LIBRARIES: Seek funds to meet demand

I appreciate your responses, in particular from Mr. Plass and Ms. Ottessen, to my concerns for the CLN and what our community is getting under your watch. I understand there are often hard budget decisions. The Community needs to see something beyond re-allocation of funds with nothing in it for them except lower standards of service. 

I would urge you to look and focus on avenues to raise money and stop the atrophy. Donations by former contributors have likely shrunken under your watch, just like NIC. 

I am particularly sorry the Bookmobiles are now offline as many homebound, transportation challenged folks are cut off — elderly, disabled and low income once again get short shrift. 

As Kootenai County grows, so do the demands on all our services. Kootenai County and the CLN cities continue to approve massive development, high net worth housing and commercial development to serve our burgeoning populace. We pave roads, build sewers and plant trees but short change our populace from growing their minds.  

The tax increment pie is deeper than ever before and CLN should seek enhanced funding to serve demand. The buildings are showing their age, the stacks are tired. After the fire suppression sprinkler failures it is obvious the buildings are not ready for our erratic climate challenges and inadequate maintenance of systems comes back to bite, crushing the bottom line.  

I urge you to focus more on improving working capital through fundraising, grants and civic outreach to bulwark pay and training of staff; update maintenance of buildings to be Insurance buffered; and acquire materials equal to future challenges across technology and intellectual properties. (oh yes — Also hire a cheaper lawyer who might actually do Pro Bono for the CLN rather than inflated hourly grift rates.)

LYNN FLEMING

Coeur d’Alene