
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 20, 1991                   TAG: 9102200161
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: DUBLIN                                LENGTH: Medium

DUBLIN MAYOR PROTESTS BOARD'S LIBRARY-USE VOTE

Dublin Mayor Benny Keister is protesting a Pulaski County Board of Supervisors vote denying priority to Dublin Town Council to use the meeting room at a library here.

"This action is contrary to the contractual obligation that was established when commitments were made by agents of the library during their solicitation of funds from the town," Keister wrote to supervisors Chairman Mason A. Vaughan Sr.

"Money changed hands based on these commitments," the mayor wrote.

The supervisors unanimously voted Jan. 28 to make changes in an agreement with Dublin over use of the Charles and Ona B. Free Memorial Library in Dublin, as urged by Supervisor Bruce Fariss.

The changes were to give the county, rather than the town, priority in using the library's meeting room and to restrict access to the reading area after hours to library employees.

Dublin Town Council has been using the facility for its regular meetings, and moving to the reading area when it goes into closed session.

Councilman Colbern Linkous attended the supervisors' meeting last month and objected to the changes. Fariss replied that the county put more money into the library than the town did.

"We request that this apparent action be reversed immediately," Keister told Vaughan. He said council "has need to meet in executive session from time to time in a room separate from the public gathering. We expect this simple courtesy to be continued at the library."

The library was dedicated April 22, 1990, as a branch of the Pulaski County Public Library, which is based in Pulaski. The county had put $75,000 into the Dublin branch and the town, $20,000.

Keister said both council minutes and news articles reflected that the town was promised priority using the meeting room. He said the town's support of the library was based on these promises.

"I would like to point out that the town's only obligation with regard to the library is to maintain the park area," Keister said. "As a courtesy for the current fiscal year, council voluntarily is providing free water, sewage, garbage and mowing around the library building. This is a substantial monthly and seasonal dollar value to Pulaski County."

The next Board of Supervisors meeting is Monday night.

by CNB