Brandon Twp.- The Brandon School District has made a tentative offer to the Brandon Township Library in an effort to end a pending legal battle with the library regarding student library cards.
‘Hopefully we’re going to settle with the library,? said Beth Nuccio, Brandon school board president after the closed session meeting on Monday. ‘We’re trying to not cost the taxpayers any more money. We’re ready to end (the case) right now.?
While complete terms of the deal were not released Nuccio said, the school district has offered to assist the library in completing their homework center and supply text books for the program in exchange for providing the Brandon students who live in Groveland Township library cards. The offer was made on June 2.
JoAnn Gavey, Brandon Township Library director referred comment to their attorney at Plunkett & Cooney.
The dispute surrounds a 1997 contract between the school district and the library over the interpretation of a Student Patron Fee Agreement. At the same time the Real Estate Transfer Agreement contract transferred about two acres of school district property for $1 to the library for the construction of the current facility which opened in 2000.
The controversy erupted when library officials said in December 2003 that Groveland Township residents contribute only 3 percent (about $25,000) of the library operating revenue. Conversely, township residents pay the majority of the library operations through a millage of about 1.8265. As a result, the library board requested that Groveland Township residents agree to a new yearly contract of $190,686 to cover about 2,340 library cards.
The Groveland Township Board of Trustees turned down the request in February and as of April 1, library services were terminated. Groveland Township residents can still purchase family library cards or single cards.
Library officials say anyone can use the facility including students. However, if they live outside the township and request a library card to check out materials students they are subject to a $6 fee consistent with the terms of an earlier agreement.
In February 2004, school officials were notified they would be charged $6 per library card for each Groveland Township student who attends Brandon School District. School officials balked at the charge and maintain the library has chosen to put the kids in the middle of the fee disagreement with Groveland Township. In a closed session meeting the school board approved legal action against the library.
Since then school and library officials along with attorneys for both have grappled with possible solutions to the dispute, including special Groveland Township Brandon student library cards.
Despite the efforts, in a letter dated Aug. 31, 2004 from the library board of trustees to the board of education, library officials refused to change their position on the issue.
About 950 Brandon students live in Groveland Township.