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Home My WebLink About1994-05-09 MinutesMinutes Fayetteville Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting 5/9/94 at 4:00 p.m. Attending: Mark: Burdett, Jeff Koenig, Carol Phillips, Anne Prichard, Michael Thomas - Trustees; Linda Harrison - Fayetteville Public Library Director; Karen Duree - Ozarks Regional Library Director; Mary Jo Godfrey, June Jefferson, Mim Neralich, Susan Sissom - Library Staff; Steve Davis - Budget Coordinator for the City of Fayetteville; Phyllis Rice President Koenig called the meeting to order at 3:55 p.m. and welcomed the new Board member MarkBurdett. Phillips moved and Prichard seconded that the Minutes for 4/11/94 be approved after paragraph 5, page 1, is corrected to read "The Regional Library once ..." The Board approved. Phyllis Rice, Assistant to the Mayor and Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator to the City, wanted to bring the Board -to-date on how the City and the Library have been proceeding to make this building and the property around it ADA accessible. The original plans were included in a Capital Improvements Project. The City thought they had $30 million from the bond issue backed by the Sales Tax. When the Sales Tax got shot down, the City ended up having to repay the bond issue and had spent very little of the money. The City is now on a pay as you go basis with much less money available. The City planned originally to spend $625,000 on all ADA requirements in City owned buildings but the City will no longer be able to spend that amount. Rice is now in the process of revising a self-evaluation and transition plan to reflect these changes. The City will be spreading the expense over three or four years instead of one. Basic requirements for ADA will be met by January 1995. Since the Library is an existing building, there are not as many changes as are required for new construction. Rice came to the Library last week with Harold Dahlinger, the building maintenance man, and Mike Tramell, a person with disabilities in a wheelchair who does consultingwork with the University of Arkansas. He came to the Library to check things out and found a lot of things we thought were in compliance were not. At first Rice thought the Annex Building could be made accessible through the north door. The outside door is OK, the turn around space inside is OK but the inside door into the Genealogy Collection is too narrow and would need major changes. Since the Annex is already accessible from the east, the City will not make it accessible from the north as well and an accessible parking space will not be made on the west lot. An electric door opener with a buttom like those at City Hall is planned for the east Annex door. Parking in front and behind the Library have accessible spaces marked but the slope is a problem. Perry Franklin, Traffic Supervisor for the City, and Randy Allen, Street Superintendent, will come to the Library and make it right. Rice has given then copies of the ADA rules. The Dickson Street entrance door will be electric. The panels on the inside may be changed. The downstairs south entry near the Children's Department will be electric but the sill is about three inches too high. The door into the Children's Department is too heavy and will be fixed. Since this is an existing building, an elevator is not required by the ADA. Present arrangements are acceptible. Persons with disabilities can ride the elevator with Library Staff. Koenig asked if signage is required. Neralich noted that Library Staff in the Children's Department are usually the ones to help disabled people. One woman in a wheelchair always has someone with her and does not want anyone to ride up with them because they know how to operate the elevator. Is that OK? 2 Harrison said that it was OK with her because they are licensed passengers -who know how to operate the elevator. Thomas wondered if this could be a liability problem. Rice felt this was an internal problem - one for Harrison to decide. The Library has to have only one accessible bathroom: one upstairs or one downstairs. The ones in the Annex are accessible. They need signage and a couple of things but nothing major. Since the Library is one of the most heavily used City facilities, accessible bathrooms are needed on both levels. It would be a terrible inconvenience if you needed a bathroom but were on a different level. Sid Norbash, one of the City engineers, is going to get costs together to make an accessible bathroom on each floor with plans to adapt existing bathrooms for accessibility. He has not visited the Library with the plumber but feels it is possible. At one time the Board wanted to have one set of accessible bathrooms in the garage space but the City just does not have the money in the budget. Koenig wondered if the Library took its own money to make up the difference, to meet the City halfway, could the City participate? Norbash felt the bathrooms already had plumbing and a basic floor in place. Only the fixtures need to be moved around. Rice thought that once she has the cost figures., the City would participate up to the amount that it would cost to make accessible bathrooms on each floor and that it would expect to have bathrooms on each floor accessible. Thomas. remembered that at the last Board meeting, the small number of disabled people visiting the Library was mentioned. Rice responded that no one knows how many disabled people will visit until the Library is accessible. Rice would like to do it all but the City budget would not allow it. She would like to have a three-phase elevator that would last (rather than the present one -phase elevator). The ramp for the stage in the Children's Reading Room was discussed earlier by Harrison and Rice. All this list must be in compliance by January 1995 and is what can be done by January 1995. A TDD phone, if requested, will be given to the Library. City Hall has one that seldom rings. Rice thinks that persons with hearing disabilities are using the State relay service. Arrangements for interpreters for City meetings have never been requested. Harrison has had a request for an interpreter for the summer reading program that meets once a week for six weeks. Rice feels that since the Library is a City owned facility, the City is responsible for providing interpreters and has a list of their names. Phillips asked for a review of how the bathrooms would be. changed. Rice does not know exactly what the plans are because the City engineer has not met with the plumber. The water fountain outside the restrooms on the main floor is not accessible, so it will have to be made accessible and probably moved - not a major problem. Koenig felt the main floor restrooms were so small they may have to be expanded. He expressed to Rice the Board's appreciation for her presentation. Koenig explained to Davis that the present Meeting Room can be used by the public during hours the Library is open because the restrooms in the Children's Department are available. After the Library is closed, the Meeting Room can not be used because restrooms are not available. Harrison mentioned that plans have been made to construct restrooms in the garage space. Koenig added that the costs will be greater than the costs Rice will present for adapted restrooms. Rice is also concerned about the window for construction. Everyone must understand that one must queue up for a long time to get small projects completed in time to meet the January 1995 ADA deadline. Koenig suggested that the City could go ahead and do their work here and the Library could complete the restrooms in the garage later. Correspondence from LaGayle McCarty, Assistant City Attorney, April 26, 1994, giving an affirmative response to Harrison's letter of April 20, 1994 to City Attorney 3 Jerry Rose, dealt with the question of whether the City Attorney would represent the Library Board if charges were brought against the Library or the Library Board and whether the City had a blanket "Errors and Ommissions" insurance policy which covers all City Boards. The Board appreciated the affirmative and quick response. Harrison presented the Statistical Report of March 1994, the Financial Report of April 30, 1994 and an Expansion Fund Activity update. She has added two coin -ops for the copiers to this list because the Library is loosing about $300 a month at each copy machine. Payment had been left to people's honor to pay for their copies. The machines should pay for themselves quite soon. Harrison reported for Hartsell, who could not leave serving the public to attend this meeting, that she has ordered the demo disc from Datatrek andhas scheduled an on site demo with the representative from Winnebago. The computer for Genealogy will soon have its specifications. Godfrey and Jefferson have visited the Latter Day Saints Library in Bentonville to see what genealogy specific software was being used there. The bid for the Annex roof has been awarded to Franklin & Son Inc., who should start in a week or two. Burdett asked how bids were handled. Harrison replied that this one was run through the City's purchasing office. There was an ad in the paper. Vendors are also notified if a bid would be over $500 (legally $5,000 Duree added). Davis explained that this roof was bid by itself and not packaged with anything else. It also specified a ten year manufacturer's warranty. The roof will be a Firestone or ADPM membrane, not built up asphalt, and will not cover the skylights. Godfrey reported that in Genealogy the skylights are already covered with paper. Duree added that ORL doesn't want it darker butthat Genealogy has equipment that needs less glare. Koenig mentioned that it would be more costly to remove the skylights. Metalwork projects have not been completed. There has been no word from Kevin Crosson about the metal gate to close off the back parking space. Thomas had hoped to receive from the Library Staff the number of additional hours needed to complete several projects. This could be approved quickly by a poll of the Board at any time. Harrison has discovered that the national average staff size for libraries is twice what this Library has. Some days the Library is completely under- staffed. Jefferson is trying to make an estimate of what it will take to staff our Library this year with some kind of a contingency plan for those times when Staff are out sick at the same time. Some kind of substitution schedule is needed. Koenig wondered if recent Staff illnesses have been reasonable. Harrison replied that they were and Jefferson added that there have been unexpected surgeries and deaths in their families. Thomas noted that in most businesses there is a back-up crew of paid and/or volunteer replacements who have been specially trained or have worked in the Library before who can substitute on short notice. Jefferson replied that this was the first time the Library had been told that there could be any possibility the Library Staff could do anything but just limp along. Duree mentioned that the Springdale Library has had the same problems and have no substitutes. The Rogers Library has had substitutes. Sissom cautioned that in Reference there is the problem of having to know the collection and be able to think on your feet. Koenig again wondered if any Staff have had anexcess of sick days. Harrison reassured him that no Staff have taken more sick days than allowed. Neralich added that too often Staff are coming to work sick to keep their departments open. There simply are not enough Staff working in the Library. Phillips wondered what the remedy could be. This should be in our budget. Koenig suggested that this problem is part of the justification for the millage. Harrison knows that Staff feel so much pressure to serve the Library that they only take a minimum of sick time and then they are sick again. Service demands are increasing but the Staff size is not. Thomas reminded everyone that even if the millage increase passed in November, it will be the following October 1995 before any funds are received. •Jefferson promised to get the requests for additional hours to the Board soon. 4 Jefferson reported that the In -House Survey of materials use showed, as the Staff had expected, that use has gone up since the last survey was done in 1989. There is also the addition of new materials: CD Roms, computers and audio-visual materials. Averages per day ranged from a 24% to a 48% increase. These statistics verify what the Staff have felt and will be put into a graphic form for presentation. Thomas asked about the request for National Library Week for notes on how the library has made a difference in their lives. Jefferson has a good stack of materials and Neralich may receive some from her visits to schools in May. Duree remembered that when Rogers did this last year they had some interesting responses. Phillips called the Board's attention to the excellent exhibits upstairs: Jefferson's retrospective exhibit and the miniatures from the Reenactment Society. Sissom gave the Board copies of publicity for the upcoming exhibit of crystals, starting May 16th. Thomas reported on the Minutes of the Washington County Public Libraries Millage Committee. He has been elected to be the co-chair with someone from Springdale. The Steering Committee budget, much too low at $6,000, will be raised to $10,000 to cover minimum needs. It will not cover any advertizing. $4,000 will be raised by Springdale and Fayetteville each and $2,000 raised from the rest of Washington County. Thomas was able to raise $3,200 with six phone calls but it is important to get wide community involvement. Most activities will be in October. Thomas will keep a calendar for the speaking engagements and will send copies of the Chamber of Commerce list of service organizations to Board members. June 1st will be the target cut off date for this first $10,000. Promotional pencils, bookmarks and pamphlets will be distributed and stuffers will be sent out to the banks for their October cycle of mailings. All the banks on Thomas' list have given $500. Koenig spoke about the "dream" budget (if the millage passes) being ready by mid-June. Burdett wondered how much would come to the Library if the millage passes. Presently $160,000 is received from one mill and if the additional one mill is passed the income would be twice that. Duree is generating a baseline of where Fayetteville's share to the Ozark. Regional Library is spent as well as the ORL wish list and how it will be spent. Harrison inserted that in today's money ten additional Staff members would cost $202,000. This exercise is being done to show the needs of the libraries. The ORL presently receives $800,000. Voters will want to know how double that amount will be spent. The Springdale Board decided to get their contribution of $4,000 for the campaign from their own budget rather than asking for support from their community. Duree has requested that $500 of the leftover monies from the Amendment 3 campaign be used toward the County's contribution of $2,000. Thomas has assured donors that if the campaign raises more than is needed the remainder will go to the libraries. Davis reported that Alderman Bassett's proposed 1t sales tax for parks and roads is still being bandied about. Back in 1993, when the citizens voted to reinstitute the 1t City sales tax, City Council said they would forgo the discretionary millage for schools because the Fayetteville school system would have the opportunity to pick it up and the taxpayers would not be out any additional money. The capital sales tax that we have has a ten year life. A portion of the discretionary sales tax is being transferred to general funds to replace the revenue that the property tax millage provided for general fund operations. In keeping with the Council's agreement with the citizens when they voted the sales tax in, Davis does not know if the citizens would be willing to change that agreement unless they vote. Cities only have five discretionary mills for general funds besides four other mills. Prairie Grove and Springdale are presently levying the maximum nine mills. The mills for fire, police and pensions can not be voted on by the general public before they are put in place. Each millage above the five has to be voted on by the citizens. Koenig and Thomas remembered that the one mill that combined the fire and police millage was put on by the Board as discretionary and not voted on by the citizens. Davis knows that the fire and police millage must be adopted every year. Duree added that they send it on to the Quorum Court to be levied. The motion must be renewed every year. 5 Thomas noted that the Millage Committee is very concerned that the Parks and Recreation millage will run into the middle of the Library millage request. Parks and Recreation already gets $1,600,000. Davis knows that about $900,000 goes to maintenance and about $600,000 goes to capital. Koenig will be looking for a wish list by mid-June. By that time most of the funding will be ready. He complimented all on the good work done on the Library millage campaign. Harrison is concerned about the loss of materials to residents of the Salvation Army who give it as their only address and may leave town the next day with all the materials they have checked out from the Library. There is no way to track them. The Circulation Staff may need to limit them to only one item if this is their only address. Koenig suggested that Harrison talk over this problem with the Director of the Salvation Army who may not intend for this situation to occur. Thomas presented notes from the Trustees workshop he attended - without recommendations which he thought were worthy of passing on to the Board. Koenig felt that once we get past the millage campaign, we should work on a five year plan. He would like to renew that important effort. Phillips remembers that one year there was a twenty year plan. Thomas reported that the Friends of the Fayetteville Public Library thought that having an autograph party at the Library was a good idea but they needed to talk more about it, especially to the owners of the bookstores. At the moment the Friends thought they could not handle it because they are so busy. Friends President Mary John Jones will report back to Thomas. Some Library rules may need to be changed to make such an event possible. Thomas also reported that the John Lewis library of 12-15,000 books has been accepted by the Library and the Friends. Lewis wants the books to stay in his library until his house is sold. Library Staff could select for the Library from his shelves, mark these books with a bookmark and when the time comes, the Library will pull out their choices and the Friends will take the rest for their book sale in October. Prichard again asked when this Board would have seven members. Koenig also hopes for a larger Board for the sake of diversity. Thomas discovered at the Trustees workshop that most of their Boards have five members. ORL has ten. Thomas moved and Phillips seconded that the meeting adjourn and the Board approved at 5:20 p.m. Submitted by, Aciivo_TA‘a4A4 Anne Prichard Follow-up reports will be given by: Harrison - purchase of coin -ops for copiers - Annex roof - loss of materials to Salvation Army residents Hartsell - overdue software update Godfrey - specifications for Genealogy computer Jefferson - requests for additional Staff hours Thomas - copies of Chamber of Commerce service organizations Duree - how Fayettevillth share of millage money will be spent - wish list for millage increase