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Bozeman Public Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting
Library Meeting Room
Bozeman Public Library
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
4:00 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
Trustees: Ron Farmer, Chair; Marilyn King; Mayor Jeff Krauss; Chris Mehl, Foundation Board; Rose Vallor, Friends Board; Terri Dood, Staff; and Alice Meister, Director. Guests: Mark Westenskow, CTA Nelson Engineering; Aimee Gerharter, Wild Joe’s Coffee; Jessica Boerger and Lee Phillips, East Main Trading Company.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 4:16 p.m. by Chair Farmer.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the July 19, 2006 meeting were approved as submitted.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION; CTA LANDWORKS FINAL PRESENTATION RE LANDSCAPING, TRAILS, AND PLAZA; PROJECT COSTS AND APPROVAL OF BIDS; MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING
Chair Farmer changed the agenda in order to allow civil engineer Westenskow to give CTA LandWorks’ final presentation regarding landscaping, trails, and the plaza. Westenskow said that the final plans need to be submitted to the Montana Department of Transportation by August 25, which will distribute the federal highway transportation earmark funding. Hopefully CTA can go to bid the latter part of September and hire a contractor in October. However, due to the lateness of the year, landscaping will be delayed until next spring. Bonding for landscaping improvements will probably need to take place in order to legally finish the building project on time. Westenskow distributed a document showing CTA LandWorks’ responses to public comments. Native plants will be incorporated
into the project though Westenskow’s area of expertise is not landscaping, so he was unable to update the group on landscaping changes. High efficiency lighting fixtures, which produce good light, will be used to light the trail. No large trees will be impacted. After a meeting with Park and Recreation Superintendent Ron Dingman, Westenskow realigned the trail so it will not intrude onto the Hollow area which is used during the Sweet Pea Festival. Concerns about future maintenance are being taken into consideration. Access to social trails or non-ADA compliant routes are discouraged. The trails will be asphalt, and glass aggregate could be mixed into the asphalt for better reflectivity and recycling purposes. Full striping and signage will be incorporated into the landscaping. The Church Street crossing presents several safety concerns, and the design intent will be to bring this crossing into full MUTCD compliance. Such
projects as the depot, ice-skating rink, picnic tables, stage covering, and Peets Hill restrooms and picnic shelters are ineligible for funding. Space for community garden locations has been identified along the trail. Several comments were received about acoustics, which Main Street and plaza trees should help control. It is the intent of the project to minimize adverse impacts to neighboring properties through landscape screening and landscaping placement. The trail plan and responses to the comments received will be put on the Library web site. Vallor asked about the alley, which will be extended. Mayor Krauss asked about using the map to show the Recreation and Park Board and also about minimizing maintenance, which CTA plans to address. There will be an underground irrigation system. There is still no definitive answer on the size of the Christmas tree to be planted outside the plaza. Farmer thanked Westenskow for his presentation. There was nothing new to report on
project costs and the memorandums of understanding.
CORRESPONDENCE
Meister reported that JB Bancroft had submitted his resignation effective immediately as a Library Board Trustee due to his retirement and impending move out of state. Meister will check with the City Clerk’s office about an appointment to replace him. A patron, who is the president of the Moms Club, sent a thank you to Cindy Christin, thanking her for her facts and statistics on children and reading. Christin also received a thank you from the Cub Club Campers and Family & Graduate Housing Staff for the children’s library activities. A patron suggested the Library start to publicize its impending closure and wondered about an alternative site for computer use. This person also wondered about the use of volunteers during the move, which is not being done due to liability
concerns. A letter from a woman seeking her graduate degree in library and information science was received, thanking Terri Dood and the reference staff for their help. A volunteer had arranged for his niece, who is a librarian in Colorado Springs, to tour the new Library and noted the tour was the highlight of her visit; he said, “...this seeming extravagance will be enthusiastically embraced by our grateful community for years to come!”
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT
Vallor reported that the recent Friends book sale went well and made approximately $7,000. Bids for the book cases have been received from Stahl Cabinetry and Pine Creek Woodworks, and Stahl was selected to build the book cases for the coffee/book shop. Julia Bruner and Sas Weber have left the Friends Board, and Twila Saylor is now on the Board. Vallor noted that the Friends have placed a decorated donation box in the Library; she will find a lock to secure it. She introduced Aimee Gerharter, who owns Wild Joe’s Coffee and will run the coffee shop in the new Library. Gerharter noted that she is working with J & V Restaurant Supply and that work is progressing well. She sent around pictures of the hanging lighting fixtures; there will also be recessed can lighting in the shop. She
will be selling all organic, fair trade coffee and tea as well as smoothies and bakery items; she will also sell a small selection of jewelry and other such items she currently sells in her present shop. She is also planning on selling salads, sandwiches, and soup from Starky’s Authentic Delicatessen. She explained that she recycles everything she can and uses biodegradable products. Farmer thanked her for coming.
FOUNDATION REPORT
Mehl reported that Foundation Development Director Wendy Lewis recently underwent open heart surgery in Salt Lake City and will be out of the office for some time. However, the fundraisers are on schedule as is the publicity about the Grand Opening on November 12, which will be an insert in the newspaper. The Donor Wall Committee continues to work on plans for the donor wall, which will be on the staircase wall. There will be a meeting September 14th.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Meister reported that the circulation for July increased 14.25% over last year’s circulation. Website visits increased nearly 32%, and holds placed on materials increased nearly 20%. To date the new Library Project Activity shows $12,960,816.09 received in revenues and $14,417,550.79 spent, leaving a deficit of $1,456,734.70. At 100% of the fiscal year completed, there is a deficit of .69% primarily due to overages in utilities. For this current fiscal year (July 2006-June 2007) $115,361.94 has been spent, but no total budget figure is given due to salary negotiations still underway. Meister announced that Mary Ann Childs, who is currently working 20 hours in Interlibrary Loan, was selected for the Library Assistant II position, an 18.25 hour per week job in the Reference and Adult Services
Department. She will start August 24. Thanks to Pam Henley and Lois Dissly, there is a computer at the display case downstairs showing pictures of the new Library. Patrons have been very interested in seeing this presentation. Mary Jo Stanislao will be at MSU’s Catapalooza next week to let university students know the Library’s schedule for the next several months. The Book Brigade is planned for Sunday, October 8th starting at 2 p.m. with a party scheduled from 3-6 p.m. to celebrate 25 years in this building. The Grand Opening at the new Library is planned for Sunday, November 12th at 2 p.m. to celebrate the opening of the new building. During the summer, teens submitted 144 reviews for the Teen Summer Reading Program. On August 25th teens are invited to “Get Involved @ your Library!” with a planning session facilitated by Ginny Cowan and Interior Designer Kelly Livingston
regarding the new Teen Corner followed by a Teen Mystery Party. That morning there will be an all-staff meeting from 8:15-10:00 a.m. to plan the move to the new facility. A meeting with Full Circle Recycling is planned in order to develop a recycling plan for the new building. The annual Adult Summer Reading program drew to a successful close with 64 reading logs submitted by 45 different participants. At six books per log, that is 384 books read. Six participants were chosen at random to receive prizes. Books have been chosen for this year’s Book Club, which will start with This House of Sky by Ivan Doig on September 6. This memoir by the White Sulphur Springs native is the 2006 OneBook Montana selection, which will be featured by book clubs statewide. Readers who want to participate in OneBook Montana are welcome to borrow copies generously supplied by the Montana Center for the Book. In August, the Creative
Workshops for Children, sponsored by the Foundation, have provided enjoyable programs for over 150 kids. The last program of the series is an improvisational theater workshop this week. Another enjoyable program was “Building Fairy Houses: on August 2, which drew 50 parents and kids. The weekly story times will start again September 5. Unfortunately some of the Summer Reading Program prizes are being recalled due to a high lead content. Pictures of them are displayed on the Library’s web site. A patron claimed a woman is using her name to get a library card and requested that the Library cancel the other card. The card was deleted after her claim was substantiated. Another patron, who appeared to be homeless, was annoying patrons with requests to use their identifications to get a computer guest card. He left the building and did not return. An AWARE patron kicked and damaged the new donation box; his father
came and quieted him down. The AWARE Treatment Service Director followed up with a phone call the next day to apologize and offer to repair the damage, which was negligible.
BOARD MEMBERS AND CITY COMMISSIONER’S REPORTS
Krauss noted that the mill levy had come in higher than projected, allowing for a 8.9% increase rather than 6%. He said that the Story Distributing Property owners were planning to clean that property.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There was none.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:28 p.m. The next regular Library Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 20 at 4:00 p.m. in the Library Director’s Office.
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