Memorandum 15-024 Library Advisory Board Membership

Memorandum 15-024

TO:                       MAYOR WYTHE AND CITY COUNCIL   

FROM:                 LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD

THRU:                 RENEE KRAUSE, CMC, DEPUTY CITY CLERK

DATE:                  FEBRUARY 17, 2015

SUBJECT:         CHANGING MEMBERSHIP MAKEUP OF THE BOARD TO ALLOW FOR                                                             ADDITIONAL NON-CITY RESIDENTS

The Library Advisory Board has had an ongoing problem obtaining interested persons to serve as boardmembers that are city residents.  They would like to adopt changes that allow for up to four members that reside outside of city limits, but within the service area.

Following is the excerpt of the February 3, 2015 regular meeting regarding the requested change.

               NEW BUSINESS

C. Changing the Membership Makeup of the Board to Allow for Additional Non-City Residents

Vice Chair Utley introduced the item into the record and asked Ms. Krause to provide a brief explanation on some new information regarding the approval process.

Deputy City Clerk Krause explained that the membership of the Board is not addressed within the Bylaws of the Board only in City Code so there is no need for the Board to discuss this issue at two meetings before submitting the recommendation to Council. However, it will require to be changed by ordinance so Council will have to introduce at one meeting and hold a public hearing and approve at a second meeting. But this means that it should be approved by mid-March dependent on Council schedule, to allow additional non-residents to be appointed to the board.

There was a brief discussion on how many non-residents were currently allowed and the statistics on the number of residents and non-residents that the Library provided services to were 13,000 and the population of Homer is only a little over 5000; increasing the number of non-resident members would alleviate the canceled meetings because of not meeting the quorum requirements. Further discussion on allowing up to four members ensued and the language used in the recommendation to Council. It was noted that Library Director Dixon was not a voting member in response to the newer members of the Board.

STROBEL/SMITH – RECOMMENDED THAT THE LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD BE COMPRISED OF UP TO FOUR MEMBERS WHO RESIDE OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS BUT WITHIN THE LIBRARY SERVICE AREA.

There was a brief discussion on changing the language in the draft ordinance, line 35, would read, “At least three (3) members of the Board shall reside within the corporate limits of the city. A round robin of comments in favor of the motion to reflect the current patrons of the Homer Library briefly ensued.

VOTE. YES. SMITH, BRAUND, ALDERFER, UTLEY, STROBEL, PORTER.

Motion carried.

Chair Utley questioned the ability of the City Manager to appoint someone to complete a term. Staff explained the process normally used to replace vacated seats.

            Recommendation: Approve the change in membership to allow no more than four members          who reside outside city limits, but within the service district.