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Minutes - 2006 - Eagle Public Library - 12/11/2006 - Regular EAGLE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES December 11, 2006 Community Room The Eagle Public Library Board of Trustees meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by President Jane Mans. Present were Board President Jane Marrs; Board Members Nancy Marshall and Christine Edwards Allred; City Council Liaison Stan Bastian; Library Director Ron Baker; and Wright Brothers Representative Robert Grubb. Board Member Christine Edwards Allred made a motion that the amended Agenda be approved and Board Member Nancy Marshall seconded the motion. The amended Agenda was unanimously approved. Board Member Nancy Marshall made a motion that the amended Minutes be approved and Board Member Christine Edwards Allred seconded the motion. The amended Minutes were unanimously approved. Board Member Christine Edwards Allred made a motion to pay the bills and Board Member Nancy Marshall seconded the motion. The motion to pay the bills was unanimously approved. Friends of the Library Report There is no report. The friends will meet early in January. Director's Report Director Ron Baker gave the Director's Report. ILS Migration: Progress Report Much remains unsettled even though they LYNX! directors did meet at Mountain Home. Although representatives from two libraries were missing—making the libraries unable to determine how the administration functions should work—the consensus seems to be that a central administration function is essential because of the possibility of losing data and the lack of confidentiality that results in a non-centralized system. Currently, the libraries are receiving only a driblet of statistics from Boise. There are two additional areas of concern. Debt collect has not been reactivated since the new system has been installed, so that the libraries have been functioning for three months without debt collect. Also, patron authentication can't be performed, so that libraries who have promised to use electronic products only with their own patrons can't stay within their contract. Remodel of garage/shelving installation: Progress Report The new space looks wonderful. The project is very close to completion and the library has received assurances that the alarm issues will be resolved by Friday so that shelving may be installed. Most of the furniture is in. Some damage is being addressed. Wright Brothers is hopeful that they will sign off by the end of the week. The library has incurred unexpected expenses in this remodel. First, the library has paid for two more telephones, including a chip in each to allow for cordless use which facilitates trouble-shouting on the computer while speaking on the phone. This will cost an additional $600. The library also has incurred an additional $400 in wiring expenses. Ron anticipates that the library will be able to cover these expenses through the furniture budget which was generous. The library may choose to incur one additional expense in order to electroplate the green shelving in the area to gray to match the shelving in the rest of the building. He'll bring pricing for this process to the next board meeting. Hiring of new Reference Librarian/Increase in public reference hours The new reference librarian began work on December 1St. As a result, the library has developed a new reference desks schedule. Prior to December, the library was covering 28 hours a week, but with the new schedule, the library will offer reference desk assistance for 48 of the 58 hours that the library is open. There will be some hours when both the adult reference desk and the children's reference desk will be covered. Three years ago, the library offered no reference desk hours. Telephone System install and enhancements The telephone has been installed. Overpayment for fire system inspection during FY 2005/06 Ron reports that during the year we were double charged for our fire inspection. The library paid a fee at the beginning of the year which, Ron believed, was for a maintenance contract. It turns out that the $1,000 the library paid Simplex/Grinnell covered nothing but the fire inspection. We paid them an additional $750 for the installation of additional fire alarms during the year. As a result of his dissatisfaction with this high cost/low service arrangement, Ron has contracted with another company, Alarmco, and paid $600 for this year's fire inspection. Director out of town, Dec 22-Dec 27 Ron will give his cell phone number to the staff in case he needs to be contacted. Library Liaison/City Hall Report Councilman Stan Bastian gave the Library Liaison/City Hall Report. Several major facilities and businesses are coming to Eagle. St. Al's is getting ready to open. St. Luke's is going in. Winco has made application to begin building. The city has a new well in Brookwood. The city is installing a million gallon tank in the foothills to provide water pressure and water for emergencies given a power failure. The tank would also provide water for some of the foothill development. The city has another well going in in the Legacy Development. The city is committed to establishing a water delivery system. In that regard, the city is in the process of interviewing and offering a job to a public works director. The city will eventually sustain a public works department. The city may still contract out some services. However, as nearly as possible, the city will have a single water delivery system. Currently, United Water and Eagle Water Company serve the area, but the city hopes to consolidate at least some of those services. Unfinished Business North Building Addition: Plan options &Estimates (Robert Grubb, Wright Bros.) Robert Grubb of Wright Brothers attended the board meeting to address the possibility of expanding the EPL. In preparation for the discussion, Ron noted that the library has recently received a report from Planning and Zoning regarding the carrying capacity report for the building expansion and for the Eagle Civic Plaza Parcel. City Hall can expand to 21,000 feet and the Library can expand to 36,000 feet without exceeding the current parking. Ron also noted that the national standard for library space per resident is .85 feet. Eagle is currently at 20,000 residents (exactly .85 feet per resident in our current 17,000 square feet library). The city is growing at roughly 10% each year, requiring additional square footage in order for the EPL to meet the standard. However, Ron raised not only this question of square foot/resident but also the question of space for the collection to grow. The Eagle Library currently adds roughly 6,000 or 7,000 items a year and has space for two more years of growth at this level. Adding an additional 1,000 square feet would allow the collection to grow by 11,000 volumes—or, an additional two years of growth. An additional 6,000 feet would give the library roughly twelve years of population and collection growth. In addition to these concerns, a central library must maintain a master collection and deliver processing services for all branch libraries. Ron also noted that current open spaces serve necessary functions. For instance, the current community room continues to be used heavily for community functions even since the construction of City Hall, and should probably be preserved for that purpose. Robert Grubb of Wright Brothers suggested considering three phases of development. First, enclosing the patio to add 1,000 square feet. Second, expanding further to the north—adding roughly 3,000 square feet. Third, developing a plan for building to the extent allowable on the north—roughly adding 6,000 square feet. Wright Brothers would offer plans for these expansions and projected costs. Wright Brothers would have meetings with architects and would provide drawings that would be the property of the library. The architects would meet with the library board, then would develop preliminary drawings; have another meeting; then provide final drawings. Robert suggests that the cost of new construction will be roughly $105 to $115/square foot. An advantage to building off the back of the building: it would not disrupt public flow. Wright Brothers could also place a header into the back wall so that the library could place a door in that north wall to provide public entrance and exit if future expansion disrupted the current library entrance and exit. For instance, building a two- storey wing to the south of the existing building would take 1 and 1/2 years and would disrupt the existing entrance and exit. A concern regarding the first phase of development was that it would probably require Wright Brothers to tear out the existing patio and pour cement again. The board raised many questions regarding expansion possibilities. Should we go to the expense of a small expansion, only to have to expand again immediately? Ron suggests that the library can find the money to add 1,000 square feet, but would need to pass a bond to build the two-storey children's wing and/or the additional 6,000 square feet. Would minor expansion distress the public who would see this expansion unfolding, but would nevertheless be approached to pass a bond to fund further expansion within four years of the completion of the additional 1,000 square feet? Should we work towards a service fee on behalf of the library? Should we refinance our bond (we have bonded indebtedness on the current building until 2008)? Stan Bastian suggested that the library should consider its expansion within the need for development in Eagle at large. For instance, Stan suggested that the renovation of the library may compete with a performing arts center. The city may propose property tax funding for a library expansion and a performing arts center. He wondered if we should send out a survey to determine what the voters would support? What order? What amounts? The performing arts center will probably be financed through a combination of public and private financing and the city is probably one to two years away from taking the proposal to residents. The library could be ready to propose a bond election within a year. We would need to have a building proposal and a building program as well. The board would like Stan to solicit City Council input on the issue of library expansion. The board continues to consider four possibilities. First, to do nothing at the current time which leaves adequate space for collection growth for two years. Second, to expand 1,000 feet to the north of the building without approaching the public for financing. Third, to expand to the south of the building for the children's library—the most needed, but most expensive expansion—through passing a bond. And, fourth, passing a bond to complete total expansion to the north and south. This would require a couple of million dollar commitment. Recommendation on the new Board Member The board has recommended that Bobbi J. Olson be approved as a member of the Eagle Public Library Board. The Mayor will consider that recommendation in the next day or two. Christine Edwards Allred recommended that the process by which we select board members be adjusted in two ways. First, that applicants be brought in individually to meet with the board. Second, that the board have an opportunity to discuss any concerns regarding applicants before the applicant is brought in to meet the board. Stan recommended that the board establish a policy of soliciting letters and conducting interviews with the applicants. He recommended that the board establish a list of questions to ask each applicant. Ron noted that because the city council has not frequently challenged the library board recommendation, that the board is obligated to take the process seriously and ensure that it is a thorough process. New Business Calendar: Library Closures Nancy Marshall recommended that the library consider the year as a whole when contemplating library closures as this would be of assistance to the staff as well as to the board as it reviews each closure. Ron noted that the Mayor regularly declares an extra day of City holiday surrounding holidays. For instance, this year Christmas falls on a Monday. The mayor has just said that Friday will be a city holiday as well. This has left the library is in a bit of a bind because the library should close on Friday, but then should open again on Saturday. Ron's recommendation given this gift from the mayor is to close the Library on Saturday instead of Friday, thus offering the library the right to observe the extra day of holiday in a way that best accommodates the staff. Planning such closures a year in advance is impossible since the Mayor makes these declarations at the last minute. Stan recommended that the city develop a yearly calendar in which such extra days of holiday will be planned in advance. He will raise that issue with the City Council and the Mayor. Ron recommended that, in this instance, the library be open on Friday, but closed on Saturday. Nancy Marshall made a motion that the library be open on the Friday, but closed on the Saturday before Christmas. Jane Marrs seconded the motion. It passed unanimously. Additional Items or Public Comment Christmas Lighting Nancy Marshall recommended that next year the city contemplate extending the holiday lighting from the city hall to the library as well. Stan will take that idea to the city council for future years at an appropriate time in the future. Library By-Laws& Policies Ron would like to take on the project of updating and documenting by-laws & policies next year after the migration is complete and Jeannie's time is free. Selection of Next Meeting Date The next meeting will take place on January 8 at 7 p.m. Adjournment Board Member Christine Edwards Allred made a motion that the meeting be adjourned. Board Member Nancy Marshall seconded the motion. The motion to adjourn the meeting was unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned at 9:03 p.m.