Homeless library patrons must park their gear at the door

City librarian Misty Jones had a thorny problem for city attorney Jan Goldsmith: how much gear can homeless readers take in from the cold?

“Some library patrons have asked to bring all of their belongings, including four-foot-tall rolling carts containing boxes and bedrolls, into the Mission Valley Branch Library computer lab and the San Ysidro Branch Library,” according to Goldsmith’s July 16 legal memo to Jones on the subject. “The patrons indicated that they have disabilities and keep their medicine in the carts. You have asked what the City’s legal responsibility is with regard to providing reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

Noted the city attorney: “Allowing the patrons to chain the carts to something inside the door of the library may create a safety issue for patrons and first responders should there be an emergency situation.”

The opinion continues, “Instead of fulfilling library duties and providing other services, staff would focus on finding a suitable space for the patrons’ carts, possessions, and other personal effects that would not interfere with the other patrons or their use of the public library.”

In short, says Goldsmith, homeless library patrons must park their gear at the door…

Democratic city councilwoman Myrtle Cole took advantage of Cisco’s private Aerosmith rock concert at Petco Park on July 9 to hand out 18 passes in the exclusive city box to the non-profit Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation on Euclid Avenue, according to her July 24 disclosure report. Each pass was valued at $79.50.