Two cents: End the fight—tonight

The Metro Council this evening will—yet again—debate funding for a stage canopy for the Galvez Plaza stage and, more importantly, the future of the long-planned, often-approved downtown library. Quite simply, it’s time for the public to fill the council chambers, voice their opinions and demand that our elected officials resolve these matters once and for all. At this point, there’s little need to recount the history of these projects. Both have tired story lines that, in the case of the library, have been playing out for years—first in a tax election, then several rounds at the Library Board of Control, and then several more before the Metro Council. The voters approved a $19 million downtown library. The library board voted to make the proposed library its new main branch. Controversy ensued as a vocal minority criticized the decision before a revamped library board. A new mayor by the name of Kip Holden effectively brokered a compromise when he said the Goodwood branch should remain the main library and that downtown would get a “super regional” library. That, for a brief time, made everyone happy. Yet as plans began to emerge for a forward-thinking, technologically advanced downtown library, the vocal minority again grew angry, and now they repeatedly take their case before any public gathering that has anything at all to do with the proposed structure. Read the full column here. Send comments to editors@businessreport.com. —JR Ball