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Bozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Special Meeting
Library Director’s Office
Bozeman Public Library
October 25, 2005
4:00 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Trustees: Ron Farmer, Chair; Jerry Bancroft; Holly Brown; Al Kesselheim; Marilyn King; Chris Mehl, Foundation Board; Marcia Youngman, City Commissioner; Lois Dissly and Terri Dood, Staff; and Alice Meister, Director. Guests: Chris Kukulski, City Manager; James Goehrung, City Superintendent of Facilities; and Wendy Lewis, Foundation Development Director.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 4:05 p.m. by Chair Farmer.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the September 22 meeting were approved as submitted.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION: PROJECT COSTS; ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS; SALE OF LIBRARY BUILDING; SALE OF ONE ACRE PARCEL AT NEW LIBRARY SITE
As there were no objections, Chair Farmer changed the agenda in order to allow Bancroft and guests to report since they needed to leave early. Bancroft noted that the Building Committee lacked a quorum on October 13 so no business was able to be conducted. Thus he had many items to bring before the Trustees, which included a recommendation to change the roof color to a lighter shade of silver, a handrail detail change, additional staircase, deletion of books drops by circulation desk and addition of book shelf, addition of elevator hoist beams to increase the size of the shaft wall, separation wall on stairs, new electrical outlets on both floors, conduit change, and relocation of drinking fountains, all of which amounted to $38,075. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) changes
included: recycling the old foundations; adding filters to enhance air quality; adding carbon dioxide sensors (will receive LEED points); waterless urinals in all bathrooms to get 20% water reduction; and the addition of a humidifier, all of which amounted to $36,374. Brown questioned the stair separation wall, and Bancroft will check to see if there is anything cheaper than $5,513. With this caveat, Brown moved to accept the proposed change orders, King seconded, and the motion passed 5-0. Bancroft then discussed the “green” display; MFM, a firm out of Washington DC which did work for the Museum of the Rockies, has given a bid of $12,020 to do the display work. Production work will be done by a different firm for an estimated $18,260 since the display will be an interactive one. Bancroft wondered if the contract could be run through the City in order to make it a cleaner one, and Goehrung agreed. It was suggested that the Art
Committee also approve it. Action King moved to accept the proposal for a “green” display estimated at $30,280 and move ahead with MFM’s concept, Kesselheim seconded, and the motion passed 5-0. Bancroft complimented Martel Construction on the good job they are doing. Kukulski briefly discussed the recently released National Citizen Survey summary findings for Bozeman. Regarding the sale of the current building, an appraisal through Bishop Appraisal has been ordered and should be done soon. Kukulski said that the City is still interested in purchasing this building, but he is awaiting the appraisal on the current City Hall to determine if it is economically feasible to do so. Two appraisers are currently doing this appraisal as well as the one on the land behind the new Library since they are public ones, and the appraisers want to be as accurate as possible. Kesselheim expressed a concern to move in a timely fashion and
not to lose the interest of other potential buyers if the City changes its mind about buying the current building. Kukulski said the Commission would be discussing this possible purchase on November 14. He said that City residents might have comments to make about the sale of this building. Brown stated that the City needs to make a fairly permanent commitment by the end of the year. Kukulski should have the City Hall appraisal information soon, so he can move forward. He felt that a transition could happen quickly if the City does buy this building. His plan would be to have City general services, including the neighborhood coordinator, in this building. (Bancroft left the meeting at 4:45 p.m.) There was nothing to report regarding the sale of the acre of land behind the new Library since the appraisal wasn’t in. Greater Yellowstone Coalition is awaiting this sale since they are still very interested. Goehrung
reported that a possible $700,000 to $800,000 of the federal highway funds could be used for final grading, curb, gutter, landscaping, pedestrian trails, and the parking lots at the new Library. City Grants Administrator Sara Folger has advertised for consultants for the Rail Trail project through the Community Transportation Enhancement Program (CTEP), and enhancements for the Trail could come from the highway funding. In response to a question from Mehl, David Cobb from Senator Baucus’s office has been involved in the discussions. Kukulski left the meeting at 5:05 p.m. and said to be careful with personal property due to recent thefts around town. Goehrung said that pours have been done on the second floor of the new Library but there was still some negative drainage concerns about the northeast corner of the building. He wanted to know his role with the Trustees, especially as the project becomes more complicated. The architects need to
use the subcontractors better than they have in the past. He is willing to keep everyone on track but wants the Trustees informed of what is happening. Action The Board was very complimentary about Goehung’s work and voted 4-0 for him to remain involved with the project. He will “ride herd on the consultants” and also suggested that another cost accounting be done. He felt there are many unresolved decisions left to the last minute to decide. There is a need for a Building Committee meeting as soon as possible to decide on the sprinkler system and the art glass window. The Trustees decided to keep the same slate of officers they had this past year–Farmer as Chair and Kesselheim as Vice-Chair.
CORRESPONDENCE
Meister mentioned a forthcoming Trustee Workshop about evaluation at the Library, which will offer a stipend to Library Trustees for attending. Meister received a letter from the Institute of Museum and Library Services thanking her for her participation on a grants panel and reporting the results of the granting process. A City memo effective October 30 will no longer allow City employees to use the City Landfill free of charge nor place household waste into City dumpsters. Carol Townsend of United Way sent a thank you for their use of the Library meeting room. Public comments included two comments about the cigarette smoke in the outside entryway and its wafting into the building. An e-mail message suggested the Library consider an art collection that could be checked out.
Meister responded that such a collection is cost and space prohibitive at this time.
FRIENDS REPORT
Meister reported that the Friends/AAUW Book Sale will take place November 5-7. The annual Friends meeting will be held in conjunction with the Montana Center for International Visitors program on November 17 at 7 p.m., which features Cliff Bradley discussing “US and Global Poverty.”
FOUNDATION REPORT
Lewis reported that the Foundation’s capital campaign has reached $5,000,000, which includes the anticipated grant of $500,000 for LEED Silver Certification. An anonymous challenge grant of $500,000 will be added when the campaign reaches $5,350,000 to complete the campaign goal of $5,850,000. Bresnan Communications has become a Corporate Partner with a gift of $25,000. A campaign solicitation will be mailed this week to Bozeman homeowners in their water bills, and solicitations will be enclosed in books checked out at the Library as well as books on hold and ones that go to homebound residents. Mike Delaney will be President of the Foundation Board through December 2005. Galusha Higgins & Galusha have donated their company’s time and expertise to do an audit on the Foundation
books as requested by the City’s Finance Director; it is currently underway. There was a question whether to include NorthWestern Energy on the donor plaque in the Montana Room, as they will be included in the “green” display. There was also a question about donor recognition on the staircase. Lewis mentioned a well-received Wander Lust presentation she, Farmer, Youngman, and Joe McCarty had done on October 14. The Trustees thanked Youngman for all of her help and support during her Commission tenure and said they will miss her and her input. The next Foundation Board meeting will be Wednesday, November 9 at 8:30 a.m. at the Foundation Office on East Mendenhall.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Meister reported that the September circulation increased 2.11% from last year. Children’s and Young Adult programming attendance increased 25.54% from last year, and reference questions increased 5.08% To date the new Library Project Activity Listing shows $7,784,161.82 received in revenues and $7,775,618.99 spent. The final FY2005 budget showed a deficit of $1.47 out of a $1,197,514 budget. At nearly four months or 33% of the fiscal year, the FY2006 budget report showed 71.36% remaining, having spent 28.64%. Meister attended the Academic and Special Library Division/Public Library Division meeting at Chico Hot Springs on October 23 to hear a presentation by Bozeman Library Staff Pam Henley and Liz Babbitt, who gave a presentation on the Library’s time-print management software. Beth Boyson gave a presentation on the American Library Association and her role as a Chapter Councilor; she also participated in a censorship workshop. The City recently had a citizen survey taken
regarding City services. Library services ranked in the 44th percentile and variety of library materials in the 50th percentile amongst the jurisdictions used for comparison (towns under 40,000) and in the 48th percentile for library services and in the 37th percentile for variety of library materials amongst all the jurisdictions. All of the results were categorized as “similar to the norm.” Of those 1200 Bozeman households surveyed, 70% had been to the Library, and 61% rated it either excellent (23%) or good (38%). Nancy May, our Experience Works volunteer, has had to resign. The Circulation Department will be interviewing candidates for the Library Aide II and substitute positions shortly. The Gallatin County Long-Range Planning Committee met October 17 and discussed the concept of a countywide borrower’s card, which will be discussed further at the February 13 meeting in Belgrade. The Gallatin County libraries will present their annual reports to the County Commissioners
on November 9. The Library is continuing the “What’s Your Story? Find It at the Library!” theme with brown bag programs aimed at senior citizens scheduled for November 3 and 17 . Great Decisions will meet November 10 to discuss “Putin’s Second Term” moderated by Mehl. The Library will host a special program on November 12 entitled “Animals in Every Niche of Our Lives and Our Library” with books on sale. Children’s Book Week will be November 14-20 with a “Pippi Longstocking Storyhour” and a Harry Potter Party. The Teen Advisory Group (TAG) recently painted two walls in the children’s library. They also created a “real life photo mural” in the teen area. Cindy Christin attended a Montana Sky Guest Ranch workshop October 13-14, and Meister was elected a representative for large libraries at the Montana Shared Catalog October 7. Incidents at the Library
included a report from a patron who saw a woman with open sores sitting at the Library entry. The patron feared that the woman was on drugs. Another incident was about a testy patron who made disgruntled remarks about the Library while using the computers. Paul Reichert, Executive Director of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership, submitted a map showing the current building in a proposed expansion area for the Downtown Bozeman Business Improvement District (BID). If private sector owners buy this building, they would pay an additional assessment.
BOARD MEMBERS AND CITY COMMISSIONER’S REPORTS
There were none.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There was none.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:46 p.m. The next meeting will be Tuesday, November 22 at 4:00 p.m. in the Library Director’s Office.
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