GILROY
– Like to read? Well, it’s time to get writing, say city
officials.
Taking a page from the books of Morgan Hill and other cities
competing for millions in state library funding, Gilroy Mayor Tom
Springer is urging citizens to write letters supporting Gilroy’s
plans for a new and improved library here.
GILROY – Like to read? Well, it’s time to get writing, say city officials.
Taking a page from the books of Morgan Hill and other cities competing for millions in state library funding, Gilroy Mayor Tom Springer is urging citizens to write letters supporting Gilroy’s plans for a new and improved library here.
“Unfortunately, politics do sometimes enter the grant process and lobbying efforts do sometimes pay off …” Springer told the City Council Monday during a report from the city’s Library Commission. “Some grassroots lobbying efforts on our part to counteract the lobbying of our competitor cities may be needed.”
At the moment, Gilroy’s hopes for funding its planned new $18.4 million, 52,600-square-foot library hinge on an $11.4-million grant application to the state.
But to get that money, the Garlic Capital is competing with dozens of other cities across California which have also asked for a share of the $350 million in funding authorized by Proposition 14, a measure passed by state voters in 2000 that allows the state to issue bonds for library construction. Morgan Hill officials, for example, hope to land $13 million from the bond measure for their own new library.
With a decision on the grant awards delayed from this month until early December, several competing communities – including Morgan Hill – have begun letter-writing campaigns to support applications.
While the six-member California Public Library Construction and Renovation Board is theoretically supposed to make a decision on the merits of each application – and not politics – Springer said Tuesday that contacts in Sacramento have advised him it would be a good idea for Gilroy to kick off its own letter campaign as well – or at least it won’t hurt.
“I don’t want us to be at a disadvantage, and all of a sudden it’s starting to look like we would be at a disadvantage with all these (other) letter campaigns going on,” Springer said.
With little discussion or reaction from the rest of the City Council, Springer tapped Councilman and former library commissioner Bob Dillon to become the point-man on the new campaign. He also suggested the Library Commission discuss the matter.
Although some cities have started letter campaigns earlier, Springer said he doesn’t believe Gilroy is at a disadvantage.
“We’ll get a campaign going fairly well,” he said. “I just want to get us on an even keel. I don’t necessarily think we’re behind, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
Springer said the city should have a good chance at landing the grant funding it wants based on the situation laid out in its grant application. He said the city got its application in early, has committed to sharing a portion of the facility’s cost and can demonstrate solid need based on Gilroy’s population growth, ethnic diversity and age.
City officials have pointed out that the square-foot-per-person ratio at Gilroy’s circa-1975, 12,800-square-foot facility is among the worst in the county. The facility reportedly packs in nearly double the volumes it’s designed for and has had to reduce seating capacity by nearly 40 percent in recent years.
Meanwhile, the city has committed to pay for 35 percent of the new facility’s cost through local sources, including possibly up to $2 million from the county library system. The rest would come from impact fees the city has placed on new development.
Council has approved a preliminary design presented by Los Angeles architects Fields Devereaux for the two-story, expanded facility after a series of six community workshops.
“We feel on the merits we have a very good chance,” Springer said. “But we don’t want to take a chance we get blindsided from some advocacy campaign, so we want to run our own.”
City staffers are drafting a letter to reproduce and distribute in the library for users to sign, Springer said Monday.
Citizens can write to: State Librarian’s Office, Dr. Kevin Starr, State Librarian of California, Office of Library Construction, 1029 J St., Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814-2825.
