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Residents urge commissioners to keep Vanderbilt Beach Library open as budget and service cuts loom
Summary
Four public speakers told the Collier County Commission they have collected thousands of petition signatures and urged officials not to close the Vanderbilt Beach Library, citing accessibility for seniors, traffic impacts if patrons are forced to use the county headquarters branch and limited non‑personnel funding in the library's 2025 budget.
Multiple speakers during Tuesday’s public‑comment period urged Collier County commissioners to preserve the Vanderbilt Beach Library and to include it in upcoming budget discussions.
Marsha Onick (appears in the record as Marsha Onick) said volunteers had collected nearly 1,200 hard‑copy signatures and 1,500 online signatures in roughly two weeks, and that petitioners cite traffic and accessibility as primary reasons to keep the branch open. Onick told commissioners the 2025 library budget reduced staffing at Vanderbilt Beach from 4.5 full‑time equivalents to 2.5 and provided about $66,000 for…
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