GET READY:

JUNE 20, 1992

We've said it many times

before, and we'll say it again: The -

library expansion. referendum is
close at hand. This: time, though,
it’s a little different. Mayor Jack
Talstra officially announced the

actual. date Monday night. On-
June 20, 1992, voters will go to

the polls to say "Yes" or "No" to,
the $1.8 million expansion propo-
sal,
Ine reality, ‘voters won't be
asked to consider the sum of $1.8
million. They. will: only be asked
to approve $1.21 million, which is
the’ two-thirds the project would
have cost Terrace and specified
regional district. taxpayers if the
GO B.C. provincial lottery fund
were still afloat. That ship, how-
ever, has sunk.

This. means the search is on
for other sources of funding. Or a
less desirable alternative might
‘become a fact of life: a pared-to-
the-cuticle,’ bare-bones project
that will meet as many future
needs as totally local financing
can afford.

Discussion during an April 6
meeting, in camera, of. Terrace
city couricil’s Committee of the
Whole, ‘dwelled on a number of
difficult issues, From the minutes
of that meeting, the following
excerpt:

"The timing of the referendum
was questioned — from the basis
that June is tax payment time and
with the demise of the substantial
Home-Owner’s Grant, the majority
of taxpayers face a considerable

fax increase. Secondly, with "Go _

B.C." funding frozen, it is not
. known if the project will qualify
for one-third grant funding, how-
. ever, if the referendum : was

delayed, perhaps revised criteria —

on "Go B.C." funding would be
available, |

“After discussing the pros and
cons of a June referendum, the
Committee reiterated previous
Council policy to proceed to refer-

- -endum this June 20, 1999, for the
‘ Library Expansion and Renova-

tion Project and that the Loan

Authorization By-Law be in the.

amount of $1,210,000,"

The pros, cons, delays and

difficulties surrounding the

library board’s long and devious

road to referendum may cloud the

_ Issue at hand for some voters, An

example might be the fact that
the project price has risen from a
little over $1 million since it was

introduced about three and a half
years ago, but inflation has driven

that figure up to the present $1.8

‘Million, If we wait, though, it will

only get worse... To the tune of an
estimated $200,000 a’ year. -
So library board spokesman

Willy Schneider was optimistic
during an address to the Terrace —

and District Chamber of Com-
merce April: 9. Although he
reflected a little on the past,
Schneider concentrated primarily
on the future and the options we
have at hand. .

The idea of a leaner plan has

“ PHOTOGRAPHY

_ murray metcalfe ‘

Phone today for

“already begun to take hold,
.. though. "We will most likely have |
_ to make some concessions," said

Schneider, "but not on floor
Space." Decreasing floor space, he
explained, would leave a project
that. was nothing more than a
"very, Very expensive bandaid”. .

One frill that might have to
go is the basement under the

- library addition. ‘Instead, says

Schneider, the extension might be
build on a cement slab, That will

Save some. money, but at’ the’

moment no one is exactly sure
how much. Unfortunately, when
"accessibility" is the buzz word of
the times, other items that might

have.to go are electronic front

doors and an elevator.

"We will do our’ best as a
board," Schneider told the cham-
ber as he promised the: missing

$600,000 grant would not become »

a taxpayer's burden. "We are very

positive about it and we are not

going to give up. We have worked
so hard... We have come sa far...
And we are going to continue."

free consultation

635-9585

Terrace Review — April 16, 1992 9