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JACKSON COUNTY Library district wants to own buildings County offers to lease them at no charge once bonds are paid Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 19, 2015 at 10:41 AM Updated Mar 19, 2015 at 10:45 AM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 19, 2015 at 10:41 AM Updated Mar 19, 2015 at 10:45 AM » Social News Negotiations over control of 15 library buildings have stirred up a testy relationship between the newly formed library district and Jackson County. “I just don’t think we had foreseen the possibility that the county wouldn’t be of the same mind-set as we are,” said Maureen Swift, a district board member with Jackson County Library Services. The library district and the county are struggling to craft a lease on the 15 branches by the end of June, and uncertainties about the future ownership of the buildings have raised concerns, Swift said. “We’re looking to create some certainty around the future of the buildings,” she said. The district wants the county to immediately transfer the buildings and property to the district, or to indicate in a lease that it would transfer the buildings once $38.9 million in bonds are paid off in about five years. The bonds were approved by voters in May 2000 to renovate or build new buildings for 14 of the branches. The library district will hold a meeting Monday to discuss the lease and transfer of the buildings and properties. Part of it will be an executive session (closed to the public) to discuss negotiations for property transactions. The meeting will begin at 8:05 a.m. in the Carpenter room of the Medford library, 205 S. Central Ave., Medford. The library district has been working to sever connections with Jackson County before its contract with the county expires  June 30. The county has offered to lease the library properties, computers, software system, materials and furnishings to the library district at no cost as long as the district provides insurance and takes care of maintenance. County Administrator Danny Jordan said the county’s bond counsel advises that the buildings and property cannot be transferred until the bonds are repaid. An earlier transfer would expose the county to potential liability and a breach of the terms of the bond, which could jeopardize the county’s standing in the credit market and its ability to obtain financing or refinancing for other bonds, Jordan said. At present, it would be difficult to figure out what assets in the libraries were purchased by bonds and what assets were purchased separately, Jordan said. Also, the county has third-party leases on some properties used by the libraries. For instance, the land under the Jacksonville library is owned by the city. Jordan said the county would run into contractual issues if it turned over the properties to the library district without resolving these conflicts. “It is preferable to keep all assets together regardless of who is managing the libraries,” he said. It will be easier to transfer all the assets to the library district once the bonds are paid off, Jordan said. “The county did indicate it is willing to agree to negotiate, in the future, the transfer once the bonds have been paid off,” Jordan said. Swift said the county’s position is that it can’t turn over the buildings to the district until 2020, but she said the library district’s attorney thinks they can be turned over sooner. “From our point of view, the taxpayers of Jackson County own them,” Swift said. “From the county’s perspective, the taxpayers have paid for them, but the county owns them.” Swift said she thought the county’s ownership of the library properties is complicated, involving various deeds and other restrictions. “There are an amazing number of different arrangements,” she said. “I appreciate that this is not straightforward.” Jill Turner, library district board president, said negotiations are underway that could resolve the differences between the county and the library district. “We need to meet as a group and decide these issues,” she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at @reporterdm .   By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 19, 2015 at 10:41 AM Updated Mar 19, 2015 at 10:45 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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