‘Locker’ proponents, opponents address GRRL Board

by Dennis Dalman

editor@thenewsleaders.com

Despite requests to table or otherwise delay a decision, the St. Cloud-based Great River Regional Library Board voted 13-1 on Sept. 20 to move forward with the process to possibly provide to Sartell a “Local Material Delivery/Return Service.”

Voting against the resolution to move forward with the process was Benton County Commissioner Spencer Buerkle, who serves on the GRRL Board. A Stearns County commissioner, Mark Bromenschenkel of Sartell, also on the GRRL Board, voted with the majority.

The proposal will be revisited at the December GRRL Board meeting.

The meeting took place in the Heritage Room of the St. Cloud Holiday Inn and Suites. Attending the meeting were about two dozen people from Sartell, including those in favor of the delivery/return service and those opposed as to how it was approved by the Sartell City Council with virtually no public input.

At its Sept. 12 meeting, the council voted 3-2 to approve a resolution calling for the delivery/return system that would, with the blessing of the GRRL system, be set up in the yet-to-be-built Sartell Community Center in south Sartell. Voting in favor of that resolution were council members Steve Hennes, Pat Lynch and Sartell Mayor Sarah Jane Nicoll. Voting against it were Amy Braig-Lindstrom and David Peterson, both objecting to the lack of public input, especially from long-time library supporters who have long wanted a full-service branch library.

On Sept. 18, eight library supporters met at Celebration Lutheran Church and decided to attend the GRRL meeting to let their displeasure be heard by the board. Tuesday night, at the Holiday Inn, several of them spoke into the microphone to the 14-member GRRL Board, as did several Sartell residents highly in favor of the delivery/locker system service. The system involves people ordering library materials online – items GRRL staff would deliver to lockers in the Sartell Community Center so those people, when notified their items are ready, could pick them up at the center. There will also be a drop box there for returned materials.

In voting for that option, Sartell Council members said while it is not a full-service library solution, it does at least offer some convenience for Sartell residents to connect with GRRL library items.

Some long-term library supporters, however, expressed anger about the three-member council majority, with help from the city administrator, deciding on that option with virtually no public input or even much council discussion. They especially criticized Nicoll who proposed, along with two other council members, there should be a moratorium on any library discussions until the GRRL finished its long-term assessment plan. Library supporters have rapped Nicoll, the two council members and the Sartell administrator for not holding any public input discussions, as they had promised, once the assessment was completed.

Among those attending the GRRL Board meeting were Mayor Nicoll, Sartell Administator Mary Degiovanni and council members Steve Hennes, Pat Lynch and Amy Braig-Lindstrom. Council member David Peterson was not present.

None of those, with the exception of Braig-Lindstrom, spoke before the board. Seven speakers spoke, and each was limited to one minute.

The following are brief summaries of what each speaker had to say to the board:

 Braig-Lindstrom

She criticized the Sartell City Council majority for not seeking any input about the partial library-service option, calling the decision “nefarious at best.” Nobody was informed beforehand, and long-time library supporters (“Friends of the Library”) had no input whatsoever before the administration and council put together the resolution.

Whitney

Julie Whitney, a Sartell resident, said she is very happy about the material delivery/return service for the Sartell Community Center. She said the council’s decision is a good, innovative way to get library services to Sartell residents within their own city.

Pettmann

Kim Pettman of Sauk Rapids, a former Sartell resident, called the city council’s decision “disgusting” because citizen input had not been solicited, heard or considered. Pettman said for 20 years Sartell residents have wanted a library branch. She urged the GRRL Board to “slow down” and not make a decision on partial library service to Sartell until public input can be added.

Anjum

Zurya Anjum, a long-time Sartell library-branch supporter, called the city council’s decision a “slap in the face to democracy. What’s needed is open input in a democratic process because many Sartell residents still favor a full-service GRRL branch library.” She urged the Board to consider the fact Sartell residents voted twice for the half-cent sales-tax referenda with the understanding the revenue would fund a branch library.

Wijetunga

Gayathri Wijetunga, a Sartell resident, said she is against a delivery/locker system because Sartell residents deserve fuller library service. A quality library, centrally located, is what’s needed, she said, not just a delivery/locker system.

Nordmann

Sonia Nordmann of Sartell said she is “ecstatic” about the delivery/locker system and is glad the council favors it and hopes the GRRL Board will approve it, as well.

Perske

Long-time library supporter and former Sartell Mayor Joe Perske called the council’s decision for the delivery/locker system a “travesty” after so many requests for participation in decision-making by library supporters who had signed 500 names to a petition. He said the people of Sartell deserve a voice in what they’ve wanted for decades – namely, a branch library.

Smorynski

Henry Smorynski of Sartell, a long-term library-branch advocate who is often sharply critical of the city council’s handling of library issues, offered written testimony to the GRRL Board, urging it to delay any action on the Sartell Council’s request until March at the earliest.

Smorynski’s statement reads in part:

“The current city council continues in its behavior of marginalizing the Friends of the Library, not honoring past votes in favor of a library branch through the half-cent sales tax, ignoring young children coming before it as well as many citizens during open (microphone), and most recently (breaking) its promise of engaging GRRL and the community in honest and thorough discussions on a library.

“Instead it put forward the lockers proposal without engaging the two council members (Braig-Lindstrom and Peterson) supportive of the library, known library advocates or having any form of public hearing. This is disgraceful behavior and should not be supported by the (GRRL) Board, as it does not reflect transparency, democratic outreach or listening to constituents.”