San Francisco Chronicle/Carolyn Jones,7/17/10. "Shhh! New library opening in Walnut Creek."
 |
| It is a library |
 |
| Looks like a library, smells like a modern library (has coffee) |
.... The city started the project 12 years ago, when the old library, built in 1961, became so cramped that staff had to remove one book every time a new book arrived. .... But funding snafus and debate over the scope of the project led to long delays, ultimately forcing the city to scale back the project. The proposed above-ground parking garage was never built, and much of the furniture and shelving was paid for by private donations.
Nonetheless, other libraries pale in comparison to Walnut Creek's version of "scaled back." The Walnut Creek library includes a cafe, three expansive areas for children, stunning public art, 94 public computers, self-serve check-out, a career center, a video game center for teenagers and an underground 120-space parking garage.
10 comments:
Drive around Walnut Creek and take in the sites. Then drive around Pacifica.
Bottom line, Walnut Creek can afford the library. Pacifica can not.
Walnut Creek has built up nicely in the past 30 years while Pacifica has done nothing.
Article has Tinfow quote that may be prophetic for Pacifica. Keep in mind WC library was built despite voters' emphatic rejection of a Library Bond Measure.
Do you think our council liked that part of Tinfow's resume? IMHO if she can cook up the same creative financing for Pacifica and keep the Sanchez open, she's good to go!
Just for quick comparison purposes: 2010 Census data lists a population of 64, 173 for Walnut Creek; 37, 234 for Pacifica.
Walnut Creek's largest companies measure their workers in the thousands; Pacifica's largest companies measures their workers in the low hundreds.
So, Walnut Creek spent $40m for a new library serving a population 72% higher than Pacifica.
As an asidem, the residents of Walnut Creek are`served by 324 City employees, while Pacifica requires 287 employees to serve 72% less residents. Perhaps our local government is more responsive than that of Walnut Creek???
10:36, do you have any children? Keep in mind that those childen and their children will be paying off that $30m bond for several lifetimes to come.
IMO, poor planning does not equate to creative financing; it just equates to stupidity.
If anything at all came out out of the 2007 recession, most of us should have learned one does not spend money one does not have.
949 Damn! You and council out for a Sunday drive? Must be, because they arrive at their conclusions exactly the same superficial way. Buy me a pony. Even with all that "building up" Walnut Creek has serious financial problems, struggles to keep the new library open, etc. The more you make, the more you spend applies to cities as well as people. When a city finds itself making less or even the same, while costs climb, it's not so easy to balance things--can't just cut out a family vacation and catch up. Pacifica could certainly use a little of that "build up" but it's not the magic cure you think it is. It's just one component in a healthy city.
1045 Hmmm, Pacifica has many more city employees than WC for fewer residents. Maybe we could do with less response or maybe we're not efficiently managed?
1052 You missed the point. Walnut Creek built it with no bond because they couldn't get the voters to approve a bond. Creative financing was used. The city owes, no doubt, but there was no bond. Council did it with a council vote. Lots easier that way, don't you think? The point is, Tinfow was there. Tinfow is here. We know how badly council wants a library. Danger! Will Robinson. Danger!
Complete 100% agreement 11:37. But bond or no bond, at some point the City's debt becomes that of its residents. If Pacifica can't pull in enough future revenue, those library costs will have to eventually be passed on to the residents. If the City would first pull in one or two solid revenue producing ventures, perhaps the idea of floating $30m for a library would appear more feasible and palatable.
"Go big or go home" might play in the Bigs but Pacifica ain't in that league yet.
Pac has .008 city employee per resident
WC has .005 city employee per resident
What luxury!
1230 Absolutely, there is no free lunch. Have you noticed council seems to be in a speculative mood? You know, don't sweat the details guys just vote yes now and we'll find the money later. Leap of faith. Buying the Colt parcel was a leap of faith. Spending four or five hundred thousand on another set of Beach Blvd plans is also a leap of faith. The library and revenue-producing parts of Beach Blvd are independent. Put a library there and we may never see anything else built. How long will they tie up the property with that plan? Can we stand another leap of faith? Pure speculation here.
Post a Comment