OCR Text |
Show 1 J Library Board denies PG appeal i The Utah State Library Board was ? 1 unswayed by Pleasant Grove City's 1 appeal of its decision to give a J $200 000 grant to Provo City for construction of a library. Frank Mills, Pleasant Grove's public Works Director, said the state turned down their appeal because they felt that Provo's project would help more people. I ' With State Representative Don I LeBaron and his wife, Mayor David Holdaway, Librarian Drucilla Smith, Councilman Lloyd Ash and Mills in attendance, Pleasant Grove was first to make its presentation. Mayor Holdaway told the board that Pleasant Grove was not there to '., downgrade any other projects. He said the city was solely there to 1 appeal on the grounds that Pleasant Grove City was ready now to start . its library project and Provo would II j not be ready until after the end of M this year. f He added that the library grant application says that contracts must require construction to begin within a reasonable time after the grant is awarded and must be completed in i reasonable time. He felt that )l Provo's project was beyond the f' "reasonable time" that the grant fi ; application asks for. I it was pointed out that Provo could apply for the grant next year with the time schedule that they have. The response to this was that no one knew how much money would be available for the grant next year and it might not be as much as the a $200,000 this year. i The mayor noted that with the i ffl grant Pleasant Grove City could I have the building nearly paid for f when they move into it. Without the f grant the city will have a con siderable amount of fundraising to do to make up the difference. Provo said they could start construction con-struction as soon as next March. They have until Jan. 1 to raise the $1 million needed to meet the $1 million pledged by the city. If they are able to meet this deadline then the state library grant and the Beesley Foundation grant Provo has been given would be in force. If Provo does not come up with the money by Jan. 1, the grant will still not go to Pleasant Grove because the city will have already let bids and started construction and the grant cannot go to a project that is already underway. Mills said it would not be wise for the city to gamble that Provo will not raise the money, and delay their project until next year. He noted that the city feels that it has a good start of the financial backing for the building now and should proceed rather than wait. When told that the board would not change its stand and give the grant to Pleasant Grove mainly because Provo's library will serve more people, Mayor Holdaway observed that using that reasoning a small city would never get the grant. It was pointed out that Roosevelt did get the grant a couple of years ago. Mills said that the State Library Board was very courteous and listened carefully to what the city had to say. He said he was concerned that if Provo does not come up with the money and the state has to turn the money back, the federal government govern-ment might look at it as though Utah was not very interested in the money and cut back or eliminate the funding. |