Residents urge more library funding, safer school routes and a transportation commission during Duluth public comment

Several residents used the public comment period at the Aug. 7 Duluth City Council meeting to press elected officials on library funding, transportation safety and neighborhood impacts from construction.

Speakers urged the council to maintain or increase funding for the Duluth Public Library. Betty Ramsland, a longtime library board member and member of Friends of the Duluth Public Library, said the library is “the Palace of the People” and asked the council to consider increasing the library’s budget after decades without adjustment. “The library budget has been unchanged since, I believe, 2002,” Ramsland said, adding that in today’s dollars the funding buys far less than it did previously.

Carly Laddell, a special education teacher and newly appointed library board member, said cuts would reduce open hours and programming and directly affect students and families who rely on the library for literacy programming and free access to resources.

Several speakers also urged action on transportation safety and the creation of a Transportation Commission. Andrea Heil, the Duluth Public Schools Safe Routes to School coordinator, recommended the council approve and form the Transportation Commission and include school-district representation. Heil noted Duluth’s walk-zone distances are smaller than statewide norms and described gaps such as inconsistent school-zone signage and limited infrastructure for safe student commutes.

David Fitch, a resident of Council District 3, described impacts from overlapping infrastructure projects near his home — lane closures, confusing signage and heavy equipment — and said inadequate coordination left some residents temporarily unable to access driveways. He asked the council to prioritize better study and coordination of the disruptive impacts of multiple construction projects happening at once.

Eleanor Dolan used her time to criticize the council’s recent handling of the Second District appointment, saying the public had little to no time to weigh in and that the interview-to-vote turnaround left constituents without meaningful input. Dolan also urged the council to support policies such as rent stabilization and stronger tenant protections.

Speakers characterized these as budget and policy priorities: maintaining library hours and services during a tight budget year; forming a Transportation Commission to advance safety and infrastructure for walking and biking; sustaining the crisis response team that handles mental-health-related calls; and improving coordination of street projects to reduce neighborhood disruption.

Councilors acknowledged the range of public concerns during the meeting and continued with the agenda.