The Santa Barbara Central Library will be closing its lower level as of 3/16 to cut costs and to make room for a children’s library in 2011. A statement from library staff also noted that employees of the Santa Barbara Police Department may temporarily occupy the space when the downtown headquarters undergo structural reinforcement this summer.

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The City Council on 3/10 delayed a vote on whether to approve selling up to $65 million in bonds to build a bigger airline terminal at Santa Barbara Airport. Given the economic decline, construction costs have plummeted to $32 million-$12 million below initial expectations. However, the second-lowest bidder accused the lowest that its security system supplier was not legally allowed to do such business in Santa Barbara. The council will try to sort out this matter in the next month.

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Casa Esperanza is talking to the City of Santa Barbara about temporarily and provisionally increasing the number of beds it can legally provide to area homeless by 40 on 4/1, when its winter shelter closes and half of the facility’s 200 beds must be eliminated until December. Shelter directors pointed to the high mortality rate of area homeless so far this year and the need to reduce the risks they face.

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