Politics & Government
Bargaining over Library Services Continues
Piedmont and Oakland have yet to agree on the price of public library access.
Representatives from Piedmont and Oakland met in a closed-door session Wednesday to negotiate the current fiscal year’s library payment and a new contract going forward.
Piedmont, with no library of its own, has for years contracted with Oakland for the use of library services, recently paying in the 2009-2010 fiscal year.
But renewal of the 1999 contract, which expired in 2008, has hit a stumbling block, as Oakland is asking for more money than Piedmont is willing to pay.
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“Oakland believes the number would have to be higher,” said City Administrator Geoffrey Grote, the lead negotiator for Piedmont in the library talks.
Grote said he was not permitted to give details about what was said at the Wednesday meeting, but that the conversation was “very productive and worthwhile."
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“We’re going to look into some options that were discussed, and continue to do research,” said Grote.
Carmen Martinez, Oakland's library director, declined to discuss the negotiations.
“I do not have anything that I can share right now, as we have just had our first negotiation meeting,” she said.
Piedmonters are hoping the cities come to an agreement, and soon.
“I want to see a new contract for five or hopefully 10 years between Oakland and Piedmont,” said Tamra Hege, president of the Piedmont League of Women Voters.
The negotiations come in the wake of Oakland Mayor Jean Quan’s worst-case scenario budget proposal to shut down 14 Oakland library branches, including the , and branches, which are among those Piedmonters visit the most.
If all the closures happen, only four branches will remain open: Main, 81st Avenue, Dimond and .
Piedmont and Oakland residents have joined forces to protest the potential closures, rallying behind groups such as Save Oakland Library and Friends of Piedmont Avenue Branch Library.
Branch closures would no doubt impact contract negotiations between Oakland and Piedmont, though Grote said last week it is too early to tell what the effect might be.
He did say Piedmont might consider paying specific branches directly rather than the city’s general fund.
Grote said next year’s library payment will be discussed this Saturday at the City Council budget hearing.
