MARINETTE (NBC 26) — This month, the Marinette County Board voted to put a deadline on lease discussions for the historic Stephenson Public Library: if the City of Marinette and county can’t agree on new terms by Sept. 30, the library will move out of downtown.
Many people who live in Marinette say the Stephenson Public Library is a community staple.
“I think it should stay, it’s been here for a long time,” Andrew Behnke, a lifelong Marinette resident, said.
The library was established in 1903, though the building has since undergone renovations and expansions.
“I think it’s a hallmark of the downtown,” Mayor Steve Genisot, said. “It’s just been a part of our community forever.”
The city owns the building, which was a gift from the Stephenson family. But the county, and a county library board, manages the library.
“We have a consolidated library system that’s actually run by the library board,” Kevin Solway, Marinette County Administrator, said. “The county itself does not really run the library, we provide funding to the library, but we don’t tell them how to operate.”
The consolidated library system includes libraries across the county. Solway says they have different lease agreements with the nearby municipalities for each library.
While there is a current lease agreement with the City of Marinette and Marinette County for the Stephenson Library, Genisot says they can’t find the legal paperwork, and therefore do not know the current terms.
So, the city and county have been working together for several months to agree upon a new lease. The county hopes to share some of the future renovation costs with the city.
“We don’t want to just keep putting money into a building that we don’t own,” Solway said. “Say an elevator goes, and it’s going to be $50,000 to fix it, we’re looking to split the cost. And we’re looking for a long term lease, as I believe the city is as well.”
Mayor Genisot says with facade repairs needed in the near future, he understands why the county is pushing for more cost sharing.
“I get why the county wants to have a formalized agreement so that they can make future plans for improvements,” he said.
So far this year, they have not finalized a lease agreement. And now, the clock is ticking.
At its Aug. 12 meeting, the Marinette County Board voted to set a deadline for the discussions. If the two municipalities cannot agree upon a new lease by Sept. 30, the board will move the library to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Marinette Campus.
“We don’t want to see it move from downtown, there’s a significant cost to move it, it’s been here forever,” Mayor Genisot said. “I think there’s a huge community support to keep it in the downtown.”
Genisot and Solway say they’re on the same page. Genisot will present a lease proposal to the Marinette City Council at the Sept. 1 meeting.
Before Solway presents the proposal to the County Board on Sept. 29, it will need to be approved by the infrastructure committee on Sept. 9.
If the County Board and City Council both approve the lease, the library will stay in the Stephenson building.
“I personally think it will pass,” Solway said. “I am cautiously optimistic.”
“I think we’ll find a permanent solution long term,” Genisot said.
When the Stephenson family gifted the building to the city, they included a condition in the deed that says the building can only ever be a library. So if the board does indeed move the library to the UWGB Marinette Campus, Genisot says he’s unsure what will happen to the building.
