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Bozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting
Library Director’s Office
Bozeman Public Library
July 20, 2005
4:00 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Trustees: Ron Farmer, Chair; Jerry Bancroft; Marilyn King; Marcia Youngman, City Commissioner; Wendy Lewis, Foundation Development Director; Lois Dissly and Terri Dood, Staff; and Alice Meister, Director. Guests: James Goehrung, City Superintendent of Facilities and Public Land; Tim Cooper, City Staff Attorney; and Chris Kukulski, City Manager.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 4:14 p.m. by Chair Farmer.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the June 17, 2005 meeting were approved as submitted.
CORRESPONDENCE
Meister read a letter from Senator Max Baucus, who referred to a July 5 meeting convened by the Foundation Board about federal appropriations monies; Baucus thanked Meister for taking time to discuss the new Library with him and said that he would work hard to secure funding for the project. In accordance with a request from the Montana State Library, Meister asked Chair Farmer to sign the “Public Library Standards Certification Form” to ensure the Library’s eligibility for state aid. Library Aide I Catherine McMullen is requesting that her last day of employment be August 5. There was a request from Buck Taylor of the Gallatin Community Clinic to the Engineering Department to close the alley from the Library’s west parking lot to the Clinic’s parking lot, as many Library
patrons and others are frequently using it, thus leaving no parking for Clinic staff and patients. Trustees didn’t want this to be a permanent closure due to its impact on the sale of the building, so Goehrung will follow up with Engineering Assistant Andy Kerr about temporary status and the possibility of shared parking. A thank you postcard was received from some patrons visiting Paris, who wanted to thank the staff for their help with travel and language information. Public comment included a patron in the entryway who saw the bronze book fall off the sculpture of children on a bench. Having worked in the art foundry field, he proposed a way to fix it. Meister visited with him and will ensure that the book is permanently fastened onto the sculpture, since this is the second time it has happened. Another patron said he did not want his library card to be used in connection with the Internet, as library cards will now be required to use the
time-print management system.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT
Meister reported that the Friends Book Sale will be this Saturday, July 23 and Monday, July 25, and this is a Friends only sale, not a shared one with AAUW. Lewis commented on the need for a floor sink in the new coffee shop, which will be discussed at their next meeting on July 27.
FOUNDATION REPORT
Lewis reported that the Foundation will be unveiling a fundraising sign on July 29 at the site showing private donations raised with a goal of $5,850,000; this same image will appear in an advertisement campaign in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. A July 8 fundraising event raised $5,500 in new donations, bringing the total to $4,885,000. Foundation President Art Thompson and Board Member Gil Johnson are soliciting Corporate Partners for the Montana Room and already have twelve committed to $25,000 each. The Foundation plans on having a table at the Sweet Pea Festival with architect Mark Headley to explain the Library model. Lewis also plans a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) handout in order to educate the public about the Library project. Bancroft noted that an angry
individual accosted him at the July 8 City Commission meeting about the City/Library Lands Task Force recommendations. He later met with that individual and gave him the facts, which changed his mind, so education is badly needed due to misconstrued information. There have been constructive conversations with Senator Baucus contrary to the “Library Funding in Jeopardy” headlines in the July 6 Chronicle. Lewis said she had a phone call from Sara Roberts, Baucus’s Legislative Director, and she wanted to be certain that there were appropriate uses for the Highway Transportation Bill, so his staff has been working hard to secure this funding for the Library. City Commissioner Jeff Krauss had e-mailed that Baucus could ride in the Museum of the Rockies Sweet Pea Parade entry if he is in town then. Current and potential donors will have an opportunity to tour the new site on August 9, as Lewis is planning “hard hat” tours
for groups of six or under. She will also prepare a handout on the new Library and the site based on information Meister brought back from her tour of three Chicago area libraries. The next Foundation Board meeting is Wednesday, September 14 at 8:30 a.m. at the Foundation office.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Meister noted that the budget report showed $495.90 or .04% remaining at the end of the fiscal year. The Library Project Report showed $5,607,669.69 spent. The year-end statistical report showed that circulation increased .58%, reference questions asked increased 5.6%, adult program attendance increased 66.56%, number of public meetings increased 2.85% and attendance at those meetings increased 4.53%. Decreases were in the number of books loaned to other libraries (.31%), InfoTrac database usage (26.74%), number of children’s and young adult programs (11.96%), number of adult programs (20.62%), holds placed on materials (47.66%), renewals (16.56%), overdue notices (14.9%), and door traffic (.48%). The new time-print management system, which will limit patrons to an allocated period of time,
will be implemented July 27. The Internet Access Policy also has been updated. The Library and Gallatin County schools were honored in Boston at the USS Constitution Museum on July 15 for hosting the Museum and its activities in October 2004.
Meister, along with other Montana families, attended this special event, when “Old Ironsides” was towed into Boston Harbor on July 16, and a twenty-one gun salute was given in honor of the North and Northwestern states. Interviews are being conducted this week for the Library Aide II position, and now the Library Aide I position will be open this Friday. However, a July 19 memorandum from Kukulski arrived announcing a hiring freeze imposed just on the Library in order to save money for the anticipated bridge loan from the City to the Library. Meister attended the American Library Association (ALA) conference in Chicago June 23-29 in her final role as ALA Councilor. She went to a ceremony where the Library was honored as Best of Show Winner for fundraising materials.
Cataloger/Reference Librarian Beth Boyson is also an ALA Councilor representing the Montana Library Association, and she and Meister attended ALA Council meetings. One of the resolutions passed was one on workplace speech, which read “Libraries should encourage discussion among library workers, including library administrators, of non-confidential, professional and policy matters about the operation of the library and matters of public concern within the framework of applicable laws.” Additional resolutions were adopted to bar the use of federal funds to search library and bookstore records under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act and to pass legislation that restores the privacy rights of library users. Another resolution affirmed the inclusion in library collections of materials that reflect the diversity of our society, including those related to sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation, and a resolution calling for the withdrawal from Iraq
of all U.S. military forces and shifting our budgetary priorities to improved support for vital domestic programs, including libraries. Sign-up is underway for the “Live!@Your Library Creative Workshops for Kids,”underwritten by the Foundation, which include science explorations, making magic hats and fish, and learning to juggle. As part of the children’s Summer Reading Program, 745 reading packets were distributed. Patrons may still submit reading logs for the adult Summer Reading Program through August 15; winning entries will be drawn on August 16.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION: PROJECT COSTS; APPROVAL OF FY 2006 BUDGET; ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS; CALA; SALE OF LIBRARY BUILDING; CITY/LIBRARY LANDS TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Bancroft, Building Committee Chair, said that Change Order #2, which will reduce the size of the kilowatt system from 35 to 17 kilowatt, will save $100,463 of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) money. The Library project is now registered with the U.S. Green Building Council, so interested individuals can log on to see the current status. The LEED Committee is still aiming for 38 points to ensure the Silver LEED certification. The Building Committee continues to work on value engineering costs. Goehrung noted there had been regular meetings and site visits, and now the crew is moving dirt around the foundation walls. He felt the Library needed to get a positive message out, as City employees feel they are not getting a raise due to the bridge loan arrangement the
City has with the Library. Steel joists will be laid around the time of the Sweet Pea Festival. The foundation came out of the ground fine, so the construction contingency is still there. Also the water meter was reduced from a 4" size to a 2" size, which should save approximately $30,000 and should soon be credited to the Project account. Action After further discussion, Bancroft moved to approve Change Order #2 as submitted, which would reduce the kilowatt system to 17 kW solar photovoltaic (PV); King seconded, and the motion passed 3-0. The approval of the budget will need to wait until the next Trustees meeting, as first the City Commission needs to vote on the FY2006 budget on
August 22. The election of officers will also take place at the next meeting, as Bancroft’s term has expired though he is eligible for another term. The City Commission has yet to take action on board appointments. Concern regarding the hiring freeze was voiced, as Farmer noted this hiring freeze is already on top of a 3.4% decrease in the Library budget. There are two levels of reduction: one is the budget reduction all departments are experiencing, and the second is the reduction caused by the hiring freeze. Meister said that the Library could lose 9% of its staffing, as currently there is a 30.25 hour-per-week position frozen and another 40 hour-per-week position would be frozen August 5. Bancroft felt it was premature to impose this freeze at this time. Youngman said the Library had become a “scapegoat,” as the Parks Department is losing its Parks Improvement Grants in the amount of $300,000 to purchase some Library land and
the possible privatization of the Solid Waste Department is being blamed on the Library. Lewis said there is a lesson to be learned from the negative publicity of the potential Soroptimist Park sale, which affects potential donors as well as the public and staff. Kukulski said we should prepare for the worst but hope for the best. Youngman asked for an additional concrete plan for raising the additional funds needed for the project as well as proof of budget sacrifice. Bancroft inquired about the possibility of impact fees, as current legislation opened that possibility. Kukulski said approval of a library impact fee would take a study as well as approval by a supermajority of the Commissioners, a process that could last twelve months. Impact fees can only be used to pay costs of future impacts, not current nor past impacts. The Foundation is always a possibility for additional help. Dissly noted that all staff is already doing a
payroll reduction in order to contribute to the project. There will be a special meeting of the Trustees to come up with a repayment plan on July 28 at 1 p.m. There was discussion about the proposed Internet Access Policy. Bancroft had concerns about the wording “unethical use,” which will be changed to “irresponsible use.” King suggested syntactic clarification of another sentence. Cooper suggested changing the wording of “right to suspend” to “revoke or suspend.” Meister will make appropriate changes. Action King moved to accept the Internet Access Policy as amended, Bancroft approved, and the motion passed 3-0. Cooper then spoke about
the Controlled Allocation of Liability Act (CALA) through the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). He noted that the Library still has the option of withdrawing, as the incentive is greater for former and new property owners. To complete CALA, one must have complete remediation of the entire site, not just the Library property, so that includes all adjacent properties. The Library’s Voluntary Clean-Up Plan (VCP) is still open in order to allow the adjacent property owners a chance to use it for their remediation plans. Once the entire site is capped or cleaned up, there needs to be complete discovery which results in either a negotiated and consensual allocation or having a hearing officer determine the allocation. The lead party bears the cost. Maxim Technologies has already done a very detailed grid of the Library site and Story Distributing Property, which found the former clean and the latter with a spot of contamination.
This contamination might only need to be capped. He suggested that all the attorneys convene without DEQ present to work together and front all costs to complete discovery and then work with DEQ on allocation negotiations. Cooper fears that there might be competition for the “orphan share” money from other statewide projects now. He will meet soon with CMC and the adjacent property owners to move the process forward.
BOARD MEMBERS’ AND CITY COMMISSIONER’S REPORTS
There was none.
EXECUTIVE SESSION RE: DIRECTOR’S PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
Due to the lateness of the meeting, it was decided to postpone this item until the next regular Trustees meeting.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There was none.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 p.m. There will be a special Trustees meeting on Thursday, July 28 at 1:00 p.m. The next regular meeting will be Thursday, August 25 at 4:00 p.m. in the Library Director’s Office.
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