Allocate funds for the Northside library

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This petition made change with 1,202 supporters!

The Issue

Governor Jerry Brown, The State Dept. of Finance, the County of Santa Clara:  Save our Northside Santa Clara City Library

The State of CA and County of Santa Clara have forced the City of Santa Clara to halt the Northside library project. The redevelopment ( RDA) funds pledged to this project are under siege and the State Governor and Department of Finance is expect to demand the return of these funds, possibly halting this library permanently.

Even though the City of Santa Clara recognized the great need for a library in this high growth area north of Highway 101 

And even though the City of Santa Clara committed to build the library decades ago, setting aside redevelopment funds to do so.
And even though the the building is now 99% complete, and the community expects the new Northside Branch to open in December 2013

The State of CA and Santa Clara County want the funds to go to them and not to the Northside Library. Consequently the County of Santa Clara has issues a temporary restarting order and the City of Santa Clara has notified the Library Foundation & Friends to immediately halt the project.

Don't let the local RDA Successor Agency nor the State Finance Director and Governor stop this plan to complete the Library this year! Tell State & County Government that the commitment and spending of this money was pledged years before their request. Tell State & County Government you expect their LEADERSHIP not finger pointing, and want them to work together to get the library opened.

http://www.lovethelibrary.org/

avatar of the starter
Santa Clara City Library Foundation & FriendsPetition Starter
Media inquiries

The Decision Makers

Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager
Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager
President, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
Responded
“Greetings - Thank you for your interest in the Northside Branch Library. There are many stakeholders involved, including the City of Santa Clara, the school district, the community college district, the State, the County, the Library Foundation and Friends, and the community. Over the last few weeks, I have been meeting with those stakeholders. I strongly believe that the Northside Branch Library should be completed and its doors opened to the community. Recently, I met with the Library Foundation and Friends, and I’ve discussed the library situation with Assemblymember Bob Weickowski. I also had a productive meeting with Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews and City Manager Julio Fuentes. My understanding from those meetings is that the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends has the funds necessary to complete construction of the library, but that the City of Santa Clara has questions and concerns about the Foundation’s ability to spend these funds, in light of the legal dispute currently playing out in the courts. Mayor Matthews, City Manager Fuentes, County Executive Jeff Smith, and I agreed to attempt to work through the City’s questions and concerns, so that construction on the library can resume. We committed to future talks, with the hope of finding a resolution. Again, I appreciated hearing from all of you on this issue. As the former President of the Friends of the Rose Garden Library in San Jose, I know the central role that a library plays in a neighborhood. I agree that the northside of Santa Clara deserves its library. I will continue looking for a solution. Ken Yeager Santa Clara County Supervisor, Fourth District ”
Don Gage
Don Gage
Santa Clara County Oversight Board Chair
Bob Wieckowski
Bob Wieckowski
25th Assembly District State Assembly Member
Alexis Podesta
Alexis Podesta
Governor’s Director of External Affairs
Ellen Corbett
Ellen Corbett
10th Senatorial District, State Senator

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Petition created on August 20, 2013