County votes 3-2 for libraries

By MaryHelen Swanson
For patrons of the library in Chisago County, in the near future, there will be three new library buildings to satisfy your literacy needs.
The Chisago County commissioners, on a 3-2 vote, decided Wednesday night, Sept. 3, to proceed with bonding to build a new library in Wyoming and replace the buildings in North Branch and the Lindstrom area.
The bonds would be sold in the amount of $6.5 million to construct a 14,000 sq. ft. facility in North Branch, a 10,000 sq. ft. facility in Wyoming and a 12,000 sq. ft. facility in the Chisago Lakes area.
According to financial consultant Carolyn Drude, there will be additional financial costs ranging anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000.
The taxpayers of Chisago County, with the exception of those in Taylors Falls which has its own library, will pick up the costs.
Under the adopted resolution, county staff will be required to work with each proposed location to acquire necessary land, to provide the necessary architectural services for each project and to help the localities solicit input and volunteers to work with the architects.
According to the plan set forth in the adopted resolution, Chisago County will construct and own the library buildings.
The East Central Regional Library system will provide books, staff and library services and the host cities will provide land and maintenance of the buildings.
It was also included that the county would enter into talks with the city of Rush City to purchase its library building at the appraised market value.
Additionally, the commissioners are to encourage support from future county boards to build or expand the Rush City library when it is determined by the ECRL system that it is necessary.
With a board room full of people, and many in the hall outside the doors on hand for the meeting, the commissioners jumped right in on the library issue with Commissioner Rick Olseen presenting a third draft of a proposed resolution to the bonding for the library buildings.
Commissioner Lora Walker seconded Olseenís motion and the discussion began.
Commissioner Mike Robinson, one of the two dissenting votes on the proposal, said he didnít think the proposal was a good idea.
He said when negotiating with county employees, the employees were told the county was broke. He said this would be like a slap in the face to the employees.
ìIt looks like they were deceived and lied to...î he said.
Robinson also said there would be people in his district who will be paying for the three new libraries, some who will be 24 miles from the nearest new library facility.
He noted that people in Wyoming have complained about having to go four miles to the Forest Lake library and asked if that was fair to his people.
He said Rush City has done a good job of running its library and noted that both North Branch and Lindstrom have built new liquor stores recently. He even suggested the two cities switch buildings - library and liquor store.
Robinson also noted that he had moved to put the library question to the voters in a referendum. He said if there was so much backing for the new libraries, the referendum should pass with flying colors.
He also noted that the taxpayers would be paying over $1 million per year for the next 20 years for libraries (bond payment plus the regular library allotment) and that the 2004 preliminary budget had zero dollars for road improvements.
He said for years people in his district have been treated as second class citizens, noting that there are some 80 miles of unpaved roads in his and Commissioners Olseenís districts.
Once again, Robinson said, the money will be heading down south.
Commissioner Gustafson, the other dissenting vote, wanted to know the financial costs. He said he didnít think $6.5 million would cover all the costs including the purchase of the Rush City library building and wanted to see the appraised value before voting on the bond issue.
He also presented a draft resolution calling for new library buildings smaller in size than the Olseen proposal.
Gustafsonís proposal was for $4.5 million.
In a brief report on the budgeting process for 2004, Walker, a member of the countyís budget committee, said things were looking good.
She said employees would not be losing their cost of living increases and that it looks as if the (gross) levy increase would be about 10 percent next year.
She pointed out that it had been 16 percent two years ago and just under 10 percent this year.
Olseen explained that his proposal was for $6.5 million so the cities would not have to bond also for the additional money as put forth in the original proposal early in July.
He, along with others at the meeting, said it was more fair to spread the costs out to all the taxpayers of the county.
Commissioner Robinson said it would not be fair for the people in the Rush City area.
Chairman Ben Montzka concluded the discussion by calling for the vote on Olseenís draft. By roll call, the vote was 3-2 with Robinson and Gustafson opposing.
Robinson, whose agenda item on a referendum had been tabled from the previous meeting, then proceeded to move to have the library proposal placed in a referendum. Gustafson seconded the motion.
ìI just think itís the right thing to do in this situation,î Robinson said.
Gustafson also said the public has a right to vote, adding that it is not an emergency situation, that it is a ìhugeî bond and that it is a bad year for finances.
Itís ìfittingî he said, that the public has something to say.
Commissioner Walker was concerned with the costs of an election noting that the county auditor had indicated a special election would cost $30,000.
She noted that numerous municipalities and even school districts had supported the Olseen proposal.
Responding, Gustafson said the cost of an election would be ìchump changeî compared to the decision the board had just made.
He also said he believed the North Branch School District would have trouble passing its levy referendum in light of what the board just decided.
A vote, by roll call, to put the question to the public, failed 3-2 with Olseen, Walker and Montzka voting against.
Montzka said he had five reasons for not voting for a referendum, but said at this point said they were not germane so he would not give them.
Earlier this week, Montzka told the Post Review his five reasons were: 1) the county operates as a representational democracy, 2) it could mean a delay in providing library services which have been determined by task forces, studies and the county board to be an important service, 3) since the $30,000 estimated cost of a special election would come out of the funds subject to the levy limit, it could mean the loss of one employee, 4) the cost of libraries will increase if the county delays the projects and 5) the effort and expenses by community activists and volunteers expended and incurred in a referendum could be applied to other non-profit efforts in the communities.
During the public comment period of the meeting, which followed the library decision, many stood in praise of the board for its action.
Applause, which is not normally allowed, was accepted.
But Erin Waters of Rush City said she was disappointed, that the timing was all wrong for the library proposal. She said Chisago County is taxing people out of their homes.
Rush City Mayor Mike Skalsky said purchasing the Rush City library building with part of the bond money made sense. He said it would assure quality service now and in the future.
Jim Ertz, chairman of the county EDA-HRA and former mayor of Rush City, said the people in Rush City are taking a beating. He said he, as a realtor, sold property along County Road 7 with assurances that the road would be improved. That was in the early 90s, he said, and it hasnít been done.
He said he has to stick up for the people (in Rush City) and that there could have been a more fair and fiscal way to do this, that it didnít need to be fast-tracked.
Library proponents, however, many who have been working on library task forces for several years, disagreed with the fast-tracking accusations.
Keith Carlson of the city of Lindstrom said there will be second guessing about the decision, but he said itís time to come forward and do something.
Curt Flug of Lindstrom said the library issue was long overdue and that he hoped that the roads in Rush City get addressed.

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