Dear Mayor Law and City Council members,

One of my sources for obtaining information regarding Renton has been the Renton Reporter. According to this week’s Reporter, my letter will arrive too late to make a difference but I still hope all of you will take the time to read it. I have resided at the same residence within the city limits since 1970, yet I never recall being polled or asked my opinion about anything other than school levies. I grew up where people attending the town hall meeting voted and made decisions, rather than representative council members taking care of business. I am concerned about financing new libraries in our current economic climate. Even more distressing is the opinion that a new location would be beneficial. Our library at one time was in the Guinness Book of Records as being the only public library straddling a river. Adding to that, it is located adjacent to a public park which contains athletic facilities, a children’s play ground, a skateboard park, trails and very accessible safe parking. How can you believe you can improve on that?

Ever since I have resided in Renton, revitalizing downtown has been on many different candidates’ platforms. Why didn’t city hall move “downtown” or stay put? I recall the fact it was a “good deal” which at the time was more important to someone than revitalizing downtown. Officials, elected or otherwise, like to leave their mark, I guess, and some actually do. Gene Coulon certainly did! (In fact, we have spectacular parks and golf course and I can’t name those responsible.) I suspect it may be a fact of life that businesses will come and go. So that fact probably will always affect plans for revitalizing downtown. Will moving the library accomplish this? Or will you then need to revitalize the area the library is currently occupying ? Old City Hall is not looking that spiffy these days. Will you revitalize it?

My final question is, “Just who has been polled for you to believe this is the wish of the majority?” It certainly was neither me nor my immediate neighborhood. Keep it where it is, please.

Ruth M. Taylor

Renton