Dolores library may move after mill

Dolores library may move after mill-levy failure

Jan. 12, 2002

By Janelle Holden
Journal Staff Writer

A move may be in the cards for the Dolores library if the town board refuses to back another vote on its expansion.

Shawna Valdez, the chairperson of the Dolores Library District Board, said the library will ask the town board at its meeting on Monday night to help decide its future.

The library is currently considering three options: continuing with its original plans for expansion and asking the voters to reconsider a 1.8-mill-levy increase this November; scaling the planned expansion down and staying in the town hall, or moving the library.

The question failed by only 15 votes in November. Valdez said confusion among the voters about the mail-in ballot was a factor, but told the town board at Monday night’s workshop that it was also because several town-board members campaigned against it.

"I campaigned against it as a business owner, not as a town-board member," explained Tazewell Vass.

Last summer the town board unanimously voted to donate $100,000 to the project if it passed.

If the measure had passed, the town hall would have gained 2,130 square feet, including a meeting room, office space, a conference and lunch room, and storage space. The expansion would have more than doubled the current library space as well.

Another reason for bringing the matter up again in 2002 is because of a time limit on a $300,000 state energy-impact grant given to the district for the joint expansion.

"It was a joint project — they (the town) co-wrote the grant with us," said Valdez. "If they pull out of it, there is still a chance that we can go back to the state and say, ‘Well, a third of the project is gone, can we still have two-thirds of the money?’"

That may happen, because at last Monday’s board workshop several board members argued that the town didn’t have enough money to support the project and voters have already "spoken" on the matter.

"As we all know we had an election, it didn’t pass, the people spoke, that’s the American way, I’m sorry to say — no actually, I’m glad to say," said board member Tim Webster.

"And I agree, to some point, but I don’t think 15 votes, less than 1 percent, is the people speaking," argued Valdez.

Board members Vass and Val Truelsen said they thought the town should vote separately on the issue, since the district includes many voters outside of the town limits.

"We did not represent the town in the last election. The town should have its own election and if the town votes yes, then the library district can vote yes or no," said Vass.

With sales-tax revenues falling, and sewer and water projects in the works, the board said the town may not be able to commit any money to the project this year. Some board members were also hesitant to commit the $100,000 again because they think the project is too big and expensive for taxpayers.

"At that time (last summer) we had a lot more money coming in than we do now. We don’t have the same money this year as we did last year," explained Mayor Pro Tem Richard Teel.

Valdez said the library board was "treated horribly" on Monday by the town-board members, two of whom served on a four-person expansion committee between the library and the board.

"We were really shocked Monday night by the way we were treated," said Valdez.

"We can’t really do anything without their support because we’re in their building. I mean, they own the building, so we can’t really can’t cut our throats by saying we’re only going to go with the original project, and we’re only going to go with $100,000. We’re just asking what they want to see us proceed with," she explained.

But it will be hard to go it alone, she said.

"If they pull all of their financial support it’s going to really put us in a bind."