The Josephine Community Library District is urging the Board of Commissioners to end all delays and approve a lease agreement for the Grants Pass branch.
The local library district issued a press release on Thursday afternoon, directly after the Commissioners -- led by Board Chair Andreas Blech -- inexplicably delayed consideration of the lease agreement until next Thursday.
JCL leaders said the postponement prolongs over seven months of uncertainty for thousands of library users. It all began January 6th when the Board -- then led by recalled Commissioner John West -- unexpectedly voted to terminate the $1 per year lease for the Grants Pass library branch. It's the headquarters of the county library system which has operated at its current location since 1959.
Library officials said the proposed lease is the product of many hours of meetings between Commissioner Chris Barnett -- as the Board's designee -- and the library district's leadership along with its legal counsel. They said the draft reflects a fair compromise, with the library agreeing to assume financial responsibility for landscaping, routine maintenance and repairs, and an amortized contribution toward the roof replacement. In return, the County maintains its $1 per year lease commitment for the next five years.
JCL Board Vice President Rachele Selvig said they've reached a fair agreement through good-faith negotiations. She said the longer the decision is postponed, the longer the community remains without the stability it needs.
The district is calling on the Board of Commissioners to bring the lease to a vote as soon as possible and end the instability for library patrons, staff and volunteers.
