Millville residents may soon have to pay to use Hyrum's library

By Lynze Wardle

April 6, 2004 | MILLVILLE -- Residents may have to start paying to use the Hyrum library, according to a recent city council decision. While library usage has traditionally been funded by the city, a change in billing practices means that the council must find a way to meet the increased cost or make Millville families pay for their own library membership.

Wellsville and Nibley city councils agreed to pay Hyrum $30 for each of their families that use the library. Millville, however, pays only $1,000 to the library per year. One hundred and two Millville families used the library last year, meaning that the city saved over $2,000 by paying a flat rate.

According to Sherrie Mortensen, Millville's representative on the library board, the Hyrum library wants Millville to start paying its fair share.

When the payment agreement between Millville and the Hyrum library was created in 1996, Millville agreed to pay an initial fee of $1,000 because there was no count of how many residents used the library, Mortensen said.

"Hyrum feels like the agreement was that Millville would pay $30 dollars per family that uses the library," Mortensen said. "I think that the council has looked at the $1,000 initial fee and thought that they pay $1,000 every year to use the library," Mortensen said.

Councilman Rod Hobbs said that he remembered the 1996 meeting differently.

"They came in and ask us what the city would be willing to pay. We approved $1,000 per year on that, but if Hyrum wanted to assess [a per-family fee], Millville city wasn't going to fund the whole thing for the families," Hobbs said.

The council discussed the possibility of using funds from other areas to pay for the library, rather than charging residents.

"I think the citizens would rather do this than some of the other activities. Maybe there are some activities we do during the summer that the citizens would be willing to forgo," Councilman David Hair said.

The city is only charged for cardholders who check out a book during the year, not for residents who use the library Internet or who own cards but don't check out books. The contract between Millville and the Hyrum library is renewable every year.

"If a year comes when you owe $30,000, all you have to do is say 'no, we're not going to pay this anymore,'" Hyrum Librarian Ginny Tremayne said.

Families in unincorporated areas of the county must pay $30 per year to use the library. Tremayne said that while many people are shocked when they find they must pay to check out books, most eventually purchase a card.

"If we have people in unincorporated areas that are willing to pay that, why do we assume that people in Millville are not willing to pay?" Hair asked.

Tremayne said that because library policy is not to turn anyone away, they have created payment plans for those who cannot afford to pay the full $30 in one visit.

"I think the goal is that we are able to provide library service to any family who wants to use it," Tremayne said. "We have a lot of young families that come to our story time, our family reading night and our summer activities, and those things just maybe wouldn't be available to them [without financial assistance."

Mortensen said that she hopes Mayor Mike Johnson and the mayor of Hyrum can reach a solution that doesn't involve charging the residents of Millville to use the library.

"There is only one outcome that I would see as a failure, and that is if you guys decide to start charging families to use the library. It's so much easier to turn on the TV than it is to go [pay for a book]," Mortensen said. "I know you guys are really careful with our money, and I appreciate that. I just think you are getting a good investment."

The council decided to continue the discussion at the next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday.

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