Carlsbad City Council to Consider Request for Latino Library Grant : Funding: A city official’s decision not to place the issue on the council agenda had led to an outcry from Latino activists.

Carlsbad’s Latino community won an apparent victory over a city administrator as two City Council members said they and their colleagues will probably agree next week to apply for a special library grant.

The council on Tuesday night agreed to discuss the $157,000 federal grant proposal at its next meeting, even though Assistant City Manager Frank Mannen had decided against putting the matter on the council agenda.

The council meets again Tuesday, a day before the deadline to apply for the funding.

Latino leaders complained when they learned that Mannen had decided not to schedule the grant proposal, which would provide money for bilingual library workers and other services to help Spanish-speaking residents.

Latino activists claimed Mannen’s decision was a slap at the Latino community and showed that City Hall had little interest in meeting Latino needs.

Mannen has said he meant no insult and simply held off out of concern that the city would become responsible for future program funding.

Mayor Bud Lewis said Wednesday that he decided to put the grant proposal on the agenda after he received phone calls from six people unhappy with Mannen’s decision.

“I did get a little up-tight when a few expressed the idea of racism,” he said.

After the proposal goes to the council, “we’re going to apply, no question about that,” Lewis said.

Lewis’ move satisfied Latina activist Gloria Valencia-Cothran, although she expressed less confidence that the council will actually apply for the grant.

“It will be on the agenda,” she said. “That way we’ll see whether they’ll support it.

“What I’m surprised at is how the Hispanic community jumped on the bandwagon” to prompt council action, she said.

Councilman Mark Pettine said Wednesday that the entire council agreed to hear the matter, and that he believes it will authorize applying for the grant.

A coalition of 15 organizations and agencies, the Partners for Change, has urged the city to seek the grant to provide Latinos with a library information program to help them fill out government forms, understand American laws and find jobs and English classes.

Those needs were discovered when the San Diego County Assn. of Governments surveyed more than 400 Latinos early this year.

Lewis said he will urge the council to accept the grant, with certain conditions.

He wants the coalition to know that, if the funding provides money for only one year, the city will not necessarily continue it and that the coalition must compete with other community groups seeking support.

Lewis also said that, if the city does not receive the grant, “we may go ahead without it” if the council decides the library program is necessary and feasible.