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Show Layton Library decision expected soon operate on a 2.06 mill base compared com-pared to 3.28 mill levy that would be needed for an independent city library. The Library Committee felt the operating costs would be about the same. This group believed it would be important to pay the head librarian libra-rian more than the county wage in order to attract a top-quality person per-son to the position. After all the facts are analyzed. the final decision about a library for Layton will probably depend on . the dialogue between the county commissioners and members of the Layton city council. Layton has a good bargaining position with a $700,000 reserve and a city-owned site for the library. Council mem- ' bers will be very reluctant to give up these items without major concessions con-cessions from the county. f ''Nil uil By DONETA GATHERUM LAYTON -- "We are closer to getting a library in-Layton than we have ever been but I feel there are still some questions that need to be answered by the County Commissioners Commis-sioners before w make a final decision," de-cision," stated Layton Councilman Council-man Bob Stevenson last Thursday evening after listening to a one and one-half hour presentation regarding regard-ing the pros and cons of rejoining the county library system and the pros and cons of building an inde-pendent inde-pendent Layton City library. Councilman Stevenson recommended recom-mended setting up a meeting between be-tween the Layton City Council members and the County Commissioners Commis-sioners as soon as possible to discuss dis-cuss rejoining the county library system and getting answers to important im-portant questions like the use of $700,000 Layton City has in a special spe-cial library reserve. The council unanimously supported Mr. Stevenson in this approach to solving solv-ing a five-year struggle to get a library lib-rary in Layton. Mr. Stevenson, the council and Mayor Richard McKenzie agreed a library decision would be made at the June 5 Layton Council meeting so that implementation of the library lib-rary program could be included in the city budget and the county mill levy procedure. If Layton decides to join the county system, work would start immediately to begin a book collection, collec-tion, employ a librarian, select an architect and complete other preliminary pre-liminary steps. Actual building construction would begin March 1, 1987. The completion date would be March I, 1988. The Layton Library Committee, a group organized several years ago to study Layton's library needs, stated Thursday that this same time-table could be met if Layton were to build an independent indepen-dent library system. Lynn Wood, spokesman for the committee, said there were four city options available-1. Wait about three years until un-til the entire amount needed for library lib-rary construction had been saved; 2. Raise the library mill levy to the maximum 3.75 mills allowed by law; 3. Bond for library construction; construc-tion; 4. Borrow from the mutli-city fund. If either of the latter three options were adopted, library construction con-struction could meet the county time-table. Thursday evening, council members mem-bers listened to the county's information, infor-mation, presented by Mayor Richard McKenzie and to the Layton Library Committee's findings, find-ings, presented by former Layton Councilman, Lynn Wood. The strongest argument for rejoining re-joining the county system seems to be immediate implementation of a library building program, a com puterized system, access to the county collection, on-going improvements im-provements in library services and possible cost savings to the taxpayer. tax-payer. The biggest advantage to establishing estab-lishing a city library system would be the ability of Layton to control their own destiny. Layton collects ;ihout 19 percent of the total tax revenue in the county. If a library were independent, this money would all remain in Layton and not be spread out over the entire coun-. ty. Layton could determine the number of library buildings in the city, their style, enlargements, etc. as well as how much money would be put into libraries, the use of volunteers, instruction on computers, compu-ters, special programs, etc. that many feel are lacking in the county system. Mr. Wood said, "County commissioners com-missioners look at the whole county coun-ty and this is how it should be. Layton City would look at what is best for just the people living in one city. More money would be put into the Layton library system because be-cause it would be concentrated in one place and not spread out over the entire county." The Layton Library Committee through architect Mike Saunders presented some conceptual drawings draw-ings for a library on the Lancer Lane-Hawthorne Street site, the location that would be used for either a city or a county library. The library design was liner. One story was underground. Windows looked out over the creek area to the west and the design was tied in with the unique natural formations of the area. Expansion could be made by adding a liner wing or by adding a second story. The Library Committee recommendation recom-mendation was for a 13,000 square foot facility, comparable in size to the West Jordan Library. The county proposal would be for a 14,000 square foot library, similar in concept to the North Branch Library in Clearfield. The American Library Association recommends re-commends a 22,000 square foot building for cities with the population popula-tion of Layton. Cost estimates for either proposal propos-al were comparable. The building would cost about $1 ,700,000 or between be-tween $56 and $87 per square foot. The county proposal would be for 15,000 volumes in the "Start" collection with more added as budgets allow. The Library Committee Com-mittee felt it would be desirable to have a 30,000 volume "start-up" collection. According to county figures, operating costs for a city library would be $342,800 per year in comparison com-parison to $247,100 per year if the library were part of the county system. sys-tem. This is a difference of $95,700. A county library in Layton could NINTH GRADE OFFICERS at North Layton Junior High for next year are, standing, Lyndie Jones, vice president, along with Jackie Bell, secretary, and Nicole Burdett, president. |
