To the editor:
Although I did not attend the last City Council meeting I was shocked and saddened to read the results. The Preserve and Renew our Carnegie Library Task Force, made up entirely of volunteers, has work tirelessly for more than a year to get our library restored and upgraded.
In my opinion, they had done everything right. They had countless meetings and open houses, invited the public both virtually (on Zoom) and in-person to give their input, and held informational meetings for every neighborhood of Manitou Springs.
In addition they launched a web page, kept the council updated, made several presentations to the Manitou Arts, Culture, and Heritage (MACH) board to secure funding, answered questions, written several press releases, put up an information kiosk and received excellent coverage in the Bulletin.
And now, in a critical “next step” in the process needed from council they are brought to a screeching halt. What a shame.
Where have the naysayers been for the past year? And yes, I include the council.
Manitou functions and is a wonderful a community in large part because of the people who volunteer on numerous committees and boards, many appointed by our City Council.
Why form those committees, allow them to work countless hours as volunteers, periodically encourage them to proceed and then, when reaching a critical juncture, do an about-face and send everyone (including staff) back to the drawing board? How disheartening!
I have no doubt that the library task force will continue its work. They are a passion-fueled and dedicated group of volunteers.
I’m so sorry to see council add a new to-do list to their work as well as to city staff’s. We could have been one step closer to having a new library, but instead we have taken two steps back.
Respectfully,
Nancy O. Wilson