New Moses Lake library discussed

Council supports public effort

MOSES LAKE —The Moses Lake City Council discussed potential for a new library, supporting a public effort to help build it, during a weekend retreat in Soap Lake.

"So we have a library and 43 years later, we still have it," Glenna Bingham said. "We are in desperate need of a new library for the public and the city. The bottom line is we have just over grown our surroundings."

The facility is not wheelchair accessible, has inadequate bathrooms, inadequate space for books, programs and other materials, she said.

"What I saw made me sad, we can do better in Moses Lake," she said. "Don't leave the library on the bottom rung."

Librarian Connie Kuhlmann said she has three main concerns.

The bathrooms, program space and computer space are not good enough to serve the 13,000 card holders in Moses Lake.

The bathrooms are not wheelchair accessible, she said. A janitor's closet will be remodeled into a proper bathroom. If the remodel happens, someone who needs to use the facility must pass through a public prohibited area. The janitor closet is moved to the breakroom and the kitchen area of the breakroom would be wiped out, she said.

A basement is used for children's programs and no longer meeting codes for use. At least 25 babies and parents use the space for programs. It is not handi-cap accessible and as soon as one person complains about it, the program is to be eliminated, she said.

Current children programs are going on all the time and the noise level is too loud for library users, she added. In the future, the program needs will increase causing further strain.

There are not enough computer spaces to serve library users.

There are eight stations and with a population the size of Moses Lake, the library needs eight more. The one-hour time limit on computers was reduced to 30 minutes to help alleviate the problem.

"I think it's a great idea. I think something needs to be done," Councilmember James Liebrecht said. "I believe the library is of great importance to this community."

"We know it doesn't happen over night," Bingham said. "We've waited 43 years for a new library."

Columbia Basin Herald Editor Bill Stevenson said a group of community leaders are beginning an effort to help find funding for the project.

He said there are representatives from various organizations agreeing the library needs replacement to meet current and future community needs.

A meeting is slated for Thursday, at 7 p.m. in the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce office, to begin public efforts to replace the library. Current problems, future needs and how to fund the construction of a new library are slated for discussion.

"I think I can speak for the entire council, they will be supportive of your efforts to secure a new facility in Moses Lake," Mayor Ron Covey said.

Council continued discussion of the facility after the citizens supporting construction of a new library left. Council discussed how a remodel could be used to accommodate the needs of the library before a new facility is built, as it may be several years before enough funding is available for a new library.

"You've got room there to do a really nice remodel. There's a lot of options," Councilmember Richard Pearce said. "They were using that as a crutch to get a new building."

He said a remodel could alleviate the problem for now while preserving the architecture of the building.

"That garage is not being used to its full capacity," he said.

There is a garage space currently used as storage for the Parks and Recreation Department. Once the storage is removed, it could be remodeled, he said.

"There is a possibility of putting an elevator down there," Covey said.

The elevator would make the basement handi-cap accessible.

Councilmember Dick Deane suggested beginning some preliminary sketches for the remodel to expedite the process.

"Let's get it rolling somewhere," he added.

At the end of the discussion council decided they were not ready to commit financially to the project.

"We're going to have too much on our plate if we (commit,), Liebrecht said.