Posted: 6/18/03

Library bonding gains steam in Chisago County

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

A funding plan involving bonds issued by Chisago County may pump life into plans for three libraries now in the planning stages.

County Commissioner Ben Montzka, who represents the Wyoming area, has launched a plan to issue $3 million in bonds to support library construction in Wyoming, North Branch and the Chisago Lakes area while providing support to the Rush City Library.

The move, which must yet go through the Chisago County Board, is in partnership with the East Central Regional Library system.

The move by Montzka is being saluted by library backers in Wyoming who have been working since 1999 to place an ECRL branch in Wyoming.

ìI couldnít be happier,î said Sheree Vincent, co-chair of the Wyoming Area Library Society. Vincent and Stephanie Salzman co-chair the community group that has membership from the city and Wyoming Township.

ìIt certainly is the right step to take a look at now,î Vincent said of the bonding plan. ìI applaud them (county board) for taking this step.î

County plan

Hereís how the proposed Chisago County library capitalization plan would work.

The proposal calls for the county to provide $1 million in bond funds as part of a matching program to be used in the construction of each of the three branch library projects approved by the East Central Regional Library system.

Funds would be released under the following conditions:

ïthe local community obtaining an additional $600,000 to $800,000 in private or other governmental funds.

ïECRL and the county board approving the site and building plans.

The county would begin budgeting for the eventual debt service requirements of these three potential bonds by adding a line item to the 2004 budget of $50,000 to be used for the capitalization program. In following years, the line item could be adjusted pending the actual time frame of the three library projects.

Any unused funds would be accumulated to buy down the ultimate expense of the countyís share of the program.

The county would assume ownership of the three buildings in North Branch, Chisago Lakes and Wyoming and the county would take over or reimburse Rush City for maintenance expense of the ECRL branch building there.

Montzka believes the financial implication to county taxpayers will be modest.

Currently, he said, $8.36 per person of levy funds is spent in support of the countyís share of the ECRL budget.

An additional $6 per person would be needed to repay the $3 million bond program. An additional $1 per person would be needed to support the countyís assumption of the maintenance expense for ECRL branch library buildings.

Montzka said the upgrade and additional expense would move Chisago County closer to Washington County which spends more than $30 of levy funds per person for library services.

Taylors Falls, a community with its own municipal library system, could be excluded from sharing in the expense.

Timing is right

Although the county is wading through a time of state funding cuts, Montzka believes the timing is right to move ahead with upgrades for county libraries.

ìThere is a significant inequity in the balance between the assessment of fees and the provision of library services in the ECRL system,î Montzka said.

ìChisago County pays almost 30 percent of the total amount of fees assessed to individual counties,î he said. ìHowever, Chisago County is only one of six counties in the ECRL system.î

For 2003, Chisago County pays an ECRL assessment of $372,539 or 28.19 percent of the total. Isanti County is second with an assessment of $280,772 or 21.25 percent.

Other counties in the ECRL system pay the following: Kanabec, 8.71 percent; Mille Lacs, 13.26 percent; Aitkin, 11.85 percent; and Pine, 16.74 percent.

ìUnder the current ECRL arrangement, Chisago County receives the lowest level of service provided to individual residents on a per person basis,î Montzka said.

Chisago County has less than one-quarter of a foot of library space per person while four of the other five counties in the system have more than double that amount, Montzka said.

Wyoming impact

Vincent said this week she believes the county bonding program is just the stimulant the fund-raising drive in Wyoming needs. If such a county plan takes shape, she believes this foundation will help convince potential contributors that the library will be built.

To date, Vincent said, the Wyoming Area Library Society has raised some $62,000, including a $50,000 donation from First State Bank of Wyoming.

Land for the library is being provided next door to the Wyoming Municipal Building by the city of Wyoming.

Wyoming Township is setting aside $10,000 a year as part of its budget for future library purposes.

The city council and library society will split the cost of a design plan now in the works by an architect, Vincent said.

With $62,000 in the coffers, Vincent said she is hopeful the energy generated by the county plan will pump life into local fund-raising efforts.

ìWeíve got a ways to go yet,î she said.

Under the current time frame the Wyoming library has tentatively planned to be under construction by 2005.

ìThat might be able to happen a bit sooner,î she said, pointing to the possibility of the county plan taking shape.

After its initial review on June 4, the county board was slated to act on a direction of the proposal this week. Between June 18 and July 16, the county will disseminate details of the library initiative.

A public hearing on the proposal is tentatively slated for July 16. A formal decision on the library initiative could come at the July 23 meeting.

During its June 4 meeting, the county board voted 4-1 to proceed with the planning. Only Rush City area Commissioner Mike Robinson was opposed.

Montzka said he is hopeful Robinson will become a supporter when it is defined that Rush City will indeed benefit from the county bonding plan.

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