Statement
before the Glenn
A. Walsh
Council of
The City of
Carnegie Library’s Electronic Mail: < gaw@andrewcarnegie.cc
>
Allegheny
Regional Internet
Site: < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc
>
Branch Library 2007 December 5
Good morning. I am Glenn A.
Walsh of
Yesterday, I learned that a
public hearing regarding a proposal to permanently abandon the Allegheny
Regional Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the city’s first
Carnegie Library built in the neighborhood where Andrew Carnegie grew-up, and
build a smaller library structure three blocks away, was scheduled for Monday
morning at 10:00, in the City Council Chamber.
This will provide very
limited time to inform the community of the issue and of the public hearing,
and likely it will result in very low attendance for this public hearing.
Further, the busy Christmas season is always
a bad time to hold a public hearing, as nearly everyone is occupied with shopping and holiday events.
Is it not the purpose of a
public hearing to really get the opinion of many members of the public, not
just to satisfy a legal requirement? If so, then this public hearing should be
scheduled in January, when many more members of the public are available to
attend.
Further, to maximize
attendance from people in the neighborhood, this public hearing should be
scheduled during the early evening in the neighborhood. The New Hazlett
Theater, in
Yes, January is often cold
and snowy. But, the people of the North Side are very interested in the future
of their community and very concerned about their Library. I am confident in
telling you that attendance at a public hearing on a cold and snowy night in
January at the Hazlett Theater will be much higher than if the public hearing
is held on a work-day morning Downtown.
I urge the City Council
President to schedule this public hearing for an early evening in January, at
the Hazlett Theater on the North Side.
Thank you.
gaw