By Aaron Vehling

Library funding was an issue for at least one Rush City resident Monday night.

Jeanette Monthye, the librarian at the Rush City library, went to the council meeting to share her opinion on the state of libraries in the county.

Rush City has gotten shortchanged when it comes to library support from Chisago County and the East Central Library system, she said. ìThe county treated us poorly by keeping us out of $6.7 million in funds for new libraries,î she said.

One thing that concerned Monthye was with the money set aside for library upgrades in Rush City.

There is about $450,000 set aside for the purchase and upgrade of the Rush City library, she said. But the city, which owns the library building, had the property assessed at $350,000. A after other expenses, that leaves about $50,000 for renovation. Monthye added that the city bought the property originally for $1.

ìThat ($50,000) is not enough gentlemen,î she said, adding that the city has not done more than fix the roof and paint walls in the last 18 years.

ìI am asking that you look at the building again and consider that when you start to talk about the prices of buildings.î

Monthye said the library, which is currently 3,000 square feet, needs to be expanded to at least 7,000 square feet.

ìWe are at capacity,î she said. ìWhen I get a new book I have to send another book away. This is no way for a library to operate.î

City Administrator Daniel Hoffman said the city is required by law to sell property for as much as it can.

ìWe are obliged to get a professional appraisal to determine value and we are required to get that value,î he said.

Hoffman could not offer much of a solution, but he said the city will do everything it can to pursue remodeling of the library.

Monthye thanked the council.

ìYou have done nothing but support us,î she said. ìWe have been treated poorly by East Central and the county; please donít treat us poorly too.î

Also at the meeting:
ï The water leak, which has wreaked havoc on the properties of some homes in the Rush Landing development, has been fixed.

Hoffman said it was paid for by the building contractor; but the consensus was that the council has not seen the last of this problem.
ìItís fixed, but itís not a done deal,î said councilman Mike Louzek. Hoffman said the contractor had to dig up the entire driveway at a cost of about $15,000 to fix the problem.

City engineer Bob Moberg said the issue is ìsomething weíll want to continue to monitor.î

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