Valley, library district sign 5-year contract for service

Tue., Dec. 14, 2004

By Megan Cooley meganc@spokesman.com

Spokane Valley citizens can continue to check out books from Alcott, CDs by Zappa, and everything in between.

The Spokane County Library District and the city of Spokane Valley signed a contract ensuring that residents will have library privileges without interruption next year.

The five-year contract takes effect Jan. 1.

The city also previously agreed to study the possibility of annexing to the district next year. If that’s put on the ballot and voters approve it, the city and the district no longer would have to negotiate contracts for library service.

Finalizing the contract has taken several months. First, the city opened the contract up to competition from the private sector. The district won that round when the council chose it as its library provider over a Maryland-based company.

Then, the city wanted the price tag for library service to be based on the actual amount that residents use branches. The district wanted the contract based on property values, as in other jurisdictions.

Last month, the district warned that without a contract it would have to deny Spokane Valley citizens library privileges starting Jan. 1 and notify employees of layoffs. Without a contract, the district would have lost one-third of its revenues, its board members explained.

That prompted more than 150 citizens to wave signs on Valley streets that read “Save our library” and attend council meetings to urge elected officials to sign the deal.

At a meeting earlier this month, the council agreed to a contract based on the district’s payment method. And on Monday, the district and the city released a joint statement saying all issues had been resolved.

“The Spokane Valley City Council looks forward to building a positive working relationship that will benefit all of the community,” Mayor Diana Wilhite wrote in the release.

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