HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-11-08 MinutesMinutes Fayetteville Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting 11/8/93 at 4:00 p.m. Attending: Charles Kirchen, Carol Phillips, Anne Prichard, Michael Thomas - Trustees; Linda Harrison - Fayetteville Public Library Director; Karen Duree - Ozarks Regional Library Director; Mary Jo Godfrey, June Jefferson, Mary Loots, Mim Neralich, Susan Sissom - Library Staff Absent: Jeff Koenig - Trustee Vice -President Thomas called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Phillips moved and Kirchen seconded that the word Acting be deleted from the last paragraph of page 3 of the Minutes for 10/18/93 and the Board approved. The Board then approved the entire Minutes of 10/18/93. There was no correspondence. Harrison presented the Statistical Report of October 1993 and the Financial Report of 10/30/93. Phillips moved they be accepted as mailed, Prichard seconded and the Board approved. Harrison reported on the 1994 Operations funding. She had spoken with the City Finance Department. There will be a public hearing scheduled for November 23rd. Harrison asked what will be the transfer to the Library in 1994. The answer she received was: the target budget amount which is (as she explained to Steve Davis) $5,000 less than what the Library has to have to maintain current levels of service and staff. Board members who were on the Board in July may recall that the Library requested an additional $16,000 but the Library must have an additional $5,000 to make current ends meet. Davis, Budget Officer for the City, was supposed to have been present at today's meeting. Harrison met with him again on 11/5/93 and he assured her that he had already received approval for the additional $5,000 and needs to talk to more people about the remaining $11,000 requested. The target amount of $248,356 is $16,000 less than what is needed to implement the Pay Plan and $5,000 less than needed to maintain the current plan. A town meeting will discuss the 2010 Land Use Plan. It includes Parks and Recreation but does. not say anything specific about the Library. Jefferson made a follow-up report on the opinion the Board requested from the City Attorney's Office about the COBRASERV waiver the Library wasasked to sign. Phillips moved and Prichard seconded that the Board agree to the McCarty recommendation of 10/13/93 which suggested that the Board not sign any waiver. The Board approved. Harrison gave reports on the items Koenig was to have presented. A few days after the last Board meeting, Koenig met with Mayor Hanna and Ben Mays,Administrative Services Director, about the Hecathorn contract. They said it would be closed out almost immediately. Koenig is under the impression that they are working on it, that there is no problem, that the figures are not hard figures, that there is money in the fund and that it will be dispersed. Koenig has waited to contact Jo Ann Sandlin about United Way support until a more appropriate time. The Mayor has invited Hailey to discuss the Hailey contract with the City Council. The Library Board need not be involved in the resolution of that contract. Harrison will speak with the City Prosecuting Attorney about overdues. Thomas reported on the status of the U. of A. Press books displayed at the Bank of Fayetteville. The books are returned to the Press after being displayed and Professor Williams, the Director, can not give anything away because it is State property. Perhaps the books can be sold to the Library as remainders. Williams is expecting to hear if this rule can be waived for the Library. Duree discussed increasing millage for the whole County. She has given the same presentation to the Springdale Library Board and the Washington. County Library Board that she presented to this Board last month. She has also spent time writing down in more detail what the Regional Library means to each one of the individual libraries in the system and more about Amendments 30 (1940), 38 (1947), and 72 (1992). The Washington County Library Board has decided to seek the Attorney General's opinion on one part of the question. Right now there is a Washington County 1 mill library tax which is collected countywide. If a city of 5,000 or more within Washington County would vote for a library millage, does that mean that the 1 mill that is currently being collected within that city limits of that County is no longer collected for the County millage? That particular piece of information will not be available for several months. Julie Hart, Extension Services Coordinator at the Arkansas State. Library, will be at the Springdale Library Board meeting on November 10th at 10 a.m. Members of other Library Boards will be at this public meeting. Prichard is already convinced that library millage should be increased for the whole county. Harrison discussed the no food/no drinks policy for the Library and the Library's meeting room. The January 20, 1992 Rules and Regulations for the Use of the Meeting Roomstates, under number 2, "No refreshments may be served". There is also a sign on every entrance door that says "No food or drinks . . ." Neralich and Loots from the Children's Department do not ask for an exception for the Children's Department. This Department uses the Meeting Room more than anyone else. There is no space for a kitchen in the Meeting Room. Food was prohibited not because of carpeting or for health regulations but because there was no access to a kitchen. However, because the Children's Department has access to a kitchen in the downstairs break room, they understood that they could continue to serve food. This could not be made available to the public. Precedents, such as the 1992 open house after the new construction, originally scheduled refreshments in the Meeting Room. This was changed to be on the same floor as the presentation upstairs and the Meeting Room was used for a Children's Department story hour. A retirement party for Helen Brannon was held in Genealogy. The one memorable event organized by the Children's Department is the summer tea party for pre-schoolers. Everyone comes in formal clothes. Formal tables are set. Manners are talked about and there are stories about English manners. It is a learning experience. Since this is our Library and our Room, and if it is appropriate to have food, Neralich sees nothing wrong with it and no need to make excuses. There are also precedents for making an exception to the rules. The Friend's Book Sale lasted past closing time. When voters come to vote they are in the Library before and after Library hours. Neralich does not feel it is an outrageous request. Harrison has received complaints only from groupswhich used to use the Meeting Room upstairs and provided refresh- ments after their meetings. Kirchen felt it should be carefully recorded that because of the need for the Children's Department to have a formal English tea once a year for the children, they can have it as a singular exception. Phillips moved that one Children's program, the formal English tea partyin the summer, be an exceptionto the January 20, 1992 rule, seconded by Kirchen and approved by the Board. The new lease for the Ozarks Regional Library, January 1, 1994 - December 31, 1995, was discussed. Harrison promised we would take action on this at the next Board meeting. Phillips recommended a one year lease. Duree noted that the next Regional Board meeting would be in February and the signing could take place then. The ORL could operate without a lease for January and February and continue to pay what they have been paying. Talking Books has enough room right now but ORL is cramped. Phillips talked about the Expansion Fund. Two phones have been bought at $290 each. Harrison needs to get in touch with Perry Franklin about one of the items of metal work: welding the gate shut at the back end of the Annex parking lot. A letter from the First Christian Church states that they need access from their parking lot to Dickson Street. They do have access now without using the Annex parking lot which is not a one-way street anymore. There have already been two wrecks there. Phillips pointed out that it is of prime importance that the Library not block off any ambulance or emergency equipment. The City needs to give the Library good backing on this. If the Library welds the gate shut, will the Library be sued the first time a 911 service is needed near the gate? Phillips is anxious to get the Expansion Fund account closed. Harrison promised that the bulk of it will be spent by December 31st. The Memorial Fund will be spent also. Phillips has received word from the trust officer at Mcllroy Bank and Trust that momentarily over $150,000 will be received from the Wiley Estate. The Boardneeds to direct Phillips where to place it. Harrison noted there is still some Brodbeck money in the checking account which she would like to put into the Long Term Development fund, #3809 on the ledger. Thomas has visited with John Lewis, President of the Bank of Fayetteville. Lewis is astonished at what he can find at the Library. He talked about a possible Fayetteville memories event for the many newcomers and young people. Harrison agreed it has merit and other organizations would be interested in participating, e.g. the Washington County Historical Society and Special Collection's at the U. of A. Prichard mentioned the hour-long video of the Library produced by the City. It is narrated by Susan Sissom, Mim Neralich and Mary Jo Godfrey and can be seen on Public Access, Channel 3. The Library has a copy. Sissom reported on. the Winning Campaigns workshop she attended in Fort Smith with Harrison and Duree. There will be a follow-up workshop on December 3rd which will offer more specifics. Sissom will attend. Phillips moved the Board adjourn, Kirchen seconded and the Board approved at 5:15 p.m. Submitted ottrAxacmat Anne Prichard, Secretary Follow-up reports will be given by: Harrison - Hecathorn contract Koenig - United Way, if appropriate Harrison and Phillips - funding from the Estates, Expansion Fund expenditure Thomas - lunch with John Lewis Sissom - Friends requests Thomas - U. of A. Press books