A request to transfer ownership of the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library building and parking lot will not move forward, according to a decision Monday by the city council.
Council members indicated they were concerned over the loss of possible collateral for future city needs, when discussing the matter. The request was made by staff and members of the board of trustees, who said a "gentleman's agreement" had been made with previous city manager Doug Bagby.
The request received a motion and second to be moved to the Aug. 28 voting session, but failed 5-2, with support only from mayor pro tem Steve Davis and Barbara Horton of Ward 3.
"I think they've done all the work for this library district for the last several years and they're wanting to move forward," Davis said. "I believe they're earnest in wanting to do so and we should at least honor that and move it on and make a decision on their behalf."
Council member at-large Ron Black asked if the city would need the property for collateral for it's own projects. The discussion included the city's need for a new city hall and/or police department in the future.
"I just don't think at this juncture we can afford to not have that collateral as a back up plan," council member Shane Cornman of Ward 4 said later.
The matter was discussed in 2014, with Bagby, Massingham said. It occurred at the same time the city loaned the library district approximately $500,000 to supplement library operations between 2008 and 2012. The loan was made as the library transitioned from receiving property taxes to collecting a new sales tax approved by voters.
Loan payments of approximately $98,000 will end this year.
"Our discussion back then and I would just kind of call it a gentleman's agreement, was when the money was paid back and the library building came off as collateral, it would be transferred over to the library," Massingham said. "I don't know if Mr. Bagby ever discussed it with council."
Massingham said he did not believe the city would need the building as collateral in the near future.
While he understands the library's concern for collateral, Black said, he was concerned about the city's possible future needs.
"It seems like the higher responsibility for this council is to make sure we have collateral moving forward. I have a reservation about going either way with this. I guess I'm leaning to take care of our house," Black said.
The library wanted to have this in place for future planning needs, said library Director Sue Crites Szostak, who attended the meeting with members of the library board of trustees, Assistant Director Shannon Midyett and library attorney Scott Robbins.
"It's not a sense of urgency but it's a matter of making that commitment and making sure we follow through with a gentle person's agreement," said Crites Szostak. "I think that's where we're coming from. We just want to know we can begin moving forward and know we're assured we can begin planning."
The library will have almost another $100,000 in its budget after the last payment is made this year, she said, explaining the ownership of the building makes a difference to loan offices.
The library currently receives a quarter-cent sales tax, following approval by voters in 2012. Many things have been accomplished since then, including expanded hours and programs, said Midyett.
No plans have been finalized for future expansion, but the library is considering how best to serve the north side of town in some way, she said.
"We know we need to be more accessible to our citizens and to do that we need to be on that north side of town in some way," Midyett said.
One possible way would be a locker system that allows residents to request a book online and pick it up from a designated location that is home to a locker-type system.
"We would like to have a more permanent presence on that end of town eventually. It would be an expansion or an add on," Midyett said.
Any additional locations would only add to the Main Street location services, which would always be a priority, she said.
"We have dreams and ideas and we did make promises in Prop 1, when we passed the sales tax in 2012, that we would create more access points," she said.
The library has been good financial stewards of their money, said Crites Szostak. The cash reserve has been built to the point that the library could operate for a year or more from that money, she said.