Decisions Coming Soon (or Not Soon) on Library's Fate

Our City Council meets today to potentially vote on whether or not to accept the mayor's proposal for needed budget cuts, including some which would close down city library locations and park and rec facilities. The public will once again have the opportunity to address council members and plead their respective cases.

However, in some developing news, the Independent Budget Analysis (IBA) report issued yesterday seems to suggest that the council will be recommended not to move forward on closing any library branches at this time. Rather, they recommend a more comprehensive plan concerning closures should be presented to the council in February of 2009, at which point the matter may be decided. This decision would seem to suggest that the council's new members should be the ones voting on the matter, and should receive proper background information. A library contact sent me this release (which I've since come across on other sites, including this excellent overview and commentary courtesy of the OB Rag), and noted that while it does seem like little more than a stalling tactic, they believe anything that keeps the branches open and buys more time for advocacy is a good thing.

So, a halt to the process, perhaps? The report makes clear that this "deferral of library and recreation center closures should be considered a temporary measure, intended only to keep these facilities open until a more deliberate and comprehensive plan for facility closures is developed and presented..." Which means nothing has been decided yet. Which gives me hope and leaves me skeptical.