Seven St. Paul branch libraries will be open an additional two nights a week in 2015, following the City Council's override Wednesday of Mayor Chris Coleman's veto of funding for extra hours.

In its last meeting of the year, the council lost no time in voting 6-1 to override the veto, which Coleman issued Monday. The mayor's beef wasn't with the notion of extra library hours, but with the funding mechanism that the council chose to extend them.

Even after the override vote, Council President Kathy Lantry expressed concern that Coleman might choose not to spend the money anyway.

"Clearly this was a huge priority for the City Council … I'm hoping he will take that to heart," she said.

The city attorney's office quickly put that question to rest, advising that the mayor is obligated to spend money that the City Council appropriates with a specific purpose.

But mayoral spokeswoman Tonya Tennessen said that Coleman continued to believe it was a bad idea.

"With a projected budget deficit at around $10 million in 2016, the council's action means we will most likely be cutting these added hours not long after we are able to implement them," Tennessen said. "This does a disservice to the residents of St. Paul who expect and deserve consistency and stability in our library hours."

The council last week dipped into parking ramp revenues, typically used for economic development, to free up $345,000 in general fund dollars to cover the cost of keeping seven branch libraries open for a total of 35 more hours a week.

Council backers said the fund was robust enough to absorb the hit. But Coleman said it violated his budgeting principle of using stable and permanent funding sources for ongoing services.

In other action Wednesday, the council approved an agreement with Como Dockside, a private vendor, to manage a restaurant, events and recreation activities at the city's Como Lakeside Pavilion. The contract, which guarantees the city annual revenue payments of at least $100,000, runs through 2020. The previous vendor, Black Bear Crossings, won $800,000 in a settlement of its suit against the city for breach of contract.

Kevin Duchschere • 651-925-5035