Grants Pass Friends of the Library is encouraging its supporters to attend the August 14th meeting of the Josephine County Board of Commissioners.
As the Board liaison, Commissioner Chris Barnett and leaders of the Josephine Community Library District had agreed on a draft lease agreement for the Grants Pass branch.
Library supporters understood that the lease would be voted on by the Board of Commissioners on August 14th. But in two separate meetings last week, Board Chair Andreas Blech surprised everyone by "setting the expectation" that the lease would not be voted on at the August 14th weekly business session.
The postponed vote has given library leaders many reasons to be wary. The lease was canceled with no warning over seven months ago, but overwhelming citizen support for the library made the Commissioners back down. Since then, they said there's been a pattern of "evasion and double speak."
If the lease is not resolved soon, the library district will enter the fall months with possible eviction looming in December.
Friends of the Library wants supporters to let the Commissioners know during the public comment period that this community loves and values its library.
