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Ashland council may decide on library bond next Tuesday By DANI DODGE ASHLAND -- The City Council will review a new library design next week and decide whether to put a general obligation bond on the ballot to pay the $6.2 million price tag. The design for the 23,764-square-foot building was approved by the Library Improvement Committee Tuesday. It would create an additional building attached to the current Carnegie Library on Siskiyou Boulevard. The $6.2 million cost is $1.4 million less than a design that was rejected by the council in March because of its size and cost. Next meeting What : The Ashland City Council will consider the design of a new library, possibly deciding whether to put a $6.2 bond measure on the ballot. (The designs will be on display in the council chambers beginning at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday). The council also will vote on a 1999-2000 budget. When : 7 p.m. Tuesday Where : Ashland Civic Center "I think that the architects fulfilled the obligation the City Council set for them -- they reduced the size of the building and the cost of the bond," said Barbara Ryberg, president of the Friends of the Library and a member of the committee. "And it's a beautiful design." If the new design is approved, the council will decide whether to place a bond measure on the November ballot. A $6.2 million general obligation bond would mean an assessment of nearly 48 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. For a $100,000 home, the cost would be $47.74 a year in property taxes. The county also plans to place a library bond measure on the ballot in 2000 for new and remodeled libraries. If the Ashland bond measure is successful, and the countywide bond measure also is successful, the Ashland bond could fold into the county bond -- and Ashland residents would pay less. The City Council rejected a larger $7.6 million version of the library in March. The plan was designed to serve a population base of 32,000 people in 2025, a population projection devised by the county. The 29,000-square-foot building required acquisition of additional private land. The latest version, though, was based on the city's smaller population projections for 2025 -- which estimates 26,654 people. It also factors out a portion of the Southern Oregon University population that would use the university library. No additional land would be needed. Another controversy regarding the library surfaced at the May 18 city council meeting when Councilman David Fine questioned the timing of the decision on the general obligation bond. He said having the public hearing on the project and a vote on the bond the same day wouldn't give the public enough opportunity to review the plan. But Mayor Cathy Shaw and Councilman Steve Hauck argued that it was important to leave the general obligation bond vote on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting. They argued an election is the ultimate mode for public participation. Shaw said a key member of the Friends of the Ashland Library Committee was going to Europe and it was necessary to let her know the council's intent before her departure. Ryberg said Wednesday while she is scheduled to go to Europe, the importance of understanding the council's direction in a timely manner is based on the need to finalize design work and start raising money. Fine said Wednesday he still believes it's important for the public to have a chance to review the project before the council votes. "It's my firm and unalterable position that the interest of the public in this $6 million building far outweighs Barbara's peace of mind as she flies to Europe," Fine said. "Someone has their priorities screwed up, and in my opinion it's the mayor." The mayor could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Fine said that while he supports the project, he's still concerned about the price. He said it would cost more per square foot than average for public buildings. "The concept looks interesting," he said, "but I would love to have opportunity for a public discussion especially because it's a gold-plated library." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA