HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes of the Regular Meeting 03/21/2013Ames Public Library Board of Trustees
Meeting Minutes
March 21, 2013
The Ames Public Library (APL) Board of Trustees met in regular session on Thursday, March
21, 2013, in the City Council Chambers, 515 Clark Avenue, with Acker, Bradley, Budd,
Campbell, Meier, Schill, and Stow in attendance. Trustees Manus and Rawlins were excused.
Interim Director Carey was also present.
Call to Order: Board President Stow called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Consent Agenda: Moved by Acker, seconded by Bradley , to adopt a resolution approving
the consent agenda:
1) Donations
a) From Collegiate United Methodist Church ..................................................... $200.00
b) From Alan Maximuk ........................................................................................... $25.00
c) From Jack Saunders ............................................................................................ $5.00
2) Minutes of the meeting held March 7, 2013
3) Claims Report 2/1/2013 – 2/28/2013
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted.
Public Forum: None.
Activity Reports:
Staff Report - Interim Library Director Carey said speed bumps had been placed at the
crosswalk in front of the entrance to the library by the Public Works department, and they
helped calm traffic immediately. The speed bumps are portable and staff will experiment with
the best placement. Carey passed out a summary of the discussions that took place prior to the
move when staff was considering the possibility of putting a book drop in the parking lot. Carey
asked the Board to let her know if they wished for her to pursue the issue further, and Heemstra
noted that if there were interest in adding a book drop in the parking lot, the landlord would have
to be consulted.
Carey spoke about some upcoming events, including:
• The spring book sale, scheduled to take place on April 12-15 at 809 East Lincoln Way;
• The VEISHEA parade on April 20, in which the bookmobile, Teen Advisory Group and
Smyles, and any interested trustees may march; and
• The annual APL Volunteer Luncheon that will be held at North Grand Christian Church
on April 23.
Carey also said that First United Methodist Church will be holding an open house on Sunday,
and the north side of the fence around the library’s construction staging area will be covered
beforehand.
Finally, Carey reported that Mark Harris and Alissa Dornink attended a SirsiDynix users’ group
conference in Salt Lake City last week and came back with lots of good ideas and information to
share. Carey said staff appreciated the Board’s support for continuing education and thanked
them for making that type of investment in personnel.
Agenda Item 2
Ames Public Library Friends Foundation (APLFF) Report - Trustee Acker said the directors
discussed a draft budget developed by the Budget and Finance Committee; it indicated that it
would be difficult for the APLFF to support the library at the level it has been without drawing
down capital. The Fundraising Committee is organizing a mail campaign for endowment funding
in April, and a small committee was formed to consider hiring a development director. Stow
mentioned that the semi-annual book sale is a large revenue generator, and there is some
concern that income will be lower because of the new location.
Library Building Project Update:
Narrative Report – Heemstra stated that some additional asbestos needs to be removed from
the ceiling in the north stairwell; the pricing and scope of that work will soon be determined. The
architects and structural engineers are evaluating the wall that has now been uncovered.
Stow said the Building Project Committee met earlier in the week and had two resolutions to
present, which were included as additional item.
Additional Items -
Moved by Campbell, seconded by Meier, to adopt the following resolution:
Be it resolved that the Board of Trustees, Ames Public Library, affirms the
recommendation of the Building Project Committee to give priority to the
considerations of energy efficiency, ease of future maintenance, and fiscal
stewardship when making decisions pertaining to the treatment of historic features
during the renovation and expansion of the library building.
Be it further resolved that these priorities do not diminish the commitment to retain
historic elements of the original buildings whenever practical.
Carey said that the library has been operating on those principles along the way, but as the
contractor starts tearing into more pieces, he would like affirmation of that approach. Acker
inquired if there was anything controversial about it. Carey replied that she did not believe so.
Stow said that the construction supervisor said the crew is not finding many surprises, but they
want to have some guiding principles as they open things up.
Carey said that this philosophy had been applied when the Building Project Committee received
the report that showed that there was lead-based blue paint on all the 1940 windows. They were
faced with a decision about whether to reuse them or get new windows that look like the historic
windows from the outside. The committee chose to emphasize energy efficiency and reduced
maintenance costs, so replacement windows were included in the specifications approved by
City Council. She said the look will be the same from the outside, but that decision will not allow
for the library to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Stow mentioned that the poll of the public that had been conducted a few years ago showed a
very high rating on having an energy-efficient building. Carey said that MS&R’s effort to retain
the historical aesthetic in the 1904 and 1940 portions of the building has been impressive.
Trustee Budd said that whoever makes decisions needs to keep historic preservation in the
back of their mind; while he agrees with these priorities, that has to be an overriding
consideration. Carey said that that would be the first choice when it was practical, but the
resolution could be a guiding statement.
Stow brought up the skylight in the 1940 lobby area, mentioning that the panes of glass and
Agenda Item 2
wood frame in the ceiling have been removed and will be fixed and reused, but the skylight itself
has a lot of issues and it’s not practical to make it historically perfect. Heemstra mentioned that
part of the contract also calls for preserving the woodwork and other historic features in that
gallery area. Most of the historic metal shelving from the 1940s was removed in the 1980s, but
what remained in the Iowa Room has been removed and is being stored so it can be re-used.
Campbell said that it was evident from the architect’s presentation that the connection with
history is being maintained.
Vote on Resolution: 6-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted.
Moved by Meier, seconded by Schill, to adopt a resolution recommending that the
City Council approve Change Order No. 1 with A&P/Samuels Group, a Joint Venture,
thereby deleting subsections 1.3A, 1.4A, 1.4B, 1.4C, 3.5A, 3.6A, and 3.6B of section 01
3591 of the contract that pertain to hiring a historic treatment specialist.
Carey passed out copies of the Historic Treatment Procedures section of the contract, which
currently requires the contractor to hire a historic treatment specialist. She said that individual
would be important if an owner were attempting to get a building listed on the National Register
of Historic Places. Since that is not the library’s goal, the committee would like to take out the
requirement. The remaining sections of the contract still include the commitment to reuse and
preserve as much as possible. Carey said taking out the requirement to have a person on staff
who would provide guidance that would not necessarily be followed results in a deduct of
$13,850.
Acker asked if section 3.5B also needed to be removed. Carey said it did not; although it makes
reference to the historic treatment program, the requirement for the program has already been
removed (making it a moot point), and the rest of the language is appropriate.
Stow mentioned that the change order would be on the City Council’s agenda next week.
Vote on Resolution: 6-0 . Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted.
Library Renovation Project Financial Report – The financial report was included in the packet,
but Heemstra said there was no cost summary because there had been no changes since
March 7. Some change orders will be coming up.
Policy Review:
Bylaws, Library Board of Trustees - Moved by Acker, seconded by Campbell, to adopt a
resolution approving changes to the Bylaws, Board of Trustees, as presented/
amended.
Stow noted that the Board had approved amendments to the bylaws at the last meeting, but one
additional issue brought up by Trustee Rawlins was being addressed now.
Vote on Resolution as presented: 6-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution
adopted.
Display Spaces - Moved by Bradley, seconded by Budd, to adopt resolution approving
changes to the Display Spaces Policy as presented/amended.
Carey stated that the sections being eliminated were specific to the building at 515 Douglas; the
Agenda Item 2
revisions retain the same philosophy, but are being made to accommodate the space available
in the temporary facility.
Vote on Resolution as presented: 6-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution
declared adopted.
Exam Proctoring - Moved by Budd, seconded by Schill, to adopt a resolution suspending
the Exam Proctoring Policy while operations are conducted from the temporary
premises at 620 Lincoln Way.
Stow said exam proctoring also needed to be suspended because of the limited space in the
temporary library.
Vote on Resolution as presented: 6-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution
adopted.
Election and Installation of Officers: Stow reviewed the slate of officers that was presented
by the nominating committee at the March 7 meeting: Kevin Stow, President; Al Campbell, Vice
President; and Jane Acker, Secretary. He asked if there were any further nominations for the
office of president. Hearing none, nominations for the office of president were declared closed.
Stow welcomed further nominations for the office of vice president. Hearing none, nominations
for the office of vice president were declared closed.
Additional nominations for the office of secretary were invited. Hearing none, nominations for
the office of secretary were declared closed.
Moved by Meier, seconded by Bradley, to elect the slate of officers as presented:
Kevin Stow, President; Al Campbell, Vice President; and Jane Acker, Secretary.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion carried unanimously.
Stow declared the slate to be elected for the upcoming year and the officers installed, as per the
by-laws. (Under the Board’s bylaws, offices are assumed at the end of the March meeting.)
Recognition of Retiring Trustee: Stow presented a plaque of appreciation from the board of
trustees and the staff to Sam Schill to express thanks and gratitude for his four years of service
to the library and the community.
Trustee Comments:
Acker thanked Schill for his work as a trustee and said she was looking forward to working with
Tyler Eason, who will fill Schill’s vacant position in April. She added that it was a thrill to see the
building.
Bradley said she also thought it was fun to see the progress on the building and welcomed
Eason.
Campbell echoed those sentiments and thanked those who arranged the visit to the site.
Budd wished Schill well.
Agenda Item 2
Schill said he had enjoyed his time on the Library Board, mentioning changes in his family and
the progress that has been made since the trustees sat around the table discussing possibilities
four years ago and now have a project in the works. He also found it a pleasure to see how the
City works and expressed appreciation for the staff. Schill said that waiting for the results of the
bond vote at Pat Brown’s home and hearing that it passed with such a high percentage of
approval was a time he counts among the top ten moments in his life.
Meier told Schill it had been nice to work with him and welcomed Eason. She added that it was
eye-opening to see the demolition under way at 515 Douglas.
Stow thanked Heemstra for arranging the visit to the construction site.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 7:33 p.m.
The next regular meeting will be on Thursday, April 18, 2013, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Council
Chambers, 515 Clark Avenue.
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___________________________________
Karen C. Thompson, Administrative Assistant Laura Rawlins, Secretary of the Board
Agenda Item 2