Rural Library dissolution question will go to voters

DAYTON–The Columbia County Rural Library District Board (CCRLD) of Trustees called a special meeting on August 2 to vote on placing the Library Dissolution Resolution on the November ballot.

The board was brought together to acknowledge and vote on a certified petition, authenticated by Columbia County Auditor Will Hutchens, that it does contain the required signatures to be placed as a resolution to dissolve the library district on the November ballot. "I have here a certified petition with the appropriate number of signatures certified by the auditor," said CCRLD Trustee Chairman Jay Ball. "We are required to put this on the ballot and we're going to do so."

The required number of signatures is 107 which is 10% of the registered voters in unincorporated Columbia County. The petition garnered 163 valid signatures just two days after the initial petition was found insufficient by six signatures.

Ball proceeded to read the resolution requiring the Board of Trustees, in accordance with RCW 27.12.320, to place the referendum on the ballot for the November 7 election. All board members were present for the meeting and voted in favor of the resolution which is then presented to the auditor for the ballot.

Ball announced the members of the required committees who will draft statements for the voters' guide. Seth Murdock, Marcene Hendrickson and Jude Strode will form the "for" statement and a rebuttal to the "against" statement. Tanya Patton and Deb Fortner will form the "against" statement and a rebuttal to the "for" statement. The initial statements are due to the auditor by August 8 and the rebuttals by August 15.

About 20 were in attendance for the brief meeting, including petition sponsor Jessica Ruffcorn, who remarked it is a shame that it has come to this and a compromise could not be reached. "It's unfortunate it has come to this when all that had to be done one year ago when the first books were presented was to move them out of the children's section," said Ruffcorn. "Interim Director Ellen Brigham recently moved young adult non-fiction, written for 11-17-year-olds, in with the adult books, but there still remains about 100 sexually explicit books downstairs in the young adult section and in a low-level parenting section," she said. "We've asked for those books to also be moved in with the adult books but have been told 'no.'"

Brigham said the issue is lack of policy and space to support the move.

Ruffcorn pointed out books have been moved without policy. "The young adult books were moved without policy change," said Ruffcorn. "Also, at the last board meeting when asked by [Board Trustee] Kevin Rust how many books they purchase per month, she answered about 120 books–books that they make room for."