City of Homer

City Manager

491 East Pioneer Avenue
Homer, Alaska 99603

                                        907-235-8121       

                                         Fax:(907) 235-3148     E-mail: citymanager@ci.homer.ak.us    Web Site: www.ci.homer.ak.us

 

 

MEMORANDUM No. 03-184

 

 

DATE:          October 22, 2003

 

TO:               Mayor Cushing / Homer City Council

 

FROM:          Walt Wrede

 

SUBJECT:    Consortium Library  

 

 

As you know, the consortium library / shared library resources idea has been added to the Committee of the Whole Agenda by the Council, Mayor, and Manager. I thought that it might be useful to add an agenda item to the regular agenda on this subject so that the Council could take action if it decides that it wants to do so. I believe that this subject may continue to simmer indefinitely until the City Council articulates a position or reaffirms its existing position. If the Council wishes to take action at this meeting, I think it has several options available to it. For example, it could adopt a motion, request that a resolution be drafted and brought forward at a future meeting, adopt the findings and recommendations presented in the Library Advisory Board Position Paper which was included in the packet, or chart a different decision making strategy.

 

RECOMMENDATION:  That the Council articulate its position as soon as is feasible and prudent. I believe that the position of the Friends of the Library, the Library Advisory Board, and the Library Building Committee is that the City should move forward with the construction of a new Homer Public Library. I believe that these groups are supportive of improving cooperation and the sharing of resources with the university library; in other words, working on an agreement that is short of a consortium.  I also think that they would be open to discussing the consortium idea after the library is built if the University is able to provide some capital resources and/or provide a more significant contribution to maintenance and operations. I recommend that the Council reaffirm the direction it is already on by adopting the position recommended in the position paper discussed above.