Morgan Hill won
’t be building its new library with state funds since, for the
second time in a year, its $13,704,000 grant proposal was denied by
officials handing out the money. Disappointing, too, were two areas
in the city’s proposal that ranked lower than the first time
around.
Morgan Hill won’t be building its new library with state funds since, for the second time in a year, its $13,704,000 grant proposal was denied by officials handing out the money. Disappointing, too, were two areas in the city’s proposal that ranked lower than the first time around.
Voters approved $350 million in November 2000 to renovate and build libraries in deserving communities all over the state, to be distributed in three rounds. Because there is an estimated $2 billion in library needs throughout the state, competition has been fierce.
On Tuesday, the state library board gave the go-ahead to 16 applications totaling $108,157,632.
Still remaining in the pot is $91.8 million; applications for this third round are due Jan. 16, 2004.
“We will definitely be submitting,” Councilman Steve Tate said Thursday.
If all else fails and the city ends up paying for a new library without state help, the first step might come Wednesday when the council takes another look at how it spends its remaining Redevelopment Agency money. Citizens interested in having the library moved up on the list or in other RDA-supported projects are encouraged to attend.
Tate and Recreation Manager Julie Spier attended the state Library Board’s selection meeting in Sacramento on Tuesday.
Still remaining in the pot is $91.8 million; applications for this third round are due Jan. 16, 2004.
Morgan Hill – and Gilroy – both submitted grants hoping their plans would get the nod from a committee headed by state Librarian Kevin Starr. Both cities’ hopes were dashed.
Proposals were scored on the basis of need, technology plans, site and age and condition of any existing building, with the additional flavor of geographical distribution. Community and school district involvement with the library and commitment to a new library are also taken into consideration.
The Morgan Hill grant received “very good” ratings for need, age and condition of the building and for the site, but only an acceptable rating for technology, which in round one was rated very good. The site – behind City Hall and the current library – was downgraded from outstanding in the first review round.
Tate said he asked Richard Hall, Starr’s second in command, why the city’s upgraded revision scored lower. Tate said he understood from Hall’s remarks that the board was grading on a curve and had raised the bar.
The Library Commission was initially advised by a state library board official to choose a site close to major roads, visible to the main stream of traffic. The theory was that, the more people see the library, the more they will use it. The commission recommended a site in West Edmundson Avenue, since identified for an indoor recreation center. Instead, following a major gathering of civic opinion, the council chose to build a library behind the current building – in a pleasant neighborhood and close to schools – but still five blocks from a major artery.
The councilman, who has made the city’s library and its grant a personal priority, was disappointed.
“Sure I’m disappointed,” Tate said. “We did everything they told us to and we were still scored lower than in round one.”
Besides the score, the state board gives losing cities a review of their grant components to help with rewriting a proposal. Tate said Morgan Hill’s grant committee will use those comments to strengthen the round three proposal.
“We’ll figure it out.” he said.
Library Commissioners, too, were saddened, too, to learn of the results but had some hope.
“Our ranking is still in the very good section,” said Commissioner Jeanne Gregg. “But not excellent. We’re still part of the pack instead of being part of the chosen few.” She did understand why Morgan Hill came out behind.
“There is a tremendous amount of need and only a limited amount of money,” Gregg said. “In my opinion our grant writing people did a very good job of putting forth the best case they could.”
Commissioner Einar Anderson was frustrated, along with Tate, about the results of a previously weak area – technology.
”We put a lot of time and effort into this,” he said. “We reviewed exactly why we didn’t get the outstanding rating before, corrected it and put a lot of emphasis on technology areas and submitted again.”
Anderson said he thought politics might have entered into the decision even though libraries are supposed to be above such things.
“I thought this (the library world) was a non-political place,” Anderson said. “There may be politics behind that since the people voting for this are politicians. It’s hard to determine how much politics entered into it.”
Northern California cities whose grant applications were accepted include Castroville, $3,158,614; Fairfield Cordelia, $4,100,385; Pickleweed Library (San Rafael), $1,288,893; Redwood City, $10,103,707. The San Diego Public Library was the big money winner with $20 million.
The current 14,000-square-foot Morgan Hill Library, at Peak and West Main avenues, was built in 1973 when the population was about 7,000. Planned is a 40,000-square-foot building, designed to meet a Morgan Hill population of 35,000 plus the many more who live in the county or San Martin and use the facility.
BUYING A LIBRARY
Commissioner Gregg said Morgan Hill may have to find another way of paying for a new library if its third grant proposal is unsuccessful.
“Do we want a library and are we willing to work to have one?” Gregg asked. “If we want one we’ll have to pay for it, in my opinion.”
The City Council will be taking another look at ranking public projects for urgency at a workshop Wednesday. It is possible that council might decide to rearrange the priorities which now include committing Redevelopment Agency money to an indoor recreation center before a library. That could change.
“Everything’s a possibility now, except for the aquatic center,” said Councilman Larry Carr. The aquatic center’s three pools are already under construction, making it difficult to turn back, he said. “Funding and location, as well, (of the library and recreation center) are all on the table.”
Gregg said the community might also be willing – if the need was clear enough – to approve a bond issue to build the library, since it is almost the only facility in town used by almost everyone at some time. The library is often crowded and over capacity.
“I was there on Tuesday when there was over an hour-long line waiting for the computer,” Gregg said. “When the economy goes down, library usage goes up.”
Even without a bond issue for Morgan Hill voters will be asked in March 2004 to approve an increase in the county-wide assessment that operations libraries. The current assessment of $33.66 per parcel, sunsets in 2005 and the county library system has been surveying voters to see what they would be willing to approve for the next increment.
Tate said it looks as if
“Voters will be asked to approve $42 per parcel for only seven years without any escalator,” Tate said.
Gregg said the $33.66 assessment paid 40 percent of library operating costs when it was approved in 1995.
“That amount now covers only 24 percent of costs,” she said. It will worsen if Gov.-to-be Schwarzenegger is successful in repealing the Vehicle License Tax, as he said he would do.
“The Joint Powers Authority (that operates the Santa Clara County Library System) will lose $1 million if that happens,” Gregg said. “We will see cuts in hours if the VLF is repealed,” she predicted.
The public is invited to attend and contribute to the priority setting workshop at 5 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 5, in City Council Chambers, 17555 Peak Ave. Details: 779-7271. Council members can also be contacted by e-mail at www.morgan-hill.ca.gov/
