Library keeps fourth floor

The Finance Committee’s proposal to take out the fourth floor from the library’s development plan was a mistake, says deputy mayor Gunnvør Balle.

The City Council’s Finance Committee had recommended that the current reconstruction of the library should not include the fourth floor. The committee wanted this floor to be used as office space for the City Council administration.

This prompted staff at the library to send an open letter to City Councillors urging them to vote against the proposal, as work is well underway to integrate the fourth floor into the rest of the library settings.

Opposition City Councillor Helena Dam á Neystabø last week lashed out at these plans saying that turning the fourth floor into office space rather than encouraging young people to read shows a great lack of vision on behalf of the City Council.

Yesterday, the Deputy Mayor, Gunvør Balle, responded to Ms á Neystabø’s comments admitting that the whole issue regarding the fourth floor had been one big misunderstanding, and that the council’s vote on the matter had been cancelled.

“Sometimes when we have many important items to deal with in a hurry, mistakes happen, and this is a case in point. We probably didn’t have enough detailed knowledge of this matter,” said Balle.

“There was never really any doubt that the library should be given access to the fourth floor when the council’s IT department moves out. All we can do is apologise for the inconvenience and the confusion.”

The matter will be debated in the City Council next week, and, according to Balle, the Finance Committee’s proposal will not be approved.

Translated by prosa.fo.