Press-Gazette Editorial Board Issues Call to Action on Brown County Central Library

Editorial: Brown County Board needs to maintain Central Library in downtown Green Bay. (Green Bay Press-Gazette, 9/19/2011)

Excerpt:   The public library is an important part of the community and the Central Library draws close to 1 million visitors every year. It has the added advantage of being within walking distance for the downtown population, some without the financial or transportation means to frequent book retailers.

Initial renovation estimates of the Central Library came in at a whopping $23 million, forcing the library board to ask engineering consultants to revise the estimates to include only the deferred maintenance. That reduced the estimated cost to $12 million, which would be covered if Streckenbach's bonding plan is approved.

Doing nothing is the worst alternative. A county board that was willing to borrow to build a new jail and new mental health center and to relocate the sheriff's department to a renovated headquarters should be willing to raise the library system high enough on its priority list to serve those who depend on the downtown facility's services.

Related posts:
Continuing discussions.  (9/19/2011)
Committee to consider 5-step, $14 million upgrade to address library code violations. (2/19/2011)
Speaking up for the Brown County library renovation. (12/5/2010)
Aging library needs to address code violation.  (11/26/2010)
$600,000 for code compliance is cut.  (11/3/2010)