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Ms. Taylor asked why the committee was not discussing a southeast branch. Ms. Bennett <br />reminded the council that the original report adopted by the council recommended a southwest <br />branch in 2002, followed by a southeast branch. Ms. Taylor wanted more branch hours and more <br />evening hours, including evening hours on weekends. She would support a May 2002 election <br />but thought a November 2002 election was preferable because people would see the new library <br />approaching completion and would be excited about that. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey said he wanted the levy on the May ballot. He had previously been concerned about <br />the cost, but he believed the library was a good value for the citizens and the council should give <br />the voters a chance to say yes for the sake of the community's children. Mayor Torrey asked the <br />committee members to work to convince the citizens of the value of its recommendations. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey solicited a second round of council questions/comments. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner said the committee discussed the timing of the election and agreed that there was a <br />nexus between the school bond measure and the library levy. November was a fallback, <br />depending on what happened in May. Mr. Meisner commended the mayor on his comments. He <br />emphasized that the campaign would not be the purview of only the committee, although some <br />would be active in the campaign and some had been working already. He said that the library levy <br />renewal had a deeply committed constituency, and the campaign would not lack adherents. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ favored a lower cost levy with fewer priority elements. He wanted the levy to pass, and <br />feared that the cost would be an issue for voters. He suggested that the voters be given time to <br />absorb the new library, and in the meantime the foundation could maintain its momentum for <br />another levy. <br /> <br />Mr. Fart wanted more hours at the library but really wanted to ensure the baseline amount needed <br />to support existing operations passed. He suggested the City could not afford some of the extras <br />recommended at this time. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson said that the council should be very clear with the public that the existing levy <br />would end and there would be a levy to replace it. She asked if the library collection was lacking <br />in specific areas that could be highlighted as part of a marketing campaign for citizens, or did the <br />library need more books in every category. Ms. Bennett said that the biggest reason the library <br />failed to meet collection standards was because the downtown library was undersized and could <br />not hold the books needed to serve a community the size of Eugene. Whenever the library put <br />something new on the shelves, it had to take something off. A new library would resolve that <br />problem. <br /> <br /> Mr. Kelly, seconded by Ms. Bettman, moved to accept the report of the <br /> Mayor's Library Improvement Committee. The motion passed unanimously, <br /> 8:0. <br /> <br /> Mr. Kelly, seconded by Ms. Bettman, moved to direct the City Manager to <br /> prepare a measure for the May 2002 ballot consisting of a renewal of the <br /> library local option levy in the amount of $4,900,000 per year, and bring the <br /> ballot measure to the council for consideration on February 25, 2002. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly reviewed the elements of the levy proposal. <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11, 2002 Page 13 <br /> State of the City <br /> <br /> <br />