The council and mayor had a two-and-a-half hour meeting yesterday to discuss future options and opportunities for our library system.

While we don’t have a lot of money to throw around right now, we recognize that we need to create a long-term plan very soon for two reasons:

(1) Our current downtown library and highlands library are both getting lots of use, and have not seen major updates in decades. Meanwhile, our infill population has been growing fast (in places like the Landing), and we have annexed many new neighborhoods like Benson Hill. Furthermore, a rough economy historically increases library use.

(2) Perhaps even more pressing (planning wise), we are seeing incorporation drives in Fairwood and on the West Hill. Both of these areas currently get library service from the King County Library System. Furthermore, both of the areas are actually paying extra taxes, on voter approved bonds, for the King County Library System to remodel and update the libraries in their areas (Fairwood and Skyway). Residents in both areas are asking what annexation would mean to their future libaray service, and we would like to know the answer to the question.

So, with these pressures in mind, we looked at volumes of data yesterday, including citizen suggestions, a consultants study, staff recommendations, a library board recommendation, and many other items, and had a rip-roaring talk about what we want to do with our libraries.

After hours of discussion, we arrived at four basic options (some council members would say it was three, with two variants on one option, but I will call it four options.)

Option A: Do nothing.

Keep buying some new books each year, and maintaining existing buildings, out of our general fund for a cost of about 18 cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. ($18 per year per $100,000 of assessed valuation). With this option, residents can continue to use King County libraries under a reciprocal agreement (which my lovely wife Cathy helped put in place while she was on Library Board…yay!). The reciprocal agreement requires a fee to King County, to keep things fair, which amounts to about $250,000 per year–also paid out of general fund.

All 82,000 residents of Renton get a Renton library card and are eligible to receive free King County Library cards.

Option B: Remodel existing downtown and highlands libraries, with burst of new books and new equipment

This option includes the elements of Option A, but would ask voters to additionally approve a bond for significant updating of the buildings and equipment in both libraries, as well as a one-time burst of new books for both facilities. The bond value and total work scope could be further refined, but I estimate that a bond of 5 to 10 cents per thousand (five to ten dollars for $100,000 of home value), for ten years, would give us a pretty nice remodel.

Option C: Build larger, new-generation Renton Libraries under our own Renton Library system (while maintaining a reciprocal agreement)

We would build all-new buildings in downtown and the highlands, to house a significantly expanded book collection, other new print materials, and technology. The buildings would also include other elements requested by citizens such as meeting rooms, class rooms, coffee bars, etc.

With our growing population, the downtown library could be roughly the size of the Bellevue King County Library (the largest branch of the king County System).

This option would cost us the existing $18 per $100,000 asseses valuation that we currently pay for library service, plus an additional $21 per $100,000 for the capital expenses of building, plus an additional $17 per $100,000 for the extra staff and maintenance costs of the larger libraries, for a total of $56 per $100,000 in home value.

Hence, if you live in a $300,000 house, your total library cost would be $168 per year; $54 of which is already coming out of our general fund (you wouldn’t see a change in this part); plus a bond that costs $63 per year for 20 years for the new buildings; plus an operations levy of $51 per year to cover the additional new service.

Put another way, this option would cost you $114 more per year, until the new-building bonds were paid off–at which time the increase would drop to $51 more per year than today. (In today’s dollars)

Option D: Build a new downtown library, and join the King County Library System

In this option, we would work with King County to get agreement that we would build a new library downtown, probably close the highlands branch (which is only 6800 square feet and not big enough for them to efficiently manage), and then join the King County Library System to manage our library. All residents in the city would be assessed the $39 per $100,000 fee that King County charges for library service. Hence, the owner of a $300,000 home would pay $107 per year for operation of the library under this plan.

The new library would most likely have to be paid for by our residents, to “buy into” the King County System. We feel we could devote the current $18 dollars per $100,000 we have budgeted for library in our general fund for this purpose, so the new library bonds would be taken care of by our exisiting budget.

Hence, this option is almost the exact same cost as Option C. It integrates us fully with the King County library, but gets us a slightly smaller library downtown and probably eliminates the branch in the highlands. On the plus side, it makes it simple to understand our relationship with KCLS–we are one and the same, which makes annexations easier. On the negative side, we are stuck with whatever cost increases KCLS might pass along in the future, and we can not be as personal about our choices of services, books, and policies.

As a final note, we would work hard with this option to ensure that our personnel would get picked up by King County, so that we could enjoy familiar faces at the library and our employees would be taken care of.

COUNCIL DISCUSSED all these options and more, and considered all facets of each option; questions like what about existing library bonds in Fairwood and Skyway (residents still have to pay them…about $20 per year on a $300,000 house), what about King County’s shortfalls in revenues, what would be the timing and priority, etc.)

In the end, just about everyone of us flip-flopped back and forth on whether we should remain independant, or join King County. Data shows that you, the residents, have very mixed feelings about this as well. Many of you like the larger print collection of the Renton system, and the shorter wait times, but many of you also like the expansive collection of the total King County System. Then there is the argument that the reciprocal agreement can give us both…at least as long as it can be kept in place, and nothing seems to be threatening to change it.

The Library board and staff have both looked at this puzzle already, and both gave the recommendation to remaining independent…but with a deep understanding of those who want to join King County.

I have to say that at the time of this writing I am leaning towards remaining independent, and starting to do the early planning on two new buildings to be brought forward for citizen vote when the economy improves. But that is how I feel tonight.

My wife Cathy will be getting all this info for the first time when she reads this blog. She has been asking me for the data, but I said it was too complicated to explain, and she would have to wait until I wrote it down. So Cathy, let me know what you think in the comment section below 🙂

And all the rest of you, if you made it through this….Tell me what you would prefer for the future of our library system!

Thanks,

Randy