Session 06-08, a
Regular Meeting
of the Library Advisory Board was called to order on August 1, 2006 at 6:04 pm
by Vice Chair Wagner at the City Hall Cowles Council Chambers located
at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue,
Homer, Alaska.
PRESENT: BOARDMEMBERS
BURSCH, KEFFER, MARTIN, SEAMAN, WAGNER
STUDENT MEMBER
LETTIS
ABSENT:
BOARDMEMBERS LORD, HAWFIELD (Both Excused)
STAFF:
DEPUTY CITY CLERK JACOBSEN
LIBRARY
DIRECTOR HILL
PUBLIC
WORKS DIRECTOR MEYER
APPROVAL
OF THE MINUTES
A.
Minutes of June 6, 2006
The Board briefly
discussed a
typographical error in the minutes.
MARTIN/BURSCH MOVED
TO ACCEPT THE
MINUTES AS AMENDED.
There was no further
discussion.
VOTE:
NON OBJECTION: UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
Motion carried.
APPROVAL
OF THE AGENDA
KEFFER/SEAMAN
MOVED TO APPROVE.
There was no further
discussion.
VOTE:
NON OBJECTION: UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
Motion carried.
LIBRARY
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
A. Statistical
Report for June/July 2006
Library Director Hill
said she had nothing to add to the report in the packet and asked if
there were
any questions.
Boardmember Seaman
commented that
she liked the name of the Summer Reading Program.
Library Director Hill
responded that it is a common program through out the state and they
tailor it
to fit the community. Joy Steiner, the
story teller who was here last week, is a visitor and was able to use
the
animal theme at all the different Alaska
libraries she visited. Ms. Hill
said she was unable to attend Joy Steiner’s readings, but the reports
she got
were absolutely marvelous. She heard Ms.
Steiner was born to be a story teller; the kids loved her and got right
into
the program. Ms. Steiner was able to
come to Alaska and take
part in
the program around the state through a state library grant.
Library Director Hill
advised the Board that she did not have library statistics available as
she is
having problems with her computer and was unable to put them together. She will
have them in September. It seems to the
staff that they have been busy as ever and the programs have been
really well
attended this summer. There were 95 children in attendance a Bill
Kitzmiller’s program with the reptiles
and
there were 125 children at Joy Steiner’s program. Normally
there are about 15 to 20 kids at the
programs.
Boardmember Bursch
asked about
the book sale. Library Director Hill
responded that the Friends of the Library are planning to have two book
sales a
year and they plan to have them in the spyglass. There
are nice shelves to use now instead of
cardboard boxes and there is room for a juvenile section as well. It is a great recycling program.
COMMITTEE
REPORTS
There were no
Committee reports.
COMMUNICATION
AND VISITORS
There
were no public comments or visitors.
UNFINISHED
BUSINESS
A.
New Library Construction Update
Library Director Hill
reported that they started flushing out the system for the next two
weeks which
will get out all the residue, dust, toxins and so forth so that it is
healthy
to move into. Last week the landscaping
and paving was done. The volunteer who
has done the reading bar out of the recycled gym flooring from the Kenai
High School is putting in
the
finishing touches. It is a stunning
in-kind donation that Scott Hyson is doing and it adds so much to the
building. The City officially took over
paying the bills from the contractor. They are really close to moving in. The Margret Pate garden doesn’t have any
plantings in yet but the foundation of rocks, dirt, topsoil and flag
stones are
in. The fish wall is up,
the fish have been cut and now are being stamped and etched. Ms. Hill
said as far as she knows, they have stayed on schedule and on budget. Regarding the LEED Certification, Ms. Hill
said they are working on the educational piece of the brochure but she
does not
know the final rating. It is expected to
be certified or silver. Ms. Hill
expects they will start moving in the
non
essentials as soon as they get the go ahead.
The furniture gets installed toward the end of August. She expects the library will
be closing down the first two weeks in September. The
grand opening is still
scheduled for Saturday, September 16th and Friday night the
15th
is a tour for the lead donors. Ms. Hill
explained that they will have tour
guides to
help with the tours around the library. City
Council is invited to come Friday evening as well as
Saturday.
B.
Planning for the Future - Discussion
Vice Chair Wagner
reviewed the
list of projects to focus on for the future.
·
More staff
·
Longer library hours
·
Community survey
·
One full time staff committed to
volunteer
coordinating
·
Review and modernize the bylaws
·
Thorough review of the Policy Manual
·
Joint meeting with the Friends
·
Maximize relationship with the
college
·
Develop a trail west
Vice Chair Wagner
clarified the
trail is being developed but there is currently no budget for surfacing
it.
The Board discussed
the library
move. Ms. Hill
explained that they will hire movers
for the
heavy books. She explained the concerns
of the City liability of having volunteers who might get hurt. She added that there will
be other opportunities for volunteers to help.
Ms. Hill
said there will be no new staff coming
on at
the library immediately, but they are working on the volunteer job
descriptions. She thinks they will
be able to integrate volunteers more in the operations than they have
in the
past. There will
be coordination and training that will
need to
take place, which is an area they are working to figure out. Ms. Hill
commented that adding staff is something that is proposed when
preparing their
budget each fall. Presently there are
four full time and three part time employees.
Ms. Hill reported that she does
have a
draft move plan and has had experience in moving a large library four
times
after a major earthquake. She said it will
be fun.
Ms. Hill
explained the process of requesting more staff through the budget
process.
·
She submits a justification in her
budget
worksheets that go to the City Manager
·
If the City Manager supports it, it
goes to
Council.
Boardmember Martin
commented
something she feels the Board could get started on is supporting the
relationship with the college. She knows
it is something that is on people’s minds and suggested they start
looking into
it soon.
Library Director Hill
responded that she agrees and one effort that is already in progress is
they
are going in on a grant together for next year’s writer’s conference. The college has been fortunate enough to sign
up Amy Tan as the key note speaker and it is coinciding with a National
Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant they are doing nationally. There are other groups that are involved as
well like the Pratt Museum,
Pier 1 Theater, the Flex School
and others. NEA only accepts one grant
application per state.
NEW BUSINESS
A. CIP Review and List for
Council
Public
Works Director Meyer spoke to the Board regarding the Bridge Creek
Watershed acquisitions, projects that are done or in process, road
projects,
the STIP list and how it relates items in the Capital Improvement Plan. He recommended that the Board focus on
projects that will relate specifically to the Library.
The
Board reviewed their recommendations from last year and discussed
what projects were related to the new library.
They came up with the following list:
·
Ladder
Truck
·
Senior
Access Trail
·
Town Square
Infrastructure
·
Campus
Expansion
·
Green
House
BURSCH/MARTIN
MOVED TO HAVE THIS AS OUR LIST.
There was no further
discussion.
VOTE:
NON OBJECTION: UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
Motion carried.
COMMENTS FROM THE
PUBLIC
COMMENTS FROM THE
BOARD
ADJOURNMENT
MARTIN/BURSCH MOVED TO ADJOURN.
There was no further
discussion.
VOTE:
NON OBJECTION: UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
Motion carried.
There being no further business to come before the
Board,
the meeting adjourned at 7:38 pm. The next Regular Meeting is scheduled for September 5, 2006 at 6:00 pm in the City Hall Cowles
Council
Chambers located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue,
Homer, Alaska.
INFORMATIONAL MATERIAL
MELISSA JACOBSEN, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
Approved: