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MEETING MINUTES

A Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library was held on Thursday, August 4, 2005, in the Central Library Auditorium pursuant to due notice to trustees. The following members were present:

Rebecca L. Pordum, Chair
Phyllis A. Horton, Vice Chair
Frank Gist, Secretary
John B. Long, Treasurer
Richard L. Berger
W. Lawrence Buck
Jack Connors
Susan Maggiore
Hormoz Mansouri
Elaine M. Panty
Judith K. Summer
Sharon A. Thomas
Wayne D. Wisbaum

Robert J. Plache, Trustee Emeritus
George M. Zimmermann, Trustee Emeritus

Excused:
Annette A. Juncewicz
Abdul H. Raoof

Chair Rebecca L. Pordum called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. in the Mason O. Damon Auditorium.

Agenda Item B – Approval/Changes to the Agenda. The Chair called for a motion to amend the Agenda to add Resolution 2005-35 under Unfinished Business, E.2, in regard to Library Foundation business. Ms. Horton moved, and Ms. Summer seconded. Approval was unanimous.

Agenda Item C – Report of the Chair. Ms. Pordum requested a motion to appoint Richard Berger to the Budget & Finance Committee. Mr. Berger was appointed to the Board after committee assignments were determined in March. Ms. Panty moved, Ms. Summer made a second, and approval was unanimous.

The Chair announced the final Planning Committee meeting would be held on August 22 nd and invited all trustees to attend this important meeting. The purpose will be to finalize recommendations prior to the August 25 th Board meeting. She encouraged all trustees to attend the August 22 nd meeting to have an opportunity to discuss the recommendations of the Planning Committee. The meetings will be open to the public.

Trustees Gist and Thomas arrived at approximately 4:05 p.m. Trustee Buck arrived at approximately 4:08 p.m.

Agenda Item D – Report of the Director.

Agenda Item D.1 – Four-Year Plan and Budget for B&ECPL. Director Michael Mahaney introduced for consideration and approval the Library's Four-Year Plan and Budget. The Library System was notified by Erie County that it would not fund all 52 library locations in 2006. The County Executive requested a four-year plan from the Library detailing how it planned to proceed in the next four years in light of imposed budgetary reductions. This plan, The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, 1998-2008: The Final Four Years of a Ten-Year Journey , states the recommendations made in the Cohen study and details the steps the B&ECPL took to address those recommendations. The plan concludes with four significant objectives that the Library must attain in the near future: design and construction of New Model Libraries, extension of the Centralized Human Resources program, establishment of a B&ECPL Development Office and utilization of Process Improvement Project data to realign staffing assignments. Mr. Buck moved for approval of the Four-Year Plan, and Mr. Berger seconded. Prior to the vote, the Chair thanked Mr. Mahaney and his staff for their hard work in putting this plan together. The vote was unanimous for approval of the following:

RESOLUTION 2005-34

WHEREAS, responding to Erie County's prolonged financial crisis Governor Pataki on July 12, 2005 signed the implementing legislation creating the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority (ECFSA) to oversee the finances of Erie County and “covered organizations,” and

WHEREAS, the Library and its patrons have suffered through 2005 budget reductions resulting from the Property Tax for Library Purposes being reduced more than $2.5 million and the lack of new library materials (books, magazines, books on tape/CD, CDs, DVDs, electronic databases, etc.) resulting from the County's failure to issue bonds to support the 2005 adopted Erie County Capital Budget's $5 million allocation for said library materials, and

WHEREAS, since the 2001 budget year when the County significantly lowered property taxes, the County has funded library materials purchases though an allocation from the Erie County Capital Budget supported first by tobacco settlement proceeds and beginning mid-year 2003 by bonded debt, rather than through the Property Tax for Library Purposes, and

WHEREAS, the County's financial crisis has illustrated the practice of issuing bonds to purchase library materials is not an advisable practice, and one that the County is not likely to continue in 2006, and

WHEREAS, the Library as a governmental agency which receives monies directly from the County, qualifies as a covered organization in relation to ECFSA oversight, and

WHEREAS, one of the first financial milestones is the requirement that: Not later than October first, two thousand five, the county executive, upon approval by the legislature, shall submit to the authority a budget modification and financial plan… The plan shall cover the county's two thousand five fiscal year and the three subsequent fiscal years , and

WHEREAS, in a letter dated July 6, 2005 , County Executive Giambra requested the Library, within 30 days, submit a draft “ balanced fiscal plan that includes:

•  Holding the library property tax levy constant at the 2005 level for FY 06'.

•  A program for addressing the issues raised in the Cohen report (and subsequent documents) regarding branches, specialization and services.

•  A purposeful listing of funding needed to re-engineer the Buffalo and Erie County Library system over the 3 subsequent years of the fiscal plan. The ECFSA legislation allows for up to $10 million per year for re-engineering initiatives. I would support some portion of that funding being designated for library re-engineering.” , and

WHEREAS, the attached draft plan satisfying these requirements has been developed, and

WHEREAS, under the plan, the Property Tax for Library Purposes in 2006 would remain unchanged from 2005's $21,671,833, and

WHEREAS, the 2006 levy would be less than that charged in 1996 and more than $4.7 million (18% less) than the levy in the year 2000, the last year library materials were supported by the levy, and

WHEREAS, the plan requires operating budget reductions in excess of $6.1 million to generate the necessary operating savings to absorb library materials funding back into the operating budget, to offset the growing cost of health insurance and retirement and to offset anticipated termination, unemployment costs, and revenue losses that may result from these reductions, and

WHEREAS, the plan also presents several opportunities to utilize ECFSA Incentive Grant proceeds to further Intra/intermunicipal library consolidation projects, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library adopts “The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, 1998 to 2008: The Final Four Years of a Ten-Year Journey,” and the attached Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Four-Year Financial Plan, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees urgently requests the Erie County Executive and Erie County Legislature to undertake the actions necessary to provide the 2005 Adopted Erie County Capital budget's $5 million allocation for library materials to the Library to facilitate an orderly transition of the library materials budget back to the B&ECPL operating budget supported by the Property Tax for Library Purposes as requested in the attached Four-year Financial Plan, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Library Director shall promptly transmit this resolution, “The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, 1998 to 2008: The Final Four Years of a Ten-Year Journey,” and the Four-Year Financial Plan to the Erie County Executive.

Agenda Item E – Unfinished Business.

Agenda Item E.1 – Operating Reductions to Allow Limited Library Materials Purchasing for the Balance of 2005. The Director stated that Erie County has thus far been unable to appropriate funds for library materials in 2005. In order to provide basic library materials for residents of the County, funding must be taken from the Library's operating budget. It will result in a reduction of hours at most libraries. Other libraries will close. This scenario will be very difficult, but there are no other options available to sustain the System. On motion by Mr. Buck, with a second by Ms. Horton, the resolution was approved unanimously.

RESOLUTION 2005-33

WHEREAS, Erie County 's 2005 adopted budget placed $5 million for library materials (books, magazines, books on tape/CD, CDs, DVDs, electronic databases, etc.) in the separate Erie County Capital Budget as a “bonded project,” and

WHEREAS, this money has yet to be borrowed by the County and therefore, received by the B&ECPL, with no firm indication as to when or if the funds will ultimately be provided, and

WHEREAS, the Library has no funds left for library materials purchases for the remainder of 2005, and

WHEREAS, in order to continue providing very limited access to new library materials as well as renew subscriptions to periodicals and on-line databases for the balance of 2005, additional reductions to the B&ECPL operating budget are required, and

WHEREAS, the Library Board of Trustees Planning Committee reviewed the situation and options to address the lack of County funding for library materials, and

WHEREAS, the Committee adopted a recommended 20% reduction in funding for fourth quarter operations for all facilities in the County, and

WHEREAS, these reductions will allow the transfer of $1,328,842 from various operating accounts to the library materials account, allowing ordering of needed library materials to resume immediately, and the library fringe benefits account to offset anticipated termination costs that may result from these reductions, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library authorizes the Library Director or his designee to implement budget reductions of 20% of the estimated operating costs in the amounts listed in Exhibit 1 attached, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees tasks the Library Director to begin preparing 2005 contracts with contracting libraries, all of whom are operating under 2004 contract extensions, which expire as of September 20, 2005, to incorporate the referenced reductions, and be it further

RESOLVED, that for contracting libraries not participating in the Centralized Human Resources Program, reduction amounts will be reduced from their fourth quarter payment, and be it further

RESOLVED, that for contracting libraries participating in the Centralized Human Resources Program, reduction amounts will be reduced from the SAP operating budget pursuant to direction from their Board of Trustees, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Library Director is authorized to modify the weekly open hours requirement pursuant to Exhibit C of each contracting library's contract, upon the submission of said library of a reduction plan that in the Director's professional judgment meets the reduction requirement in a manner that minimizes impact upon the library and its public, and be it further

RESOLVED, that for Central, Buffalo Branch and System functions, reduction amounts may be aggregated and reduced from the appropriate system SAP accounts as determined by the Library Director, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the proceeds from these reductions be transferred into the B&ECPL operating SAP accounts in the amounts of $1 million to the library materials account and the balance of $328,842 to the System fringe benefits account to offset increased termination and unemployment insurance costs that may result from these measures, and be it further

RESOLVED, that library materials ordering, albeit at a greatly reduced level, may resume immediately.

RESOLUTION 2005-35

WHEREAS, the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library has an extraordinary rare book collection that helps define the Central Library's role as a unique downtown destination and regional resource, and

WHEREAS, considerable progress has been made in making that collection more accessible to the public, in part from the commitment of the Library Foundation in applying for and securing private and corporate grants, and

WHEREAS, the B&ECPL Board of Trustees is responsible for the preservation of these treasures and for sharing them with the community under conditions that do not subject them to potential loss or damage, and

WHEREAS, authority for all decisions regarding the management, development or disposition of the collection resides with the B&ECPL Board of Trustees , and

WHEREAS, competing priorities in this challenging fiscal year preclude dedicated funding for rare book projects within the B&ECPL operating budget, and

WHEREAS, in light of potential library closings and considerable service reductions at those libraries that remain open, it is not possible to divert limited operating funds to special projects at this time, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library formally endorses efforts of the Library Foundation related to programs and exhibition of “The Map that Changed the World” subject to the terms of correspon­dence from Library Foundation President Victor Rice, dated August 2, 2005, confirming that any expenses incurred by the Library in connection with this project will be reimbursed in full.

Agenda Item F – Public Comment. Chair Rebecca Pordum gave a brief history of the library situation prior to hearing public comment. Seven years ago, independent consultants warned that should there be a downturn in Erie County's finances, those cuts would be passed on to the Library. That report predicted services would be curtailed. It said the Board and administration will plan cuts to minimize the impact, but reductions will be obvious throughout the System. It will be impossible to avoid layoffs. Ultimately, there is a choice—fewer outlets that provide good library service or fewer outlets that do not. One year later, after the appointment of a new director, the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Board of Trustees made an effort through 22 public meetings over a period of six months to impress the community at large and its elected leadership of the gravity of what was to come in the next budgetary crisis. We were not successful.

Nevertheless, the Board of Trustees tried to implement most of the recommendations in the 1998 report from Aaron Cohen Associates. It emphasized that the B&ECPL has more buildings per capita than any other library system in North America . The Board never abandoned the ACA concept of consolidation and spent years working to demonstrate how service can be improved and resources can be better managed by merging multiple locations into a single, new state-of-the-art library.

In spite of assertions that the B&ECPL went unscathed in the Erie County budget crisis, the 2005 appropriation for Erie County reflects at least $4.2 million in cuts. When we incorporate the County's failure to provide a $5 million materials appropriation in the 2005 capital budget, the cumulative reduction over 2004 exceeds 21% of the entire 2004 B&ECPL budget. Through service cuts, reorganization and across the board belt-tightening, the Library was able to make certain that every location in 2005 preserved individual State Charters. Schedules were compressed at almost every location. More than 100 full and part-time positions were eliminated or downgraded. Bookmobiles were pulled off the road for the first time since 1947, and materials purchasing was reduced to a minimum. Ironically, all this occurred at a time when public library activity in Erie County had reached an all-time high. In 2004, the B&ECPL circulated over nine million items for the first time ever and computer use rose more than 20%, also setting new records.

No level of this organization has been spared. Rank and file cuts and downgrades occurred, and library administration shrank, too. Three senior management positions were eliminated and one was reduced from full-time to RPT. Further adjustments are forthcoming. Some basic revenue facts: From 1997 through 1999, approximately $20 million was allocated by Erie County to sustain our Library System. In 2000, it was $26 million, in 2001 through 2004 it rose to approximately $27 million. However, in the year 2005, it was reduced to $21 million, and we did not have the additional $5 million for library materials. In the year 2006, the County Executive has asked the Library to maintain a status quo target of $21 million. The State also funds our Library System to some extent. In 1997, it was approximately $2 million, in 2005 it was $2.1 million. We have gained a $100,000 increase from 1997 to 2005.

Some have suggested that the Library has not advocated for sufficient funds to operate and improve its infrastructure. That is untrue. Public records show that every year the Library approached the City of Buffalo , which owns 14 branches, and identified the capital needs of each of those buildings, including handicapped accessibility. Unful­filled requests for some improvements date back to the 1980s.

Further, in its most recent budget crisis, despite what some might claim, library trustees and staff have advocated persistently for the $5 million capital appropriation by meeting with legislators in private as well as in multiple public sessions of the full body. Once again today, the Legislature failed to act on the Library's request for book budget money. Through correspondence with other boards, we have encouraged other library staff members and trustees of local libraries to assist in our efforts.

The community must remember that the B&ECPL did not cause or contribute to Erie County 's fiscal problems. The Library is a well-run, cost-effective operation that not only lives within its means every year, but also has managed to introduce new operations, for example, electronic and network services, without increasing the number of employees. In fact, today the full-time staff of the B&ECPL is only 56% of what it was 30 years ago. The current situation was imposed on the Library, the Library did not cause it. Please remember that this Board and this administration never endorsed closing libraries. We hoped to rebuild the System through some consolida­tion projects where two or more older libraries could be combined into a single, new state-of-the-art library. It was the Board's intention that no library would close until a new library was ready to begin operation. Sadly, that option is not available to us today.

At the conclusion of her remarks, the Chair invited members of the public to express their concerns and opinions to trustees. The following individuals made comments.

Tom McLeod of Orchard Park advocated for the Boston Library.

Michael Perley of Boston , President of the Boston Library Board, advocated for the Boston Library.

Nick Bonifacio of the Buffalo Common Council advocated for Buffalo 's West Side libraries.

Reed Garver of Colden, Treasurer of the Boston Library, advocated for Boston .

Susan Minekime of Eden, Library Manager at Eden , advocated for the Eden Library.

Cheryl Colvin of Eden, Sr. Library Clerk at Eden Library, advocated for Eden Library.

Phillip Muck, President of the Eden Library Board, advocated for the Eden Library.

Sandra Ploetz of Eden advocated for the Eden Library.

Glenn Nellis of Eden, Supervisor of the Town of Eden , advocated for the Eden Library.

Christina Abt, Sr. Asst. to Legislator Jeanne Chase, advocated for the Eden Library.

Carole Kin of Angola , President of the Angola Library Board, advocated for Angola .

Gifford Swyers of Evans advocated for the Angola Library .

Elizabeth Berry of West Seneca advocated for keeping all 52 libraries open.

John Klukowski of Buffalo believes all 52 libraries should remain open.

Jeffrey Gauthier of Buffalo advocated for the Cazenovia Library in Buffalo .

Andrew Bennett of Eden advocated for the Eden Library.

Albert Martin of Lancaster, Vice President of the Lancaster Library Board, believes

some libraries should be closed due to Erie County 's loss of population since

1970. The Library System must adapt to new fiscal realities.

Trustee George Zimmermann left the meeting at approximately 4:50 p.m.

Laura McLeod of Orchard Park , Library Manager at Boston , advocated for Boston .

Lynn Gerber of Boston advocated for the Boston Library.

Susan Carson of Cheektowaga supports the concept of fewer library buildings with more library materials available for residents.

Caroll May of Buffalo read an article stating that Legislator Tim Kennedy is opposed to library closings and consolidations and will oppose any plan to close libraries.

Valerie Niederhofer of Buffalo would like all libraries to remain open.

Ed Reich of Williamsville advocated for the Williamsville Library and also believes fees should be increased to help cover costs at libraries.

Sandra Jardine of Buffalo believes the Library should investigate funding sources outside of New York State .

Kat Massey of Buffalo spoke in favor of libraries and believes they provide good value.

Mary Scheeder of Williamsville spoke in favor of the Williamsville Library.

Sandra Wittmeyer of Boston advocated for the Boston Library.

George Lee of Blasdell, Deputy Mayor, advocated for the Blasdell Library and all community libraries.

Sonya Manning of Eden advocated for the Eden Library.

Sue Alessi of North Collins, President of the North Collins Library Board, advocated for the North Collins Library.

Gary Awdey of Eden urged library officials to work with other levels of government to find ways to keep all libraries open.

Karen Muchow of Alden, Treasurer of the Alden Library Board, advocated for Alden.

Robert Mausteller of Marilla advocated for the Marilla Library.

Beth Staebell of Williamsville advocated for the Williamsville Library.

Trustee Robert Plache left the meeting at approximately 5:40 p.m.

Hailey Lawrenson of Williamsville advocated for the Williamsville Library.

Jean Stadelman of Williamsville advocated for the Williamsville Library.

Mercedes Russow of Hamburg , a retired teacher, stated how important libraries are for students of all ages and urged the Board not to close libraries.

Mary Gillespie of Buffalo believes libraries are important to communities because they provide a place for all members of society to congregate and mingle.

Charles Walter of Buffalo stated all libraries should remain open.

Lynda Stephens of Buffalo thinks property taxes should be raised to keep libraries open.

Mitch Cummings, Manager of the Journey's End Refuge Center in Buffalo , stated local libraries are essential to support literacy services for new immigrants.

Trustee Wisbaum left the meeting at approximately 5:48 p.m.

Ken Pryor of Buffalo advocated for the Martin Luther King Library.

Thomas Morrissey of Buffalo , President of the Librarians' Association, spoke about the importance of libraries in communities.

William Eagan of Boston , Supervisor of the Town of Boston , advocated for the Boston Library.

Richard Hawkins of Boston advocated for the Boston Library.

Madonna Priore of Cheektowaga advocated for the Williamsville Library and all others.

Denise Marshall, Legislator of the 5 th District, advocated for libraries in her District.

John Foss of Marilla, Supervisor of the Town of Marilla , advocated for the Marilla Library.

Jennifer Livingston of West Falls advocated for the West Falls Library.

Joseph DeMare of Alden advocated for the Alden Library and all County libraries.

Eva M. Doyle of Buffalo advocated for the Martin Luther King Library.

Robert Corp of West Falls advocated for the West Falls Library.

Public comment concluded at approximately 6:18 p.m. Chair Pordum asked meeting attendees to advocate for libraries with their elected officials. She said it is up to Erie County voters to make libraries an election issue. There being no further business, on motion by Mr. Buck, seconded by Ms. Panty, the meeting was adjourned at 6:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Frank Gist

Secretary

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