With Proposition 81’s failure, council will discuss ways to
spend money earmarked for the new library
Gilroy – The idea to build a brand new library has been shelved and left to collect dust like an old forgotten book.
In June, 54 percent of California’s voters rejected Proposition 81, a $600-million statewide bond initiative that would have financed hundreds of new libraries across the state, and was Gilroy’s best chance at a new library. Since a new library is out of the question, the city council will be figuring out what it will do with the freed up $7 million that was earmarked for a library if the proposition had passed.
“I think we need to go back to the drawing board and see what we can do with the existing facility,” said council member Craig Gartman. “We should be able to build a heck of a building right next to the existing one with $7 million.”
The existing library at Sixth and Rosanna streets currently serves about 1,000 people a day and contains 130,000 books, videos and other materials – about double the amount it was built to hold.
Council members said Friday’s policy summit would be a good time to determine how to spend the $7 million.
The summit will also allow council members to talk openly about such topics as affordable housing and downtown revitalization.
Some council members mentioned the money could go toward something besides the library.
Councilman Russ Valiquette said there is a plethora of ideas being thrown around and that he wants to hear what others might want to do with the money. An idea he had was to use the money to fix sidewalks around the city.
City Administrator Jay Baksa also said the money could help other needs the city has.
“The library issue needs to be brought up in the context of the other issues we have,” Baksa said. Some of those other issues he said include such things as fixing sidewalks, storm drains and road and alley construction.
An idea that Gartman has is to move the library to the historic Strand Theatre building on Fourth and Monterey streets, which was once home to a music hall and restaurant. He said it would help revitalize downtown by bringing in a lot of people to the area.
No matter what the city council chooses, Baksa said, they are going to have to get down to the core of the issue, which is the cost of any choice they make.
It is not just the city council that has an opinion how the money should be spent; some Gilroyans have their own ideas.
“I really enjoy taking the girls to the library because … it’s educational and it’s family time. So I’d like to see them investing in this library,” said Samantha Fox, who was at the library with her two daughters. Fox said she would like to see the library modernize by buying more computers and adding books with different subjects.
Gilroyan, Veronica Ott, said she would like to have the library expanded to give more space to visitors and for more materials. That thought went over well with her two children, 12-year-old Corinna who wants more hardcover books and 8-year-old Dominick who wants to read more comic books.
Eighty-seven year old, Madri, who only goes by the one name, sat in a chair waiting for a computer to become available. She said she visits the library just about everyday and would like to see the money used to expand the library.
“This library gets a lot of use,” Madri said. “When I came in today there were 35 people waiting for the computers.”
Santa Clara County Librarian Melinda Cervantes said the library wants to work closely with the city to come up with solutions of how to use the money.
She said the library is aging and needs work, which would include building additional space.
“We would hope to use these funds they have set aside to use for the library,” Cervantes said, adding that some library staff members may attend the policy summit. “We’re hopeful that the city council will make the library a priority.”
The discussion will take place from 8am to 5pm Friday in the meeting room at the city’s corporation yard, 614 Old Gilroy St.
