John Steinbeck would not have wanted to see any city cut its library hours. But for storytelling purposes, he likely would have appreciated the irony: In 2004, Salinas, Steinbeck’s birthplace, considered shuttering its libraries because it didn’t have enough money to keep their doors open. Five years later, Salinas’ libraries are fully funded – and its wealthier neighbor, Monterey, sends its residents to Salinas should they want to borrow a book on a Sunday. Starting July 1, the Monterey Public Library will close one day a week.

Monterey faces a projected $7.6 million shortfall for fiscal year 2009-10. At the City Council’s June 2 meeting, city staff will recommend the elected officials balance the budget through a combination of cuts, reserve spending and employee givebacks. Among the proposed cuts: closing the library one day a week and reducing remaining hours of operation, and scaling back the California History Room, a treasure-trove of written, visual and audio materials documenting early California.

“WE’RE GIVING OUR SERVICES A HAIRCUT. IF THE BUDGET SITUATION GETS WORSE, WHICH PARKS ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO CLOSE?”

“If you need something from the library on a Sunday, you’re going to have to saddle up and drive to Salinas,” says Monterey City Manager Fred Meurer. Proposed 2009-2010 reductions to the library total $589,640, and include chopping Archivist Dennis Copeland’s hours from 40 to 20.

“The California History Room is hugely popular, its capabilities are quite rare and it has a tremendous service level,” Meurer says. “If we were to lose our archivist – and the continuity he has built over the last decade or so – it would really hurt to restart it. [Copeland] is a historian in his own right, and when somebody comes in to find out something about Monterey’s long-lost past, he can produce that document quite easily. Will we be able to maintain him at 20 hours a week? It’s pretty hard to go on 50 percent of your pay, and I know there’s another archivist position in town the Army is advertising.”

Last week, the City Council approved a plan for employee layoffs and reductions in hours worked, which will save Monterey $1 million a year. Twenty positions will be eliminated: 13 full-time and 7 part-time, in addition to 14 currently vacant positions that will be axed. The action gives employees more than 60 days notice, and those who receive layoff notices will be considered for other city jobs. It’s not final: the Council may modify its decision on the approved staffing cuts on June 2, the first public hearing on the 2010 budget.

While the city’s financial woes aren’t as bad as those of some of its neighbors – and not nearly as bad as the state’s or county’s – the recession has hit Monterey, and declining hotel – and sales-tax revenue has put projected city spending in the red. Meurer’s 2010 budget recommendation includes $5.9 million in spending reductions across all departments, and uses $850,000 of city reserves and $830,000 in employee givebacks to close the $7.6 million gap.

In addition to cutting library hours, Monterey finance officials propose reducing operating hours and programs at community centers and Colton Hall, eliminating two playground program sites, and reducing field-sports programs. If the Council adopts the budget plan, the police department will cut back its public records counter’s hours, and will eliminate its K-9 officer post. Additionally, parks, streets, trees and public building won’t be maintained to the current levels.

“The parks won’t look as good,” Assistant City Manager Fred Cohn says, “they may not be mowed as often. The restrooms won’t be cleaned as often; parks won’t be as clean because the trash won’t be picked up as often.”

“We’re giving our services a haircut,” Meurer adds. “If, in fact, the budget situation gets worse – and there’s a high probability it will get worse, then it will be: which parks are we going to have to close?”

The recommendation also eliminates city funding for annual events including First Night, all July 4 activities, Christmas tree lighting and the Easter Egg hunt, and cuts city contributions to the Monterey Film Commission and nonprofits using the Golden State Theatre for events. “That will be a real hit for the nonprofits, the State Theatre indirectly and a real hit for the downtown,” Meurer says.

The plan scales back green initiatives, too, like the Berkeley FIRST program (it started in Berkeley) that allows homeowners to pay for solar panels and other energy-saving devices through property tax bills over a 20-year time period.

“The green staff would like to take that on,” Meurer says, “but we just don’t have the money for it.”

While the City Council could take formal action on the budget recommendations on June 2, it will probably continue the discussion to the June 16 meeting.

“The council has not made final decisions,” Meurer says. “It’s not a done deal yet. The public still has the opportunity speak.”

The Monterey City Council discusses the 2010 budget at its June 2 meeting, 4pm, City Hall, corner of Pacific and Madison streets, Monterey. For additional budget news, check out www.monterey.org/budget/budgetnews.html