COLORADO SPRINGS — In a 5-2 vote, the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) Board of Trustees has voted against extending the library lease. This comes after multiple contentious meetings with community members expressing their support for keeping the library lease going.
"This was a farce," said Kat Gayle.
The decision hit home for the youngest members of the audience.
"I used to live in California," said Natalie Riendl, alongside her friend, Sage.
"We met at the park, but then we met each other again at the library, and that's what we really bonded over."
PPLD Board of Trustees insisted that its budget and staffing were the main reasons for the no vote.
"We're so short staffed and we don't have money to even pay them market wage," said PPLD Board of Trustees President Dora Gonzales.
Previous Coverage
After a vote to close the Rockrimmon Library, the PPLD Board of Trustees is set to consider renewing the facility's lease during Wednesday's meeting.
Covering Colorado
PPLD Board of Trustees votes to not renew lease for Rockrimmon Library
According to the meeting's agenda, the board will vote whether to renew the lease for one year, by either using the October 16 lease agreement or by entering a new one. The lease would be paid by the district.
This change comes after the board voted to close the library without much public input, and the community rallied to keep it open, raising money to offer the city to supplement its funding.
WATCH: Community members gather to protest the closing of Rockrimmon Library
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