Citizens rally to library's defense

Maitland residents packed Council Chambers on Monday to stand up for the city's only library. They left knowing the beloved facility won't be closing, but that it still needs their help.

"The Maitland Public Library will not be closed this year, next year or any year in the foreseeable future," Mayor Doug Kinson said. "Our commitment is to keep the library in Maitland, keep it running and make it better."

On July 18, Councilman Phil Bonus sent a letter to the City Council that recommended "winding down" funding for the Maitland Public Library, downsizing and/or merging it with another organization or closing it completely. That last part struck a chord with residents.

"We are there Monday, Tuesday, Thursday afternoon … I don't know what I would do if the library closed," said Maitland resident Jennifer Tanner, who toted her three young children up to the podium with her at Monday's meeting.

But many residents who spoke said they realize the library does need support from the community, as the city of Maitland continues to cut the library's $700,000 budget by 10 percent every year because of declining tax revenues.

Resident Jean Thornton floated the idea of an annual fee for library membership while others said the library should form a committee to solicit private donations as well as grants.

Councilwoman Bev Reponen said the library doesn't have a "champion" that supports it like the other cultural partners. "I would like to be that champion," the former reading teacher said.

Big response

Bonus said he's glad his letter, which included a slew of budget saving methods, has garnered so much attention. He said his intent was never to close the library.

"What I wanted to do is galvanize the community and take that energy and help us save it," Bonus said. "The library could stand a review and its business model could stand some modernizing."

Bonus said although everyone seemed to focus on the library, his letter was about a bigger issue — keeping the city intact. He said if the city doesn't change its spending habits, it's reserve — or rainy day fund — will go from $12.5 million to about $5 million in five years because of

budget overages.

"I carefully enunciated five proposals that would help Maitland live within its means," he said. "Among them is the library. The library is a gem, is a jewel, but it's a $700,000-plus-or-minus line item."

Bonus said that like the Maitland Art and History Association, the library should get on a "track toward enterprising themselves." But he did say that weaning the library off public funds within two years, as he suggested in the letter, might be "a little energetic."

Maitland's library is not part of the Orange County Public Library System. Both Maitland and Winter Park "opted out" of being included in the system's district, said Sharon Anselmo, management services director. County libraries require 12 percent more funding than Maitland's library, and there's no guarantee the county would keep the library open if Maitland decided to hand it over.

Solutions abound

Councilman Howard Schieferdecker commended Bonus for bringing up the long-term budget problems but said he doesn't agree with all of Bonus' proposed solutions. He said he does support Bonus' proposal that the cultural partners take on more and more fiscal responsibility.

Schieferdecker said the city can also reduce budget shortfalls through pension negotiations with police and fire departments, raising the stormwater fee and being more friendly to developers in order to spur development in the city's CRA.

Having design criteria for the district in place, he said, will be the first step. Pattern books are expected to be finalized soon. "Maitland hasn't always been developer friendly. Just look at our downtown to see how friendly we've been," he said.

Council wants to hear what residents have to say about the issues, Schieferdecker said.

"Councilman Bonus got you all here," he said. "Give him credit for that. We need more participation. We need your help. Again, I ask you to come."

Wrong method?

Councilwoman Linda Frosch said Bonus went about putting his ideas out there in the wrong way. She said he disrespected the library by sending out the letter.

"If I want somebody's attention at the fire department, I'm not going to set my house on fire," she said.

Kinson, a candidate for Orange County Commission, said he'll never consider a proposal to close the library and that Bonus should have suggested ways to improve the library instead.

Bonus said the timing of the letter could have been better, but that he would have said it in person had he been able to be there. "Could I have done it differently? Probably."

Resident Jean Thornton said in the end, it's not about the library.

"We're gonna keep our library," she said. "That's not what this is all about. It's about saving Maitland and redeeming it financially."