Azusa seeks library funds

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www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_4004820

City officials entered into negotiations with Santa Monica-based Watt Commercial Properties, the master developer hired to look at renovating the "Downtown North" area between Foothill Boulevard and Ninth Street, bordered by San Gabriel and Soldano avenues.

The negotiations include the developer paying to build a library that the city would furnish and operate.

The council is expected to vote Monday on spending $25,000 to hire a consultant to study the current structure and operations of the Azusa Public Library and determine what it should like look in the future.

Once the report is completed, the council could implement a plan for the new library, double the present size, proposed for the northeast corner of Dalton Avenue and Foothill Boulevard.

It's unclear what would happen to the present 18,000- square-foot library.

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www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_4010220

The City Council approved Monday spending $25,000 to hire a consultant to analyze library management and operations.

The process of hiring the consultant is expected to begin this week.

"This is not about cutting services," Azusa Mayor Diane Chagnon said. "It's a holistic approach to addressing issues identified by our library director."

One issue identified was the difficulty in recruiting new employees. Chagnon said the council took the same approach with the police department in recent months, and it turned out to be money well spent.

The council is preparing for a new library to be built and paid for by Santa Monica-based Watt Commercial Properties, the master developer hired to look at renovating the Downtown North section of Azusa.

Building the new library was part of the negotiations between Watt and the city, which will pay to furnish and operate the library.

The current library is in a deteriorating building at 729 N. Dalton Ave. Shelves are bulging with reading materials, wiring is outdated and work space is rare commodity.

The proposed library, about twice the size of the present library, would be at the northeast corner of Dalton Avenue and Foothill Boulevard, next to the Azusa Senior Center.

www.wattcommercial.com/