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Library, Interpretive Center may close
City Council voted last night, 5-1 (Dave Creighton against), on a wide-reaching motion presented by Bob Crumpacker to give the mayor power to lay off all Ocean Shores Library and Interpretive Center staff, possibly create an EMS Utility and other things he feels appropriate, in order to present a balanced 2010 budget. The city says that, after last week’s vote “reject” of Proposition 1 (lid lift/EMS levy), the preliminary 2010 budget has a $1.3 million deficit.
Several of the 70 or so who attended last night’s council meeting/town hall on the budget protested the creation of an EMS Utility. Garland French presented a motion to begin the process of creating an EMS Utility. Creighton commented that this would be an “end around” on last week’s vote. The council vote on it was 3-3 (French, Mike Patrick, Peggy Berry for; Creighton, Crumpacker, Dick Skewis against; Nick Johnson not present.) After Mayor Dean Bunkers said he would not cast a tie-breaking vote, Crumpacker brought for his motion.
Earlier, Lillian Broadbent suggested savings in the preliminary budget that could add up to $700,000. Al Lizakowski presented a plan to combine Police and Fire departments. Both, and several others, opposed the quick creation of an EMS Utility. This would be a charge on the water/sewer/storm drain bill that would create revenue to fund Emergency Medical Services.
Bunkers said he would not send out layoff notices this week, and would further study some of the suggestions made last night.
I believe it is illegal to use utility dollars for anything but that specific utility. If water,storm,and sewer can run on less money it goes back to the customer.
Is closing the library and interpretive center retaliation for the ems levy being rejected? How about cutting the mayor’s salary for a starter. The mayor of Seattle gets 96,507.00, mayor of Ocean Shores 100,000.00. Is there something wrong with that picture?
I was going by what the north coast news said.Library Interpretive Center My Close article said.After MAYOR DEAN BUNKERS SAID HE WOULD NOT CAST A TIE-BRAKING VOTE.
Can we move the books into the fire department? We would be in a staffed building.
I think that Ocean Shores will look very bad if news of the library and interpretive center being closed becomes public knowledge. So my dear avid readers make it your duty to spread the news. Libraries were founded in this country for all the people regardless of income. Since we chose or rather the fire department chose to build a Taj Mahol and Public Works the Laughtabout and drown we the public in consultants and their studies we readers must suffer. I don’t put all the blame on the mayor and present council, for this fiscal mismanagement has been rampant for years!
There is this little issue of the law. He can not vote on money issues. That is why the attorney was consulted. Certain things he can not break a tie. That forces compromise on the council.
On such a crucial vote as on the EMS Utility the mayor should not have wimped out. He could have decided the outcome. With the landslide against the EMS, he should have voted against it, become a hero and the people who voted him in would have been happy with him again, seems like a no-brainer to me.
the librarian is one of those overpaid employees. probably protected by some union agreement. see what the unions are doing to boeing………..same thing here, just a smaller scale.
We could do the book burning in the middle of the roundabout for the grand opening. We have to first make sure that the firemen are on overtime to do the burning, and the police are on overtime for crowd control.
Remember the first thing that Hitler did–he closed the libraries. Are we going to see the fire department burning the books in the streets next?
Top Down is how we should do it. We need to consolidate where we can and stop the double dipping by having different cost centers pay for the same person over and over. You get your pay. The job is defined clearly to include all duties you are asked to do. Keep them general so you can not say this is my job and I do not do that. Then we can cross train, utilize as needed in different locations, and bet better productivity. The union will come to the table if enough people are terminated. The thought of furloughs will look better and better with each head removed.
Maybe the library and Interpretive Center Boards could run these places based upon volunteers and donations for utilities. Maybe if we cut of half the lights in buildings we can cut electric costs. Maybe we have to do what all of us are doing. Look for every cost savings we can get.
Close the library!?
The ivory towers look down on us while they close a place of learning and knowledge.
I’ll be the first to volunteer to keep these places open.
Right on, Frances
Remember that subtle hint that people would not like the services that would be cut if we did not pass the ems levy?
So they want to cut one of the most favorite places in Ocean Shores, our library!!
What about laying off some of those expensive salary employees? Let an underling who knows the job but doesn’t get $100,000, let him/her do the job. That is what the top companies across USA are doing. In fact right now Macy’s is laying off their highest paid employees to meet their budget.