By John Galluzzo
For the Renton Reporter

The Library. Our Library. The facility that can and has added so much to our community over the last several decades has become a great divide for many people here in Renton.

In the interest of full disclosure, and in order for this piece to have any value as intended, I need to state upfront that I served as the Renton Chamber of Commerce chairman in 2011 and I was very much in support of the Renton Library being moved downtown.

I was part of the panel at the League of Women Voters forum held at the downtown Renton Library and was seated next to Stuart Avery and Beth Asher who spoke on behalf of keeping the Library in its current location.  We didn’t seem to have any issue “agreeing to disagree” and we even discussed the value of the vote and the exercise for democracy in our community.  When you also consider that my wife Linda, born and raised in Renton, a graduate of Hazen High School and one who grew up using the library and one who likes it where it is, you can imagine we had several meaningful discussions about different ways to look at a Library’s many values to a community.  One point we always agreed on without question was our frustration that cities such as Issaquah and Bellevue, where the demographics are different, already have newer fully integrated libraries with KCLS.  In Renton, where diversity is the norm and part of our community’s strength, demographics are different, we need these types of libraries even more than those cities and we don’t yet have them.  Access to all of the information and technology that KCLS brings is essential.  Now, because of the mistrust that some feel about KCLS there is talk of de-annexing with KCLS. Before we do that, let’s take a collective breath and ask some basic questions. Do we really believe that as a single city we can provide the same or better type of library experience that can be delivered by KCLS?  This is an organization that specializes in libraries and has the technology, books and distribution system in place, and one which already successfully serves so many cities so well. Are we sure we want to move in this direction? If so, what funds will be available for that library?  Some on the council have stated there are not the funds for our own libraries, so where would that leave us?

Part of the problem is that the art of constructively agreeing to disagree has somewhat been lost in this discussion.  As chairman of the Renton Chamber I wrote a piece about why I thought it made good business and community sense to relocate the library.

I could not understand some of the letters I received. Some stated the “terrible dangers” of our downtown area and one suggested that the Chamber locate its new offices downtown so that I could get shot at and could see firsthand the dangers of downtown.  Really? This is the response because I have a differing opinion? By the way, we did complete the transaction and since then moved in and we have had no problems.

But the facts are simple, I was and still am in the minority. I understand that there are many more people in the Renton community that disagree with my opinion, I think about 70 percent at the last vote count. And that is why we vote.  As a community, it was decided to leave the Renton Library at its current location at the park and over the Cedar River and to retrofit or complete whatever was necessary to bring that building into the 21st century to deliver the Library experience that we all want for all of our citizens.

It’s time for all of us to set aside the hard feelings, the anger, the disappointment or whatever anyone is feeling and get back together constructively as a team and a community and get this done, and done right.  Passion is great, misdirected passion on either side can be dangerous.  My grandfather always told me as I was growing up that the only real time that people start directing their energy at individuals and not the question at hand is when they either cant construct a strong enough argument to make their point, or if they just can’t get there way, neither of those will help us get to an amicable solution for our library nor will they work for the betterment of this great Renton community.  Neither!

I believe very strongly that Renton is resilient and when the library issues are settled and it moves off of center stage we come back together as a community.  In the meantime, I do think a step back is in order for all of us to remember how lucky we are to live and work here and that the people that we have supported in the past, on many other projects, from the Mayor, the City Council and the employees who have worked very hard in support of this project also deserve a bit more respect and trust than what has been afforded.

Now it’s time to heal, and to work together constructively to complete the process.  We can do better.  Let’s put aside the differences, the rhetoric and the hard feeling and get this library moving forward.  It’s time that all us stand up and demand it from all that are involved in this process.  There are many good people on both sides.  It’s time for our new library. Let’s get it done!

John Galluzzo, Renton