City Council approves library agreement

In a unanimous vote, the City Council approved an agreement for the Daniel Boone Regional Library to build a branch on the Atkins Tract, 80 acres of land donated to Columbia and Boone County by developer Tom Atkins in 2002.

The library, which would be between 15,000 and 20,000 square feet and open in 2011, would be funded by a tax on today’s ballot. The revenue from the tax would also pay for an 11,000-square-foot southern branch in Ashland that would open in 2009.

If approved, the tax would be a 21-cent increase for every $100 dollars of assessed value, but it would only affect residents in the Boone County Library District. Houses in the district appraised at $100,000, for example, would require an additional $39.90 of property taxes per year.

The agreement is beween the Daniel Boone Regional Library, the city of Columbia and Boone County. Because both the city and the county own the land, the agreement must be approved by both the council and the County Commission.

The proposal is not currently on the County Commission’s agenda.

The land for the library covers about six to 10 acres on the northern portion of the Atkins Tract that would extend north of an extension of Waco Road. The library has been considering the tract a top choice for its new north branch since last summer. The city, county and library board have been working to finalize the agreement since January.

Jessica Robinson, a member of the library’s board of trustees, spoke Monday night in favor of the agreement, and she emphasized that acquisition of this site was in line with the library’s long-term master plan for providing expanded facilities.

Sixth Ward Councilwoman Barbara Hoppe voiced her support for the acquisition just before the vote.

“Basic library services and easy access is ... fundamental to democracy,” Hoppe said. “It’s a good plan and we need it.”

The agreement the council approved gives the library trustees board the exclusive right to acquire the Atkins Tract land through May 31, 2012. To complete the acquisition, the board must pay $165,000 toward the cost of the Waco Road extension.

The library’s construction on the Atkins Tract isn’t set in stone. Using the location hinges on four issues outlined in the agreement contract. They are:

• The approval of the tax measure.
• The extension of Waco Road.
• The availability of sewer and other utilities to the land.
• And the zoning of the land.

If the tax measure doesn’t get approved today, the library board has a five-year option and could possibly come up with an alternative tax measure in the future. At Monday’s meeting, Fourth Ward Councilman Jim Loveless said this concerned him.

“Do we want to tie that piece of land up for five years waiting for ‘plan B’ to emerge?” Loveless asked.

City Manager Bill Watkins said that because the land is seeing no immediate use, the five-year option shouldn’t be a problem.