Next Town Hall Meeting - Conifer Library Closure

Sorry I'm getting this out too late for comments to be sent to the commissioners, but maybe they'd still take late ones into consideration? Either way, the Town Hall Meeting is in a few weeks so you have time to make arrangements to attend if you are interested.

http://coniferareacouncil.org/
NEXT TOWN HALL MEETING
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
7:00pm at West Jefferson Middle School

CONIFER LIBRARY CLOSURE POSSIBLE
Information Provided by Conifer Area Council

The Jefferson County Public Library Administration put out a press release on July 22, 2011 listing their 2012 Library budget recommendations to the Library Board. A mill levy of 3.5 mills was authorized by voters in 1986 for the Public Library budget. Although the Library has only been given the full 3.5 mills a few times, the County Commissioners recently reduced the allocation to 3.225 mills. With the decrease in property values, tax dollars decrease and the real dollars represented by 3.225 mills decrease. The Library Administration is certainly faced with gloomy budget options.

The Library Administration’s recommendations include closing the three smallest libraries which includes Conifer. The Wheat Ridge and Edgewater Libraries, listed as possible closures, each have three large libraries within five miles. The Evergreen Library is eight miles from Conifer and approximately 15 miles from the Jefferson/Park County line. The 285 corridor has the best chance in the County for bad winter weather and residents will be required to drive the longest distance library services.

• A community library has a positive influence on the value of a community.
• Currently the Conifer community enjoys equal access to County library resources with the rest of the County residents.
• The Public Library provides the Conifer High Library with resources that exceed school district funding of high school libraries. These outstanding resources helped Conifer High School achieve the ranking of 434 of the top 1000 high schools in America as defined by Newsweek.
• Conifer High School students will not have access to the library after school hours or on weekends as they do now. The public will not have access to the Conifer Library at all – it will no longer exist.
• The Public Library is not charged building rental, utility costs or building maintenance by the School District. In exchange the High School receives the benefit of the Public Library materials budget, after school and weekend access for students and public patrons and use of Public Library computers during the school.
• The combined High School/Public Library idea was initiated by Conifer community residents in the mid 1990′s who wanted both a high school and a public library in Conifer. This arrangement is unique and has worked to the benefit of the Library and the High School as well as the community.
• Conifer Public Library patrons have been directed to use the Evergreen Library if the closure occurs. Those of us living here know that our traffic flows up and down 285 not the route to Evergreen. Our more likely alternative library is the Columbine Library, 21 miles away and already the Library system’s busiest.
• Conifer has been accommodated by the Public Library system in the past by the bookmobile and a traveling librarian at the Little White School House. The proposal does not address the possibility of the library returning to Conifer.
• According to the 2011 Budget and Strategy of the Jefferson County Public Library, the total revenue in 2011 for the County Library system is $25,647,207.00. In the same document, the Library lists the Grand Total Operating Expenditures for the Conifer Library at $211,887.00. Conifer Public Library’s present share is less than 1% of the Library budget.

There are monthly Library Board and County Commissioner meetings all open to the public and some where public comment is allowed*.

*~Library Board – Aug 18 Board Meeting 5:30 PM Belmar Library 555 So Allison Pkwy, Lakewood – Belmar Meeting Room

*~Board of County Commissioners – Aug 23 8:00 AM, 1000 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden – Hearing Room One


Comments should be sent BEFORE the above dates and to the Board of County Commissioners, the Library Board of Trustees and the Library Administration at the following addresses:

Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners:
100 Jefferson County Parkway
Golden, CO 80419
Phone: 303-271-8525

Commissioner Faye Griffin
Commissioner John Odom
Commissioner Donald Rosier

Mr. Rosier is the representative Commissioner for the mountain area of the County but all three should be included in correspondence at



Jefferson County Library Board of Trustees:

~~Linda Rockwell, Chair ** ~~Lynne Heinekamp, Vice Chair

303-526-9358 720-364-8306

~~Ruth Anna, Secretary ~~T.J. Carney

303-904-6978 303-424-4463

~~E.F. “Buddy” Douglass ~~Ray Elliott

303-742-3015 303-986-2787

** Address to Linda Rockwell with copy to Pam Nissler (below).

Library Administration contact information:
Pam Nissler **
Interim Executive Director
Jefferson County Public Library
10200 W. 20th Avenue
Lakewood, CO 80215

The Library’s website provides space for your comments at http://www.jeffcolibrary.org/about/pcomm10.htm