On Tuesday, the Santa Clarita City Council approved its end of the deal that would inevitably lead to the completion of the expansion to the Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library.  

The resolution, voted on unanimously, will entail the City paying the County of Los Angeles approximately $600,000 toward the 4,500 square foot addition to the library – now stagnant for nearly three months.  

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The deal includes more stipulations, including the County’s promise to vouch for the City’s inclusion into the Southern California Library Cooperative, the interlibrary loan system the City wishes to enter in the future.  

On August 24, the City Council voted to withdraw from the County Library, and subsequently contract with Library Systems and Services, LLC, a library management company.  

With LSSI running the City’s three branches in Valencia, Canyon Country and Newhall, patrons wishing to rent books not stacked in those libraries would funnel requests through the Southern California Library Cooperative.  

Assistant City Manager Ken Striplin delivered a staff presentation at Tuesday’s meeting, discussing the financial aspects of the matter.  

Striplin said any costs incurred during the transition from County to City control would be made up over the long term by the cost savings in contracting with LSSI.  

As part of the deal, the County must be done by March 1, 2011, or else be subjected to a fine of $250 per day – lower than the previously discussed $500 figure.  

“I think the proposed resolution really is a compromise between both parties,” said Striplin.  

The County Board of Supervisors will evaluate the deal on December 7.  

The Council took another step toward the City-wide library system by announcing the establishment of the Citizens Public Library Advisory Committee. Consisting of 37 members, the group will meet once a month throughout the system’s creation to develop programs for the library that fit with the Santa Clarita citizenry.  

As an amendment to the resolution, committee members may be replaced with substitutes in the event of too many absences.