Ronan moves forward on library district
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RONAN — Several items were on the Ronan City Council’s agenda last week, including the possible creation of a new library district.
Board member Rosa Tougas was pleased to announce that the library had obtained the 620 signatures required to create a new library district. The new library district mirrors the land area comprising the Ronan-Pablo school district.
“In order to stay viable, we have to create a funding base for the library,” Tougas said.
The City of Ronan was forced to cut library funding to $17,000 this fiscal year. That figure, combined with funds obtained from Lake County, resulted in an operating budget of $27,000, and according to Tougas, “You can’t run a library on that kind of funding.”
The new district will create a broader tax base for the library. The new district runs from the Ninepipes area to the North Crow area and covers a good deal of western Ronan, including the Round Butte Road area.
The Lake County Election Clerk will check the validity of all signatures and send the petition to the Lake County Commissioners’ office. Once approved by the commissioners, a date will be set for a public hearing regarding the new district. After the public hearing, the commissioners will decide whether or not to proceed to the next step — a district-wide vote with ballots cast from all registered voters in the proposed new district.
Tougas said the commissioners will decide how the ballots will be distributed and counted.
Tougas estimated that the library was able to obtain about 800 signatures on the petition from registered voters within School District 30.
The council also approved Jo Cramer as the newest board member for the Ronan City Library.
In other business, the council held the first reading of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s new ordinance regarding floodplains.
If adopted, the ordinance would update the most recent flood insurance study and flood insurance rate map for the city while converting many of Ronan’s geological survey maps to a digital format.
Ronan City Attorney James Raymond said the only place to purchase floodplain hazard insurance is through FEMA, and this insurance cannot be obtained if the resident in question lives in a town that has not adopted the floodplain hazard management regulations ordinance.
“It’s really just a housekeeping drill to insure homeowners can get flood insurance if they want it,” Raymond said.
In past meetings, Public Works Director Dan Miller has said the only two buildings within Spring Creek’s floodplain are the bank and a storage shed owned by the city. A copy of the ordinance is available at City Hall for local residents to review.
In addition, Lake County Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Stanley asked the council to adopt a pre-disaster mitigation plan from FEMA. The PDM outlines the greatest threats to an incorporated township or county and ranks them by likelihood and severity. Once the ordinance has been adopted, the township or county in question is able to apply for grands and funding for construction projects that would reduce the risk of such treats. The council unanimously adopted the pre-disaster mitigation plan unanimously.
