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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Ames Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes of the Regular Meeting 11/21/2013Ames Public Library Board of Trustees Minutes of the Regular Meeting November 21, 2013 The Ames Public Library (APL) Board of Trustees met in regular session on Thursday, November 21, 2013, in the City Council Chambers, 515 Clark Avenue, with Bradley, Briese, Budd, Campbell, Eason, Manus, Meier, and Stow in attendance. Acker was excused. Circulation Supervisor Tracy Briseño, Library Director Lynne Carey, Cable TV Coordinator Derek Crisler, Construction Advisor Brad Heemstra, and Interior Designer Steven Rothe were also present. Call to Order: Board President Stow called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Consent Agenda: Moved by Manus, seconded by Bradley, to adopt a resolution approving the following items on the consent agenda: 1) Donations a) From Alan Maximuk for the Library Collection/ILL ....................................... $35.00 b) From Karen Andrew .................................................................................... $15.00 2) Minutes of the regular meeting of October 24, 2013 3) Minutes of the special meeting of November 2, 2013 4) Payment of Claims 10/1/2013 – 10/31/2013 Vote on Motion: 7-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted. Public Forum: None Library Building Project Update: Furnishings Concept Presentation – Interior Designer Steven Rothe presented some slides showing furniture designs and colors that he and a staff committee selected over the last few months. Fabric samples were also laid out on table at the rear of the room. Rothe showed examples of furniture that blended traditional and modern styles, representing an extension of the concepts around which the building itself was designed. He is working on a budget in preparation for a bid solicitation to go out in January. When asked if the tables were integrated with outlets, Rothe said that approximately 90% of the tables have power and data ports in the floor underneath them, and outlets will be at the surface in a recessed box that can be flipped up. Additional outlets will be placed on both floors to allow for a future change in layout and the tables are not hard-wired, so they may be moved by staff when the time comes. Construction Update – Heemstra said that all the concrete floors have been put in the expanded library; exterior sheathing had been completed; open windows had been covered to prepare for winter; most of the steel stud walls are in place; and asphalt was scheduled to be laid in the alley before the end of November. He said roofing is complete over the new construction and the 1904 building will be easy to do. In the 1940 building, however, structural engineers are still working on a way to provide a more stable substrate to which the new roofing system can be anchored. A layer of tectum (a wood fiber substance) rests over the bar joists and something more stable is required. Heemstra said that a temporary rubber roof will be needed to protect the 1940 portion of the building from the elements as the roofing work progresses, and he estimated that the will be about $20,000. Agenda Item 2 Heemstra reported that the abatement of asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint is nearly finished. W ood window restoration continues. The sashes that have been refinished are being kept at the Petersen Construction shop until it’s time to remove the old storms and install the new ones. The interior trim will be re-finished after the interior walls are painted. Heemstra spoke about some change order requests that the Building Project Committee had discussed the previous day. Stow mentioned that the LEED final design review will take place at the end of December and that in December there will be discussion about extending the leases. Carey announced that the Samuels Group will offer the trustees a tour at 6 p.m. on December 19, prior to regular board meeting. Project Cost Summary and Financial Report – Heemstra said that the Samuels Group had billed about 40% of the total project cost by the end of October. Broadcasting Options – Derek Crisler, the City’s Cable TV Coordinator, researched some options for equipment that would allow the Board of Trustees to hold its meetings in the renewed facility and still make them available to the public via cable or internet streaming. Stow said that library staff recommended going with Crisler’s “flypack” option, which would allow for “as live” recording with equipment that could be used in the board room, as well as other locations inside or outside the library. Crisler fielded questions about the Flypack’s ability to make podcasts available, the microphone requirements, and the timing (which could be almost immediate) or the scheduling of the playback. The ability of the Flypack to be used in more than one location appealed to the trustees, especially since the City Council Chambers would still be an option if it were important to have a live broadcast. Moved by Campbell, seconded by Eason, to approve the staff recommendation and to proceed with purchase of a Flypack at a cost of $25,709.09. Stow offered a friendly amendment to indicate purchase “at a cost not to exceed $30,000,” instead of stating an exact price. Friendly Amendment accepted. Vote on Motion as amended: 7-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Historic Tax Credit Application – Stow said that the library staff would like some direction on putting forth resources in pursuit of the historic income tax credits. Manus said that with the ambiguity in the State Historic Preservation Officer’s (SHPO’s) letter and the importance of putting time and resources into completing the main project, which the entire community is looking forward to, the cost of moving forward on tax credits may not make sense. She said she would not mind if someone wanted to pursue the credits, but she does not feel staff has ample time and resources to do it. Easton noted that $187,500 would be the maximum possible rebate, and pointed out that two organizations would also have to pay for outside counsel. He pointed out that the money has already been spent to restore the windows, but he doesn’t feel there is enough surety in the outcome of the tax credit application to be worth additional expense. Manus commented that, in her experience, it is very easy to exceed the price quoted by outside counsel. Briese asked if the $187,500 maximum that could be received was based on the cost of rehabilitation. Stow said that the cost of the rehabilitation was actually part of the problem—he imagines that $750,000 in expenses could be shown, but the library would need the outside expertise of the contractors, the architects, and the construction advisor to help document them. This would necessitate changes to three contracts. Agenda Item 2 Eason stated that there was nothing certain in the report back from the SHPO. Campbell remarked that unknowns, such as the changes now needed to the roof, could also impact the success of the application. Briese asked if the APLFF had commented on the matter. Stow said that that board also questions how it can use tax credits when the APLFF doesn’t pay taxes. Eason said that as a servant of the public and a tax payer, he finds the concept mind-boggling. Moved by Eason, seconded by Manus, that the Board President communicate to the City Council that the board will not pursue tax credits, for reasons outlined in the briefing paper. Vote on Motion: 7-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. Activity Reports: Ames Public Library Friends Foundation Report – Stow stated that the Teen Advisory Group (TAG) had raised $250 in their zombie walk and had 60-80 people participating. TAG had also held a Dr. Who party the previous week and is planning a Yule Ball in January. The Sales Committee brought in $6,490 at the last book sale and continues to have good earnings from Literary Grounds. Stow said a one-day holiday sale will be held on Saturday, December 7. The Fundraising Committee plans to send a year-end solicitation to existing donors and an endowment brochure is being mailed to investment advisors to help them work with their clients. Stow said the APLFF determined that the development director will be an employee, rather than a contract employee, and there was conversation about the budget and the Memorandum of Understanding with the Library. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with APL Friends Foundation (APLFF) – Moved by Meier, seconded by Briese, to adopt a resolution approving the Memorandum of Understanding with the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation for Fiscal Year 2013/14 as presented/amended. Stow said that the amount the APLFF will reimburse the library for services was reduced a bit, now that Carey has assumed an ex-officio position on the board and Jill Anderson will be taking over some of the tasks Carey formerly performed. Carey explained that the APLFF approved one-half of the year based on the expenses included in last year’s MOU and the other half on more realistic actual costs. Stow said he anticipated that costs would shift again next year, once a Development Director is involved. Responding to a question from Eason, Stow stated that the MOU was retroactive to the start of the current fiscal year. Vote on Motion as presented: 7-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted. Stow said the APLFF requested that the library use the income from the MOU toward Project Smyles. Moved by Bradley, seconded by Budd, to adopt a resolution designating the $28,379 income from the current year’s Memorandum of Understanding with the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation for Project Smyles as presented/amended. Vote on Motion as presented: 7-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted. Budget Committee – Agenda Item 2 Moved by Campbell, seconded by Eason, to adopt a resolution authorizing staff to submit adjustments to the operating budget for fiscal year 2013/14 and requests for fiscal year 2014/15 as presented/amended. Meier mentioned that the budget year began with no one knowing what the year would bring, but felt staff made a good effort. She said revenue was estimated to be down by about $7,600 this year. In part, that is because the library has no way of knowing what the Open Access allotment from the legislature will be until the check arrives. Meier said the expense side includes a 2-3% increase in salaries and benefits, as well as an amount for a potential Assistant Director. The contractual budget is down a little this year. For next year only the best estimates can be projected, as there will be some maintenance costs on new systems that are unknown. Campbell noted that there might also be some overlap in expenses for the leased properties, and Carey said they had been included. Meier also explained that the adjusted FY14 capital budget included a $26,000 carry-over of funds that had not been spent on the collection last year. Vote on Motion as presented: 7-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted. Moved by Eason, seconded by Briese, to adopt a resolution authorizing staff to staff to submit adjustments to the bequest, donations and building project budgets for fiscal year 2013/14 as presented/amended. Meier said that the APLFF had agreed to make up the shortfall in revenue for Project Smyles, so no funds will need to be transferred from the bequest funds (as had been shown on packet page 35). The change was reflected on a revised green page that was distributed around the dais at the beginning of the meeting. Meier said that Project Smyles is a valuable program, but there is usually a shortfall in revenue; moving forward, the committee would like to look into a way for it to be funded on a more consistent basis. Vote on Motion as presented: 7-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted. Staff Report – Library Director Carey said that the Board Retreat was felt to be such a success that an All Staff Retreat has now been planned to update everyone on the progress being made toward the move back to the permanent facility. Carey said that the supervisors’ recent visit to the new Cedar Rapids Public Library was very successful and informative. With the change in weather, Carey said staff is noticing that more people are using the library as a refuge from the cold. They are staying inside longer and also gathering outside. Staff is discussing the situation and relying on other community resources, as necessary, to deal with difficult situations and help people make use of the library successfully. Circulation Department Update – Circulation Supervisor Tracy Briseño spoke about the Circulation Department’s methods of communicating with customers about their accounts and explained how staff helps them keep their accounts in good standing. She emphasized that the library staff is fair and understanding, and they find that most people respond favorably when they realize the library is willing to work with them. Briseño explained that payment plans or the fine alternative program can be used when customers simply cannot afford to pay, and there is a special program for youth who usually don’t have their own incomes. A collection agency is also used when necessary. She cited statistics that showed how dramatically the library’s return on investment had improved between fiscal years 2012 and 2013, as a result of changes in procedures and the staff’s efforts to communicate well. Agenda Item 2 Trustee Manus asked if each library set guidelines at its own discretion or if there were an industry standard. Briseño said there is no standard; she looked at the practices being used by Netflix and Blockbuster to see how other lenders handle problems with items that are borrowed. There was some discussion about how the library communicates fines and fees to customers. Briseño said they are informed verbally and in writing through the collection process. A point is not made of discussing overdue charges until items are overdue; instead, the library wants to set forth the expectation that items are to be returned on time. When asked, Briseño explained that the value of a lost item is based on its purchase price. The trustees felt that it would be good to find a way of getting information about the library’s policies into the hands of customers—by including information on bookmarks, in conjunction with announcements about the grand opening, or by directing them to the website in another simple way. There is currently no policy that outlines how the library communicates procedures to customers, but information is available on the website. Meier remarked that revenue from desk receipts is down because staff is being so helpful. Briseño said she hoped it would be possible to implement e-commerce soon. She feels fine payments would be easier for customers if they could make them immediately. Policy Review: Circulation Policy – Moved by Eason, seconded by Briese, to resume consideration of the motion tabled in September to approve changes to the Circulation Policy as presented/amended. Vote on Motion: 7-0. Motion approved unanimously. Briseño said that two changes had been made to the recommendation since this matter was tabled in September: two proofs of residence may be provided in lieu of a photo ID; and a parent may identify a child under five who doesn’t have a photo ID. Briese asked if the Computer Use Card would cover the tablets or other portable devices the library might check out in the future. Briseño said that it would not; computer use cards are not valid for borrowing anything and a new policy will have to be developed to cover devices. Vote on Motion to adopt the proposed policy changes as presented in November: 7-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted. Donor Recognition – Moved by Eason, seconded by Meier, to adopt a resolution to remove the Donor Recognition/Naming and Name Recognition Policy and approve the addition of a new section entitled Donor Recognition to the Donations Policy as presented/amended. Stow stated that the committee discussed letting the APLFF manage all donor recognition under a policy of its own that the Library Board could approve. Eason asked what was changing. Carey stated that the existing APL policy is very specific to the building campaign and the committee felt the APLFF and Library Board should work together on each campaign—having one policy specific to the campaign was not the best approach. Stow stated that the Friends Foundation specifically needs to have a policy that can be applied to an endowment campaign. Vote on Motion: 7-0. Motion approved unanimously. Resolution adopted. Trustee Comments: Agenda Item 2 The trustees expressed thanks to the volunteers on the various committees assisting the Board, to the library staff for responding to questions, to Brad Heemstra for keeping an eye on the building, to everyone who attended the Board Retreat, and to Steven Rothe for his furniture presentation. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 8:39 p.m. The next regular meeting will be on Thursday, December 19, 2014, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, 515 Clark Avenue. ____________________________________ ___________________________________ Karen C. Thompson, Administrative Assistant Jane Acker, Board Secretary Agenda Item 2