August 06, 2010
Friday

I know, everyone is tired of hearing about the library, and I did take some cheap shots with my "Ten Best Reasons" letter. But there is still a lot of bad information being repeated by folks in decision making positions who should be more knowledgeable.

City residents are going to vote on whether to keep the library in the downtown area and it is always best when the voters are armed with the truth. This decision will be very costly to property owners in the whole community if we don't get it right. We should get the most library for the least cost to the taxpayer.

I have been following the new library progress for about five years now, attended meetings (when they were advertised), and even submitted a plan to extend the existing library across the creek to provide more space than is asked for now. I'm no expert, but I have done my share of research and would like to dispel some of the untruths that are being spread in rumors and letters.

The first is the baloney that the matching grant money can't be used for an addition to an existing library. Go to www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=SB0119Z&session=25. Look at Sec. 14.56.355. Library construction and major expansion matching grant program. That's right, major expansion is part of the title.

Now drop down and look under subcategory (e)(2). It says, ""major expansion" means an expansion of an existing library to increase the square footage of the structure by not less than 30 percent. "

So you now know, from the State Statutes, that if we add at least 30% floor space to the existing library, it will qualify for the matching grant program.

Till next time,

Patrick Jirschele
Ketchikan, AK

Received August 03, 2010 - Published August 06, 2010

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