SOME T.O. LIBRARY USERS MAY HAVE TO PAY UP : DIRECTOR WANTS TO CHARGE THOSE IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS $55 NONRESIDENT FEE.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

After enjoying the same library privileges as Thousand Oaks citizens, residents of unincorporated parts of Newbury Park, Lynn Ranch and Ventu Park may soon be charged the annual $55 nonresident fee for a library card.

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, library director Marvin Smith will recommend that the 5,500 or so residents living within those pockets be charged the fee because the contract under which Ventura County had subsidized their service will not be renewed.

Smith was not available for comment Friday.

The suggestion is supported by Councilwoman Elois Zeanah, who said those residents should be treated the same as other Conejo Valley residents.

``They're outside our city limits,'' she said. ``I think we should be consistent with the way we charge Westlake Village and Agoura Hills residents.''

Zeanah noted that the city also is looking for more money to maintain the extended schedule at the Janss Road branch that is due to end June 30. ``We want to continue opening the main library seven days a week, so we are having to secure revenue sources to do that.''

Under the contract in effect since 1989, the county has compensated the city for service to residents of the unincorporated areas in question. But the county does not intend to renew the contract, Smith wrote.

Excluded from the nonresident fee requirement would be children enrolled in Thousand Oaks schools, he wrote.

Supervisor Frank Schillo said the county has known about this possibility ``for some time'' and has asked the city to delay a decision until an alternate agreement can be reached. He said he hopes to meet with city officials Monday to discuss the issue.

``We would like the opportunity to work something out,'' he said.

The city instituted the $55 nonresident user's fee in 1991 due to a ``noticeable increase'' in library use by people who didn't live in the city, Smith wrote.

Of the 147,000 registrations of patrons that year, approximately 85,000 were residents and 62,000 were nonresidents, according to Smith. In addition, about 38 percent of the library's daily circulation was used by nonresidents, who were ``crowding out'' residents - a situation that resulted in scarce parking places and long lines at reference and checkout desks, he wrote.

The city has since collected $371,000, representing about 1,200 paying nonresident users per year, according to Smith.

One person who would be affected by the proposed change is City Manager Grant Brimhall, who lives in unincorporated Lynn Ranch. ``I think it's a shame that part of my property taxes don't go to pay for library services in the city,'' he said. ``That would be helpful.''

The City Council will meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Forum Theatre at the Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd.