Kate Olsen, president of the Scott County Library Board, wrote a letter to the city of Jordan saying that the library board would extend its contract to operate the Jordan Public Library.

The library board will continue to operate the Jordan library through the end of the year. It is requiring the city to provide a project plan and timetable by June 15. 

Deadlines for potential closing of the library -- "ultimatums," Mayor Ron Jabs said Monday -- have caused the city to make haste with its decisions about building a new library and city hall. The city has narrowed its choices for a site to two.

Olsen noted in her letter, which was received March 29, that this year the city has made "very significant progress" toward constructing a bigger building for the Jordan library. The city is one of the last in Scott County to construct a new library.

"We look forward to a productive process," Olsen wrote.

With library officials in the audience, the councilmembers said they were thankful for the library board's flexibility.

"It'll be worth the wait once it's done," Councilmember Jeremy Goebel said.