West Richland library agreement approved

West Richland residents will get to vote on whether they want an improved library after an agreement was approved by the city council this week.

The 5-1 decision at a special Tuesday meeting OKs an extension of the city’s agreement with Mid-Columbia Libraries through 2018, but West Richland residents will vote next year on whether to extend the deal into 2021. Ballot approval would also authorize a 1 percent tax on electric bills that would pay for renovations at the library at 3803 W. Van Giesen St. that would expand it by 20 percent.

Councilman Ron Hayden, the only council member to vote against the agreement, said Wednesday that he was disappointed the council did not wait until its next regularly-scheduled meeting to consider the deal, which was approved Oct. 20 by the library district’s board. He also criticized Mayor Brent Gerry for not having any town hall meetings on the city’s options, even though he said previously that he would.

“I’d like to have another week just to review the information,” Hayden told the Herald. “I don’t really feel like I had enough time to digest the information that was put forward.”

The public was involved in putting together a report by Ruth Metz Associates on West Richland’s options for a library and people also spoke at council meetings, Gerry said. He admits to saying during Metz’s presentation to the council that the city would have a public meeting, if needed, but found one wasn’t necessary because residents were overwhelmingly in favor of going with Mid-Columbia Libraries.

“It was very apparent at the presentation that the citizens were very adamant about Mid-Columbia Libraries,” Gerry said. “Why go through all other unnecessary processes when it’s evident our citizens are happy with Mid-Columbia Libraries?”

West Richland went into negotiations with the library district after the report was released, choosing it over possibly contracting with Richland’s library or going with an outside provider, Gerry said.

Hayden wanted to stay with Mid-Columbia Libraries, but said he was happy with the services the city now has. He questioned why the tax increase was needed to provide more services.

“We’ve had this on our radar for a year,” Hayden said. “All the feedback we’ve received is that the service level we have is adequate.”

But the city soon will be unable to pay for the existing services without a tax increase, Gerry said. Money for the current utility tax on phone bills is drying up because people are moving away from land-line phones, while the library district has increased fees because of rising property values. Mid-Columbia Libraries is also adding a librarian with a master of library and information science degree in West Richland and will expand hours to Sunday, regardless of whether the tax passes.

Gerry and city staff worked to get the most they could for the amount the city is paying, he said. West Richland is not part of the library district but contracts with the agency for $376,000 a year, which is based on what member communities pay in property taxes. Benton County pays another $119,000.

“They seem to think it’s going to cost us more money, it’s not,” Gerry said. “It didn’t matter if we have the services today or the better services MCL has offered. It’s going to be the same amount of money.”

West Richland asked Mid-Columbia to lower what it charges the city and to pay for maintenance and capital costs at the city owned library building, but the district declined since it does not do that for its other contract cities, said Jessica Platt, West Richland finance director.

When Hayden asked Tuesday to push back a decision, Gerry responded that he had a week to talk to staff about it but didn’t. Hayden called Gerry’s reaction unprecedented.

“It was very condescending and very rude,” Hayden said.

Hayden had an opportunity to move that the item be tabled, but didn’t do so, Gerry said.

“I responded to his questions, and if he didn’t like the answers, that’s out of my control,” he said.

This story was originally published October 28, 2015 at 6:24 PM with the headline "West Richland library agreement approved."