LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD UNAPPROVED
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
AUGUST 4, 2009
Session 09-07 a Regular Meeting of
the Library Advisory Board was called to order on August 4, 2009 at 6:05 pm by Chair
Eileen Faulkner at the Homer City Hall Cowles Council Chambers located at 491
E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska.
PRESENT: BOARDMEMBERS WAGNER, BEATTY, HAWFIELD, FAULKNER
ABSENT: BOARDMEMBER LARSON, SEAMAN (EXCUSED)
LIBRARY
DIRECTOR HILL (EXCUSED)
STAFF: DEPUTY CITY CLERK KRAUSE
Approval of the Agenda
WAGNER/HAWFIELD – MOVED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
There was no discussion.
The agenda was approved by consensus of the Board.
Public Comments Regarding Items on the Agenda
None.
Reconsideration
There were no items for reconsideration.
Approval of the Minutes
A.
Regular
Meeting Minutes from July 7, 2009
Chair
Faulkner requested a motion to approve.
HAWFIELD/WAGNER – moved to aPPROVE the minutes.
There
were no changes or discussion.
VOTE.
YES. NON-OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
Motion
carried.
Visitors and Communications
A.
Friends
Report
Chair
Faulkner noted there was a brief summary in the directors’ report on page 9 of
the packet. She commented that the Friends did a wonderful job with the cake for
the unveiling party of the library sign. She did note that Brad Hughes and his
wife Judy have created a snapshot book which will be at the library that displays
the process used to create the sign. Currently it was in the main lobby of City
Hall. Boardmember Wagner commented that Mr. Hughes will put on a demo at the
August 22 Street Faire on how he made the sign.
B. Visitors
There were no visitors scheduled.
Library Director’s Report
A.
Director’s
Report for August 2009
Chair
Faulkner reported that the downloadable books software is operational and can
be accessed for two weeks on patrons jump drives or computers.
There
was no further discussion.
A.
Monthly
Statistics – July 2009
There
was no 2008 comparison available this month. Boardmember Wagner commented that
volunteer hours were going to be substantially higher since she just submitted
her hours today.
There
was no further discussion.
Committee Reports
A. Art Selection Committee Report
A
request will go out in September for Artists to respond by mid November. The latest
artist, Sarah Banks is now on display. The artwork hanging is different that
what was submitted. There is one more artist left.
There
was no more discussion.
B. Landscape Committee Report – Kyra
Wagner
Boardmember
Wagner noted that there have been “lots going on” with Brenda Adams, her crew and
a smattering of volunteers. The first day all plants were removed, installed
two loads of dirt, replanted all good plants. They had a visit from the Soil
and Water Conservation Invasive Weed Specialist stop by and he pointed out 17
different invasive species on the Library property. The budget is down to
$7250. She noted that Ms. Adams is available for another two days. They have
discussed taking advantage of her services and considering having her take care
of the invasive weeds issue or leave for next year. Ms. Adams has offered to
design a garden that would be a perennial garden and would use those funds.
There
was a discussion on the city responsibility for taking care of that garden.
Boardmember
Beatty expressed that there were volunteers interested in helping out at the
Library. There is no status on that decision. So if the volunteers are
available it has been discussed bringing Ms. Adams back for one day to work
with those volunteers.
Chair
Faulkner inquired about the invasive species locations. Boardmember Wagner stated
that most of the gardens are free of those unwanted species however plants such
as the red clover and dandelion are probably never are totally wiped out.
Ms.
Adams was very enthusiastic about encouraging native wildflowers.
The
rain has helped promote the growth of the Lupine so it is now coming up like
crazy.
Boardmember
Wagner stated Flo and Peter Larson have been instrumental in removing and
replanting the cinquefoil.
There
was no further discussion.
Public Hearing
None.
Pending Business
A.
Library
Improvement Plan (LIP)
Chair Faulkner inquired if Vice Chair
Hawfield received a response from the City Manager. He responded that he had
not.
A brief discussion followed and Chair
Faulkner will follow up with the City Manager to see if there is anything the
Board can assist him on.
Boardmember Wagner reported that the
City should be receiving additional information from the consultants.
Deputy City Clerk reported that the
City Manager expressed at a staff meeting just today that he was withholding
speaking about the Library until he had the full report on all city buildings
from the consultants. He would then have ammunition to get something done.
There was further discussion on any
future agenda items under the LIP. It was discussed that the only remaining
issue was the extended Library hours. The Board will need to lobby City Council
to extend the hours.
There was no further discussion.
B.
Library
– Comments, Responses, Issues, and Challenges
Postponed to the September meeting
when Library Director Hill is available.
NEW BusinesS
A. 2010-2015 Capital
Improvement Plan Recommendations
a. Memorandum dated August 11, 2008 Re:
Recommendations presented to City
Council in 2008 for 2009.
Boardmember Seaman submitted her recommendations via email since she
would not be attending and they were in no particular order of importance –
Fire truck, downtown restrooms, water – alternative source or storage capacity,
City Hall and Sewer Treatment.
Chair Faulkner explained the CIP process to Boardmember Beatty since it
was her first exposure to the process.
Boardmember Wagner offered that they usually do not support Port &
Harbor projects since the Port & Harbor Commission supports those projects.
She inquired about any decisions made on the Anaerobic Sewer Treatment Plant
project. Deputy City Clerk Krause did not believe any decision to precede on
this project was made by council.
Boardmember Wagner expressed agreement with the projects recommended by
Boardmember Seaman.
Discussion continued on the projects to include in the Board’s 2009
recommendations. Final consensus was made on the following projects which are
in priority order.
1. Alternative
Water Source
2. Sewer
Treatment Bio-Solids Treatment Improvements
3. Water
Storage/Distribution Improvements
4. Homer
City Hall/ Town Square
5. Bridge
Creek Watershed Land Acquisition
HAWFIELD/WAGNER – MOVED TO RECOMMEND THE ABOVE PROJECTS IN PRIORITY ORDER
TO CITY COUNCIL FOR INCLUSION IN THE 2010-2015 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
There was no discussion.
VOTE. YES. NON-OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
Motion carried.
B. New Members? What to do
to get new board members.
a. Memorandum dated July 28, 2009 Re:
Suggestions to Encourage New Member Applications for City Boards,
Commissions and Committees.
b. Ordinance 09-28(S) Amending HCC
Chapter 1.48 Amending Number of
Boardmembers
and descriptive title. Approved 06/22/09 Effective
06/23/09.
The boardmembers discussed a few
candidates that have been approached or will be approaching to see if they
would be interested in being a Boardmember. Vice Chair Hawfield commented that
it will be very helpful to have the additional out of city limits boardmember
opportunity.
There were a number of people that
each Boardmember present mentioned they would be approaching.
There was no further discussion.
Informational Materials
A. Memorandum Re: Question of the Week
Dated June 18, 2009 “The Library Advisory
Board is looking for ways to get
students involved in our City government such as offering class credits for volunteering as a Student Representative
on City of Homer’s Commissions & Boards. What suggestions do you have that would spark the interest of our
students?
There was a
lively discussion of the comments received from residents for the Question of
the Week with some considered quite humorous.
B. Memorandum from Library Advisory Board
to City Manager Wrede dated July 7, 2009 Re:
Methods to Reduce Energy Used for
Heating and Ventilating the Homer Public Library.
None.
COMMENTS OF THE CITY STAFF
Deputy City Clerk commented that the Boardmembers
were awesome tonight.
Comments from the Board
Boardmember Wagner and Beatty had no comments.
Boardmember Hawfield thanked everyone once again for
allowing him to leave early last month as it was their company was late he was
on time for once. He commented on the possibility that the Library hours could
be cut back and the dire results if that were to happen such as not qualifying
for Federal Funding, etc.
COMMENTS OF THE CHAIR
Chair Faulkner stated that she spoke briefly with
Library Director Hill about the budget. Upon Library Director Hill’s return she
will have one week before submitting the library budget for review. This next budget period is going to be very
lean. She is not sure what is going to be done due to the short fall from no
sales tax. Chair Faulkner commented it looks very bleak.
Chair Faulkner further commented on there has been
no follow-up on the Survey and believes that a letter should be sent to the paper
updating the public.
Further discussion on the results from the loss of
the sales tax revenue and what is will actually mean to the residents of Homer for
services, programs, etc. continued between the boardmembers.
There being no further business to come before the Board
Chair Faulkner adjourned the meeting at 7:06 p.m. The next Regular Meeting
is scheduled for September 1, 2009 at 6:00 pm in the City Hall Cowles Council
Chambers located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska.
Renee
Krause, Deputy City Clerk I
Approved: