Q. Where Does the Rubber Meet the Road?

 Answer: At the library. In fact, last night at a Joint Library Board and City Council meeting. The meeting finally got quite specific about the sites—there seem to be only two under serious condition— behind Cheryl’s and across from the Riverview Park. The latter, most preferred by the community, is the  more expensive of the two because it entails acquiring three parcels of property and demolishing 2 houses. The city already owns the first, but it is also being eyed as a parking lot.

Toward the end of the meeting, exasperated Head Librarian Melissa Kane said, “We have been doing studies and talking about building a new library for 30 years.”

Long-time Library Board member CeAnn Brickley expressed similar sentiment, as did the newest board member Marie Thomas.

At the end of the meeting, both Councilmen Andy Kelchen and Riley Rausch expressed reservations. “What scares me,” said Kelchen “is the money.”  In so many words Rausch concurred.

          City Administrator Lisa Kotter gave a very informative thumbnail explanation of the difference between “general obligation” and “revenue” bonds.  For revenue bonds a city pays lower interest and can borrow a larger amount because it is offset by monthly payments—water, sewer, etc. Streets, pools and public libraries are financed by general obligation bonds.

Serious money going to have to be borrowed to build a library and the city, and I have the same reservations as Kelchen and Rausch, but I truly believe if we weren’t giving millionaires free streets, passing out so much TIF money, it wouldn’t be such an issue.