I am puzzled by the proposed purchase of Laguna’s library from the County, and even more by the City’s addendum recap and the Mayor’s recap in last week’s Indy that omits that the purchase and lease agreement has clauses regarding the relocation of the library:
Clause Item No. 9: “The parties understand and agree that the City is investigating the possibility of relocating the free county public library and related services to a new location within the City (“Alternative Library Location”).
Clause Item No. 14: “In the event that an alternative library location has not been identified within twelve (12) months of the effective date of this lease, the County and the City shall meet and confer and develop a capital improvement plan for the Premises to be funded from the Library Purchase Price Principal (“Capital Improvement Plan”).”
In other words, it looks like the City is looking at 12-36 months in which to find another site for the library so that this site can be used for something else. Why?
This location is where kids walk after school to research a project or get help with homework; where you can wander through the stacks of DVDs to catch a movie or discover a book; where families can bring their kids for Storytime or a magic show; or, where you can do your work when Cox or Southern California Edison have one of their power outages. The library is our free, family-oriented, community spot in town. It is also surrounded by the much-visited tourist and child attraction, the Fairy Garden.
Is the City going to choose to spend $4.2 million to relocate our library instead of repairs to our infrastructure, such as undergrounding or sewer repair? (There was another spill last week in case anyone thinks repairs aren’t needed).
If the City of Laguna is determined to purchase the library, then the terms of the purchase must stipulate that this spot remains the site of the library for 25 to 40 years. This location is the real heart of our community.
Deborah Laughton, Laguna Beach
Editor’s Note: Deborah is the spouse of Councilmember George Weiss and publisher of Methodology and Statistics.
Deborah, it must have been difficult for someone as smart, cunning, and manipulative as you are, to have dumbed yourself down enough to write this BS. Maybe surrounding yourself with people as ignorant as your husband, George Weiss and his political allies makes it easier?
For starters why are you puzzled over Clause 9? Is it that difficult for you to understand that we, the City of Laguna Beach and its residents, reserve the right to do as we see fit once we’ve purchased the property? We’re reserving our property rights. It’s our right to buy the property and move the library if warranted. I know property rights don’t matter to you and your political allies but it does to those of us who pay the bulk of the property tax.
Clause 14 simply states that in the event we decide to not move the library, now or in the near future, we have the right to allocate our purchase funds to the betterment of the structure. A no-brainer in the business world. in other words, yes, we are keeping our options open. That’s why.
The location serves some kids but not the bulk of our community. DVDs? Are you serious? Deborah, there’s this thing called Netflix and cable tv. Look into it. You’ll be amazed! Oh, and you’re really reaching with the “where you can do your work when Cox or Southern California Edison has one of their power outages” Does this mean that moving the library to another location precludes that from happening? And let’s do not forget the “fairy garden” What a prize! Great place for the transients to get high and watch butterflies lol!!!
BTW, does the house you and George live in that you inherited from your parents have a stipulation that your heirs can never sell it or move? I’m sure it doesn’t. After all, you’re way too savvy to do something that stupid. Right?
Please spare us the political spin. Save it for those fact-free propaganda emails you write on behalf of your husband, George Weiss.
Peter your contempt for residents is just astounding. I guess you weren’t listening to the residents who came to speak at the Council meeting about the library. These were not “Village Laguna” people nor were they activists nor were they the usual speakers. They were residents who love the library (when was the last time you visited one?). Residents who want to have a shred of the town we moved here for remain intact and not be made into a parking structure to service tourists. Your blind hatred for people who want to live in a small town, a town that works for them is so telling of who you are. Listening to you rant at every council meeting is not only painful but it’s odious. But hey, you think it’s working for you. I can’t imagine what it’s doing to your health.
Aw, Peter. Please reread my LTE. I wasn’t puzzled by Clauses (#9 and #14), but by their omission from the City’s Agenda Item #8 recap and the Mayor’s recap in the 4/8/22 issue of the Indy. The omission seemed disingenuous at best, and deceptive at worse. As for the 3,000 DVDs at the library, they are FREE, unlike Netflix or cable TV. The books are FREE. The research project help is FREE. And, there are even FREE books on tapes for those who are visually impaired, like to listen, or have reading impairments. Speaking of reading impairments, there are even tutoring services at the library for English-language learners (ESL) and the dyslexic. (I have a best-selling author who is dyslexic and has written over 20 books. Tutoring can help.) The good news is that all these services, club meetings, children’s shows, Storytimes, and more is what makes this library and its location the community center you suggest building. It’s built, and already here! Try it some time, and you’ll discover why this Library and its location is so beloved by the community as the old, young, and in-between testified and wrote about.
Wow!!! Deborah, that’s a serious dose of social and economic justice lol!! Please spare me your leftist woke ideology. I almost threw up reading this BS.
Benjamin Franklin, one of our great Nation’s Founders, was a leftist, woke idealogue, Peter? He was the founder of our Nation’s pubic library system, and while he was an adherent of Enlightenment philosophy and values, I don’t think “leftist and woke” were in the lexicon at the time. Public, centrally-located libraries are a core value of our Nation.