Funding OKd for 2 Valley Libraries

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Monday to amend Mayor Richard Riordan’s proposed budget to provide money for furniture and staff for two libraries scheduled to open in the San Fernando Valley.

At the request of Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who represents a southeast section of the Valley, the council voted to spend $2.9 million from a reserve fund to provide staff and furniture for the Platt Branch Library in Woodland Hills and the Mid-Valley Regional Library in North Hills.

The Platt library is scheduled to open in November and the Mid-Valley library is expected to open next May. Construction costs were paid for by a $53.4-million voter-approved bond measure.

The additional money was approved during the council’s first day of budget discussions. The council will continue debating the mayor’s proposed budget for fiscal 1993-94 today.

Riordan’s budget initially offered $1.5 million to pay for books and supplies at three new Valley libraries, but added no extra money for staff or furniture.

Yaroslavsky’s request for additional funding did not include money for the third new Valley library, the Porter Ranch Branch Library, because it is scheduled to open during the next fiscal year.

Under Riordan’s proposed budget, the Library Department would have to operate the new Valley libraries with the department’s existing staff.

The additional $2.9 million allows the Library Department to keep 37 positions that were to be cut under Riordan’s budget and add 42 new positions citywide, including 11 1/2 positions for Platt library and 18 positions for Mid-Valley library, said Joyce Sloss, a city administrative analyst.

“That will do a lot to help the Library Department,” she said.

The extra funding will also be used to add staff and preschool and adult learning programs citywide, according to Yaroslavsky’s proposal.