Bridge City changes library open hours

Bridge City Mayor David Rutledge said the city's public library's hours are changing, but the library will still be open 35 hours a week as before.

Beginning Tuesday, October 1, the library's open hours are Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The previous hours were 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, then 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays. The library has not been open on weekends.

"We did this to make sure we could keep it open," the mayor said about the change.

A number of people have complained about the hours on social media, saying the new hours are not convenient for working families with parents who get off work at 5 p.m.

However, Mayor Rutledge said a sign-up sheet was in the library for people to record the hours they were using it. He said that on Thursdays, when the library was open until 7 p.m., "almost no one came in between 6 and 7."

He would not comment on whether an employee at the library was laid off because it involves city personnel.

The Bridge City City Council had a workshop meeting on the library September 17. The agenda was "Discussion of the Bridge City Public Library's personnel duties, operations, schedules, hours of operation and other subjects pertinent to the Library."

The library is at 101 Parkside off West Roundbunch Road by the Community Center and park area. It is one of three city-operated libraries in Orange County. It provides free service to all Texas residents. The Vidor library charges a $10 library card fee for non-residents. The Orange library charges a $25-a-year fee for individual non-residents and $40 a year for a family.

Besides books and magazines, the Bridge City Public Library has computers for use, along with a fax machine, copy machine and scanner. The library also offers ebooks to download and audible books.

The change in library hours comes as the city is searching for a new city manager because the last one resigned after only a few months on the job.

Mayor Rutledge said advertising for the open position ends October 4 and then the council will begin whittling down the applicants to see who they want to interviews.

He said Slavin Management Consultants is not charging to help with the search because of a warranty the company gave the city. The company offered free services for another search if the city manager who started in January did not stay a year.

Mayor Rutledge said Christopher Baker resigned in August as city manager to pursue other endeavors. The city paid Baker a termination package, but the mayor said he couldn't comment on the package because it involves personnel.

The council canceled its Tuesday meeting so members could participate in the Night Out activities. The next council meeting will be Tuesday, October 15.