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NEWSLETTER December 2011 City Hall - 3800 Laverne Avenue North - Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042 (651) 777-5510 Earlier this year, Washington County planned to close the Rosalie E. Wahl Library in 2012. This County library is closing on December 31, 2011. In response, the City of Lake Elmo has taken back its statutory authority for a library and appointed a Library Board. The City intends to reclaim and enhance a community-based library while continuing to provide residents with access to an inter-library loan program. The City Council decided that continued participation in the Washington County Library system does not provide Lake Elmo residents with sufficient value for the taxes they pay. With this change, your taxes for library services will not increase. This action is “tax neutral”, in that the $260,000 tax levy collected from Lake Elmo residents and businesses will simply now be directed to and controlled by the City rather than the County. The City Council and Library Board understand that providing residents with continued access to other libraries and use of their resources and services is critically important. Residents will continue to be able to use the Washington County Library system. After January 1, 2012, every household will have the opportunity to be reimbursed $60 by Lake Elmo after you purchase a library card at a Washington County library. Possession of a Washington County Library card or using the number on it will be sufficient for all household members to have library access. When the new Lake Elmo Library gains “affiliation” status, a Lake Elmo library card will ensure this access and not require purchase of a Washington County library card. ast spring, with no reassurance that Washington County would keep the Rosalie E. Wahl library open, the Lake Elmo City Council began to explore, for the second time, withdrawing from the County library system. In an effort to preserve the library, the Council first considered withdrawing from the system in 2010 but did not pursue the matter further when the County changed course and did not close any library branches in 2010. When the possible closure of the Rosalie E. Wahl library reemerged this past spring, the City Council resumed its exploration of withdrawing from the County system. In July 2011 the City Council passed a resolution establishing a city public library, authorizing a library levy, and establishing a public Library Board for the City of Lake Elmo. The City Council made this decision with the belief that staying with the County library system simply would not provide Lake Elmo residents and businesses with sufficient value for taxes paid. The library levy collected from Lake Elmo is a significant amount: $260,000. On November 9, members of the Lake Elmo Library Board were sworn in and conducted their first meeting. Washington County is closing the Rosalie E. Wahl branch library by December 31, 2011. The Board has been working diligently, meeting weekly in an effort to provide the community with an enhanced community-based library as soon as possible. It has also spent considerable time and effort exploring intergovernmental opportunities for uninterrupted access to library services throughout the state for all Lake Elmo residents, for now and the future. The City Council and Library Board understand that providing residents with continued access to inter-library services is critically important. A More In-depth Look A Quick Overview: Continued page 2