Board of Trustees of the
Minutes of the Meeting of
February 13, 2008
The
regular meeting of the Board of Trustees was called to order at 5 p.m.
Trustee Chairman Dr. Darter, Lynda Burton, Julie Dickson and Bonnie Long were
present, as were Friends representative Miriam Hess and Library Director
Jennifer Baker. Attorney Frank Toller was present for discussion of the
formation of the foundation.
A
motion to approve the consent items was seconded and passed. The minutes
of the meeting of January 9 were approved.
Library Director’s Report.
Trustees
viewed, with Jennifer’s commentary, the “Library’s Annual Report to the City
Council for the Year 2007” which was shown to the council the previous evening.
Highlights included our library’s high circulation statistics and usage of
materials, and the extent to which county citizens outside the city utilize
library resources. Trustees appreciated Jennifer’s illumination of some
previously less understood aspects of library activity, and Jennifer
acknowledged Bobbie’s excellent documentation which supported the statistical
data.
Proposals for Architectural Phase of Remodel.
Jennifer reviewed the
three proposals which have been submitted (one local, two from
Meetings with Schools/State Grants.
Jennifer is participating
in meetings with local school officials to assist in preparation of a video
showcasing resources, to integrate the library into emerging information
technology curricula, and to pursue a state grant for on-line tutoring.
SNAP & NBCLS Budget Issues.
Jennifer reported that the
group is investigating ways to reduce its database expenses.
Budget Issues.
Following discussion of
how HVAC expenses affected available funds and the probability that our TBR
reserve will be needed once TBR funding is slashed, the trustees directed
Jennifer to rebudget for some desired equipment which can wait until the next
fiscal year. She was asked to explore the acquisition of digitalization
software which would provide indexing.
Staff Salaries and Training.
Continuing last month’s
discussions, trustees directed Jennifer to obtain an opinion concerning paying
employees for unscheduled closures. The advisability of collapsing the
aide and clerk classifications into one and the possibility of phasing in salary
adjustments were also addressed. Jennifer distributed a list of
recommended workshops, and with trustee concurrence will explore the possibility
of bringing such seminars to our library. This would require closure of
the library for a day (“in-service” training.) Jennifer will approach
Maintenance report.
The parking lot lighting
has been repaired.
Friends of the Library.
Miriam reported
that membership is at 346, that a book sale is scheduled for March 10-12, and
that the group proposes funding a new LCD projector and a second self-check
machine.
Wine Library Association.
Julie reported
that a new permanent 6 X 8” “Barney’s Backyard” sign will be ordered.
The meeting adjourned at
6:30 p.m.
Julie Dickson,
recording secretary
Board of Trustees of the
The
special meeting of the Board of Trustees was called to order at 5:00 p.m.
Trustee Chairman Dr. Darter, Lynda Burton and
The
only item on the agenda was the review of the proposals received for the
architectural phase of the remodel.
Jennifer started by recapping what had happened since the previous Board meeting
in Feb. At that time the Board appointed a committee consisting of Gwen Becker,
Dr. Darter and Jennifer Baker to review the proposals in detail.
The
group met Feb 20 and Gwen’s husband, Kurt Becker who is in the construction
business, also attended. Before the meeting Jennifer also received input from
three City employees (Greg Desmond and Leo DePaola from Planning and John Ferons
from Public Works). The group
discussed the three proposals and decided that two were a good match for the
selection criteria established in the RFP but that more information was needed
to make a decision. Kurt Becker also suggested that it would be a good idea to
get a cost estimate on design specifications and construction documents, which
had been offered by both firms as an optional expense.
With
the City Attorney’s input, Jennifer drafted a memo asking each firm to provide a
cost estimate including these additional items and a revised timeline for
project completion. A deadline of 12pm March 3, 2008 was set for response. Both
firms responded as follows:
1)
MacCracken--$53,144.00
total (with a possible $10,000 more for mechanical and electrical as necessary).
Estimated date of completion—early July.
2)
Valley Architects-$76,000
total (including mechanical and electrical). Estimated date of completion—8-9
months.
MacCracken also offered an additional option of contracting with them for
architectural services through the construction phase at a rate of $19,950.
Following discussion, the consensus of the Board was the proposal from
MacCracken was preferable. The Board directed Jennifer to check references on
MacCracken and if references are positive, Jennifer will move forward with a
request to City Council to approve awarding the contract to MacCracken at their
meeting next week. If there is any concern over references the item will be
pulled from the Council March 11 agenda and the Library Board will continue
discussion at their regular meeting March 12 with the plan to make a
recommendation to Council at their next scheduled meeting, March 25.
Adjourned 5:40 pm
Jennifer Baker, recording secretary