
She also appointed Ontario Public Library District Board member Amy Couture and Ontario Public Library District Board member Joseph DeBudge to the bylaw committee.
The board also rejected the city’s offer to pay the $2,231.92 bill for county election services. At the board’s last meeting, Ontario City Manager Henry Lawrence offered to pay the bill as a city expense.
“We do appreciate the offer,” Blankinship said.
However, she said the Friends of the Library had agreed to pay the bill instead.
The boards will reconvene at 5:30 p.m. March 3 in the library meeting room.
saved for the mayor wrote on Feb 21, 2009 7:09 PM: