Facing complaints about moving the downtown library from over the Cedar River to near the Renton Transit Center, the City Council will get a briefing on the library Monday night.
The public won’t get a chance to comment at the council’s Committee of the Whole meeting, which is a work session starting at 5 p.m. However, the public can comment during the public comment periods during the council’s regular meeting that follows at 7 p.m.]
The City Council at its regular meeting will receive a report on a bond measure of roughly $18 million to pay for construction of two libraries. The council is expected to refer the matter to its Finance Committee.
The Committee of the Whole meeting is in the council’s chambers, seventh floor, City Hall, 1055 Grady Way S.
The council heard from several speakers meeting Monday night who voiced objections to the library’s move.
“We would be excising a treasure if we allow this to proceed,” said Shelby Smith of Renton.
Much of the concern about the library move has centered on its iconic location over the Cedar River and near Liberty Park where families would often go after a stop at the library.
Questions also were raised about financing library construction, which will fall on Renton taxpayers through the sale of bonds authorized by the City Council. The total is roughly $18 million to cover construction, design and other needs.
The city would use the roughly $2 million once used to support the city-run libraries before voters approved annexation to the King County Library System in 2010.
Renton property owners are now paying taxes to support KCLS, leading some to say that residents are being taxed twice for library services.
As far as building new libraries, voters with KCLS approved in 2004 a major bond measure to build new libraries. Renton wasn’t part of the system then and now must go it alone to build the new libraries.
In an interview, Alex Pietsch, the administrator of the Department of Community and Economic Development, said city staff will review the decisions that have been made regarding the city’s two libraries.
The city also is planning to replace the Highlands library, likely as part of the redevelopment of the Sunset Terrace public housing complex owned by the Renton Housing Authority. So far, mostly support has been expressed for that plan.
Pietsch said that all along the plan has been to use the money formerly used to run the city library system for construction of new libraries. The City Council has the authority to issue those bonds, without a vote of the people.
