No construction grants for local libraries

By: ADRIENNE A. AGUIRRE - Staff Writer | Wednesday, October 29, 2003 10:17 PM PST ∞

NORTH COUNTY ---- Fallbrook, Encinitas and Escondido libraries were turned down for state construction grants Tuesday despite pleas from local officials who traveled to Sacramento for the California Library Construction and Renovation Board meeting.

The board heard five hours of testimony from representatives from all over the state. In the end, 16 of the 66 projects applying for funding received grants. The applicants were requesting a total of $547 million and $110 million in state funds was available.

Locally, only the city of San Diego Main Library received a construction grant, which amounted to $20 million. Last week, staff members at the State Office of Library Construction evaluated the 66 projects and rated 13 as "outstanding." All 13 received grants on Tuesday, along with three ranked as "very good." Encinitas, Fallbrook and Escondido projects had all received a "very good" rating.

The state funds come from Proposition 14, generally known as the Library Bond Act, passed by voters in 2000. The act authorized the sale of $350 million in bonds to help fund library construction and renovation projects statewide.

The funds are being distributed in three cycles, with the first round of money allocated a year ago. Tuesday's funding decision was the second cycle, and applications are due in January for the final allocations.

Escondido eyes third round

Due to the wildfires in the county, the Escondido library delegation canceled its trip to Sacramento, and did not argue its case to the state board on Tuesday. Mayor Lori Pfeiler said the threat of fire in the city took precedence.

"We felt uncomfortable with what was happening here to go up to Sacramento," Pfeiler said. "We feel pretty good about our application and the services we provide, we just want to have an opportunity to tell our story."

Since 2001, Escondido has been designing a new 86,000-square-foot library, nearly double the size of its existing facility in the 200 block of Kalmia Street. The Escondido expansion is estimated to cost $30.8 million. Since the Library Bond Act requires cities or counties to pay for 35 percent of the project, the city has already gathered $11.25 million in local funds toward the project.

Pfeiler said she felt confident that feedback on the city's application will help officials submit a better application for the third cycle of funding.

Pfeiler said that since libraries receiving a "very good" rating in the first cycle received an "outstanding" rating in the second cycle, the Escondido Library application likely would, too.

Fire woes occupy Fallbrook

The Friends of the Fallbrook Library led a nine-month campaign to raise $1.9 million from the community to fulfill the 35 percent match requirement for grant applicants. The county applied for $3.7 million to build a 17,410-square-foot branch library in Fallbrook, to replace an existing 8,000-square-foot facility.

ìAlthough we are disappointed, we are not discouraged,î said Jennifer Jeffries, president of the Friends of the Fallbrook Library.

Jeffries and other North County library representatives traveled to Sacramento hoping to persuade the board to fund their project.

ìItís tough to get into the outstanding category if you already own your library facility and if it is less than 43 years old," Jeffries said. "Communities that lease a facility or own one, that is pre-1950 construction, are viewed as having a greater need."

She added, ìWe will be reviewing our application with county library staff for submission in the third funding round in January."

For now, with the fires that have consumed so much of the county in mind, officials from the Fallbrook library say they have more pressing issues in mind. Wednesday was the first day the library had been open, after county officials told most employees on Monday to stay home because of hazardous air.

"This is the first day we have been able to find out if our library staff has lost homes," said supervising librarian Alice Rigg. "We're really dealing with the human element before we are able to deal with the grant. It (the fire situation) has shifted things around quiet a bit."

Encinitas may spend own money

The Encinitas delegation, which testified before the board Tuesday, also felt that having an existing building hurt it in the evaluation.

Encinitas plans to replace its 4,100-square-foot library with one five times the size, and applied for $7.6 million in state funds for the $11.8 million facility.

"I focused on the fact that our K-12 students are graduating without adequate research and critical thinking skills," said Encinitas City Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan. "I emphasized that public libraries are the cornerstone of democracy and that our partnership would benefit strongly our K-12 students and the general public."

Houlihan said the city may still be able to move forward with the construction project, even if the City Council opts not to reapply for state money.

The city has set aside $9 million to build the library and expects to be able to raise the remaining $2.8 million in the next two years, said Richard Phillips, an assistant to the city manager.

"I think the city's budget had taken that (not receiving funding) into account and it has funding for it with or without the grant," Houlihan said. "It just would have been better with the grant."

Officials at the Encinitas library were disheartened to learn they did not receive funding.

"It's very competitive and it's disappointing," librarian Jose Clark said. "But I'm still optimistic about having a new library funded by the city."

Contact staff writer Adrienne A. Aguirre at (760) 740-3526 or aaguirre@nctimes.com

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