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