Library trustees have postponed plans for an April referendum on a new library in light of the results of the recent election in which 60 percent of voters opposed the project.
Tuesday night’s 4-2 decision does not prevent the city from taking up the project in the future, said library board President Joan Mattingly.
In the meantime, the library will reassess its needs and options, she said.
Mattingly said that because of delays, it would be difficult for the library to come up with a design and produce detailed information to present to the public in time for an April vote.
The Nov. 5 referendum was non-binding.
The library board was planning to place a binding referendum on the April ballot.Meanwhile, some city aldermen said the public has spoken and the library should stop spending time and money planning for a new building.
“We know the public doesn’t want a new library, so let’s get off of it and let’s move on,” Ald. Michael Tinaglia said.
Tinaglia proposed that the council issue a resolution asking the library to stop on planning, studying or designing a new library.
The City Council does not have the authority to order the library to stop, however.
Reaction to Tinaglia’s resolution was split. It is expected to come back to the council for a vote on Dec. 2.
