MEETING MINUTES
Minutes
of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Board of Trustees
November 18, 1999
The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public
Library was held on Thursday, November 18, 1999 in the Central Library pursuant to due
notice to trustees. The following members were present: Rebecca L. Mahoney, Chair; Phyllis
A. Horton, Vice Chair; Simone Mitchell-Peterson, Secretary; David J. Shenk, Treasurer;
Frank Gist; Annette A. Juncewicz; Remy Orffeo; Elaine M. Panty; Robert J. Plache; Daniel
T. Roach; Judith K. Summer; Stanley H. Zagora; George M. Zimmermann, Trustee Emeritus
Excused: James W. Burns, conflict; Salvatore R. Martoche, out of town; Sharon A. Thomas, conflict; Roland R. Benzow, Trustee Emeritus; Richard O. Hopkins, Trustee Emeritus; Morton H. Stovroff, Trustee Emeritus; John P. Wickser, Trustee Emeritus
Chair Mahoney called the meeting to order at 4 p.m. in the Joseph B. Rounds Conference Room.
Agenda Item B – Approval / Changes to the Agenda. On motion by Mr. Shenk and seconded by Ms. Horton, the Agenda was approved as amended to include Executive Session for discussion of a personnel matter to follow Agenda Item J.
Agenda Item C – Minutes of the Meeting of October 21, 1999. On motion by Ms. Panty and seconded by Ms. Horton the Minutes of the meeting of October 21, 1999 were approved as submitted.
Agenda Item D – Report of the Chair. Ms. Mahoney informed the Board that in addition to the meetings which were included in staff written reports, she and Mrs. Chrisman met with Senator Charles Schumer, Maurice Garner, Senior Executive Assistant - Constituent and Community Relations, and newly elected councilmember at large Charley Fisher on November 15th to discuss the Jefferson Library Project. Legislator Crystal Peoples joined the meeting in progress. Senator Schumer was very receptive and indicated how much he enjoysvalues libraries. B&ECPL hopes to hear from him soon regarding a Library staff proposal forthe project discussed with which was presented to him at the meeting.
Agenda Item E – Committee Reports.
Agenda Item E.1 – Executive Committee. Ms. Horton reported that at its meeting on Monday, November 8th at 5 p.m., the Executive Committee approved the agenda for today’s meeting and discussed the various items to be presented for action.
Agenda Item E.2 – Budget & Finance Committee. In the absence of Ms. Mitchell-Peterson, who has been delayed, Mr. Stone presented the following report of the Budget & Finance Committee.
Agenda Item E.2.a – Contract Library Transfers. On motion by Mr. Shenk and seconded by Mr. Orffeo the following was approved unanimously:
RESOLUTION 99-67
WHEREAS, a request for budget transfers has been received from the Aurora Town Public Library, the Hamburg Public Library, and the Orchard Park Public Library, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library approves transfers totaling $15,400.51 within the budget of the Aurora Town Public Library, $1,375 within the budget of the Hamburg Public Library, and $7,929 within the budget of the Orchard Park Public Library.
Agenda Item E.2.b – Authorization for Year End Transfers in Excess of $5000. Mr. Stone informed the Board that proposed Resolution 99-68 gives the Director the authority to approve transfers within the operating budget impacting objects of expenditure in excess of $5000, should such action be necessary for year-end closing activities. Transfers would then be submitted to the Board for ratification prior to the "thirteenth month." On motion by Ms. Panty and seconded by Ms. Horton the following was approved unanimously:
RESOLUTION 99-68
RESOLVED, that the Interim Director, with the approval of the Chairman of the Board or the Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, is authorized to make transfers in the 1999 operating budget impacting objects of expenditure in excess of $5,000 for the purposes of making year-end encumbrances and/or expenditures, subject to such transfers being submitted to the Board for ratification by the close of the "thirteenth month."
Agenda Item E.2.c – Monthly Financial Report – 10/31/99. The financial report for the period ending October 31, 1999 was presented for information.
Agenda Item F – Report of the Director. In addition to her written report, Mrs. Chrisman called attention to a number of items. On behalf of Planning Committee Chair Juncewicz she invited Committee members to delay their departure today in order to plan a meeting to review a staff proposal for public meetings on the Strategic Plan.
The correspondence book contains a copy of a letter to the editor which appeared in the November 17th edition of the Buffalo News regarding the Gowanda Library.
Interim Director Chrisman and Deputy Director Stone will attend the November 20th ACT meeting at the Gowanda Library. Trustees received notice of this meeting in their board packets.
An article in Art Voice written by staff member Marguerite Cheman is also included in the correspondence book.
Mrs. Chrisman reported that the B&ECPL has achieved its goal in the United Way campaign this year. She applauded Learning Center Manager Ward Pautler who did an outstanding job as Chair of the campaign.
Ms. Panty asked that a letter expressing the Board’s sympathy be sent to the family of Carl Allen who covered the Library’s board meetings for the Buffalo News for so many years. Mrs. Chrisman indicated that she will draft a letter.
In response to Ms. Juncewicz’s question regarding United Way’s donor choice contributions, Mr. Stone indicated that the Library has received funds in the range of $5000. Ms. Vedder responded that the Library Foundation receives between $6000-$9000 which is dedicated to Extension Services and the Learning Center.
Mr. Orffeo called attention to the circulation statistics which were included in the board packets. He noted that circulation is down in almost all areas and asked if the statistics can be revised to reflect the other services provided by the Library. Mrs. Chrisman indicated that B&ECPL currently prepares output measures which reflect the number of people enteringvisiting the Library and the in-house use of materials. In the future the Library would like intends to measure the use of electronic resources and incorporate that measurement into the regular reporting mechanism.
The following report was submitted by the Interim Director and transmitted to Board members prior to the meeting:
Strategic Planning: Board Chair Rebecca Mahoney, Trustees Phyllis Horton and Judy Summer and various staff members have been participating in meetings of the Hub Services Task Force to examine the Hub concept and design ways to make the idea an effective technique to enhance B&ECPL public service. The model preferred by the Task Force is being presented to regional meetings of contract library directors and trustees. The monthly report of Peggy Skotnicki includes details about the model and meeting schedule.
On October 27th, Board Chair Mahoney and the Interim Director met with the Cheektowaga Public Library Board of Trustees to present an overview of strategic planning activities. The session was similar to one conducted with the Town of Tonawanda trustees on October 18th.
North Collins Library Opens: County Executive Dennis Gorski was on hand to open the new North Collins Library, along with Legislator Frederick Marshall, State Assemblyman Richard Smith and political leaders from North Collins. Board Chair Mahoney presented good wishes from the B&ECPL and acknowledged the presence of trustees Phyllis Horton, Elaine Panty and Remy Orffeo. System administrators joined staff and trustees from throughout Erie County to celebrate the occasion.
ACT Meeting: Prior to the North Collins grand opening festivities, the Interim Director briefly attended a meeting of ACT at the Hulbert Library in Springville. She presented an update on the proposal to construct a new library in Collins, which had been approved by B&ECPL trustees at their October 21st meeting, and provided information about the Gates Library Initiative.
Grand Island Memorial Library’s 10th Anniversary: Later in the afternoon of October 23rd, Board Chair Mahoney, Assistant Deputy Director Patricia Angstadt and the Interim Director joined Legislature Chairman Charles Swanick in extending congratulations to Grand Island trustees and staff for ten years of service in their library.
Milestones of Science Video Unveiled: Legislature Chairman Charles Swanick, Minority Leader Crystal Peoples, trustees of the Library, the Library Foundation and the John R. Oishei Foundation attended the premier of the Milestones video on November 8th. Frank Frost and Robert Aubry Davis were on hand to demonstrate the radio and web site projects, both of which are currently in development. Trustee Emeritus Roland Benzow was honored for his many contributions to the Library and the Library Foundation, especially for his key role in negotiating the Milestones agreement with the Museum of Science.
RECON Progress: The focus of the Retrospective Conversion (RECON) of Central collections has moved to the Humanities and Social Sciences Department. Evaluation of this, the last and largest collection not yet in the library’s on-line catalog, will take multiple years to complete since staff resources cannot be devoted solely to this effort. However, a state grant, made available through the Western New York Library Resources Council, is expected to cover the cost of creating some 14,000 new electronic records in the year 2000.
Huck Finn CD-ROM: Bob Gurn, Head of Special Collections, reports that the first phase of the joint B&ECPL-UB project to produce a CD-ROM of the Huck Finn manuscript has been completed. Scanning of the 1388-page manuscript took just under 4 months. The next step will be to coordinate the selection and scanning of illustrations from the foreign language editions of the Twain classic. This undertaking, funded by the Library Foundation as part of an Oishei grant, will include commentary from scholars across the nation. Anticipated release date is late 2000.
New York Library Association Conference: Many B&ECPL professional staff were able to attend programs at the NYLA conference held in Buffalo, October 27—31. From electronic service questions (evaluation, filtering, statistics compilation, Internet policy, etc.) to broader concerns related to the future structure and funding of public library systems, the conference provided a catalyst for discussion about a wide spectrum of important issues.
Hats off to Linda Perkins and Bev Federspiel who coordinated the volunteers (many B&ECPL librarians) who staffed the Local Arrangements Table. Also deserving of recognition are the staff members who planned programs and participated as panelists: Pat Monahan and Cynthia Van Ness (Special Collections), Cynthia Hayes (BS&T), Dawn Stanton (Graphics Department), and Rich Peters (Amherst) and the staff who provided a tour of Central including Pat Blackett, Betsey Higgins, David Pfeiffer, Jennifer Childs and Elaine Kopecky.
Some attendees learned on-camera interview techniques at WGRZ-TV as part of a Public Awareness Committee program entitled, "Lights! Camera! Action!" coordinated by Assistant Deputy Director Michael Mahaney. Weekend anchor Mike Corbin posed a variety of questions designed to test the reactions and responses of library professionals who haven’t had formal media training but might have to deal with the media on the job.
The Ram Van was a popular attraction at the Conference. More than 200 attendees toured the vehicle and were impressed with the outreach services provided. At the Ethnic Services Round Table, the Department of Extension Services presented an exhibit, which showcased B&ECPL’s multicultural and outreach services.
The Library also hosted a number of leadership meetings including: the Public Library System Directors Organization (PULISDO), the Central Library Directors and the Childrens’ Services Coordinators.
Author Reception / Book-signing at Central Celebrates Publication of Victorian Buffalo: Images from the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library: On October 28th, Cynthia Van Ness (Special Collections librarian and local history buff) addressed a gathering of friends, staff and patrons who had come to celebrate the publication of her book on nineteenth century Buffalo, which utilizes steel engravings, woodcuts, and lithographic images from the Library’s collection. Although the book includes a few of Buffalo’s surviving "architectural superstars," the focus is on ordinary, everyday buildings and scenes from Buffalo's past. More than 50 copies were sold that evening. B&ECPL trustees had an opportunity to examine the publication at the October Board meeting, and several placed orders for autographed copies. Easily recognized by its distinctive cover illustration of the old Buffalo Public Library, the softcover book is available for $12.95 in local bookstores.
Book Bonus: Irwin Pastor, President, CEO of Pepsi-Cola Buffalo Bottling Corp. has donated 78 copies of Before the Blade: the Complete Story of Buffalo’s First Professional Hockey Team, Buffalo Bisons, written by Buffalo author Tim Warchocki. Every library in the System benefited from this generous gift of the long-time owner of the Buffalo Bisons.
Random House publishers, one of the many vendors represented at the NYLA Conference, donated all material that was not sold to conference-goers to the B&ECPL. Staff are considering more than 100 high-demand items (print and AV) for addition to the collection. Among the most significant items donated is an autographed copy of the current best selling novel about Buffalo and the Pan-American Exposition, City of Light by Lauren Belfer.
Barcode Conversion Update: After addressing a few technical snags, the project to convert from OCR technology to barcode is moving along at a good pace at the Julia Boyer Reinstein Library. It is expected that the collection will be almost completed by early December.
With the receipt of additional "chameleons" (label printers) in October, the Lancaster Public Library is the second library to begin converting to barcodes, to be followed soon by Cheektowaga’s South Branch Library.
Once new barcode readers are received, four additional OCR scanners will be configured with the remaining fleet of chameleons. At that point, the project can be accelerated. With the full complement of conversion equipment available, it will be possible to have as many as five libraries converting at one time.
City Branch Activities: Fairfield and Crane branches recently received outdoor book-drop boxes through the generosity of Legislator Judith Fisher, who provided the funds for these immensely popular customer service items. As part of the Urban Resources Partnership Grant, the Fairfield library began work on new flowerbeds. Volunteers provided the manpower to install the landscape timbers and plantings, including spring bulbs from the City of Buffalo.
Extension Services Staff Activities: Sharon Holley, Coordinator of Urban Services, is a member of the Buffalo School Library Council, an organization that promotes cooperation among Buffalo school and public libraries. She is also one of four representatives from Buffalo who attended the first meeting of the Freedom Trail Commission in Albany on November 1st. At the session, commissioners reviewed the study done by the Schomburg Library on ways to introduce the Freedom Trail in New York State for tourism, education, research, preservation and development.
The following report was submitted to the Interim Director by the Deputy Director, Chief Financial Officer and transmitted to the Board for information:
County Executive’s Recommended Budget Released on October 28th: The recommended budget includes all existing positions, contracting library allocations and other operating accounts as requested by the Library Board. Amounts for fringe benefits were reduced to reflect a lowered estimate for state retirement expenses in 2000. If these projections hold, this should have no impact upon Library operations.
The Budget & Finance Committee met on November 4th to review the Executive’s Budget. The committee recommended its support of the proposal and directed staff to prepare information for the November 9th budget hearing with the County Legislature.
B&ECPL’s 2000 Budget Request Presented to County Legislature: Board Chair Rebecca Mahoney, and Budget & Finance Committee Chair Simone Mitchell-Peterson presented the Library’s 2000 budget request to the County Legislature at a budget hearing on November 9th. ActingInterim Director Diane Chrisman, and Deputy Director-CFO Ken Stone also participated. Also attending: Deputy Director-CIO Shirley Whelan, and ADD’s Patricia Angstadt, Ruth Collins, Lucille DeFranks, and Michael Mahaney.
Board Chair Mahoney thanked the County Executive for his recommended budget and thanked the Legislature for its continued support of the Library. She presented an overview of 1999’s accomplishments such as providingincluding modern electronic library resource and Internet access toat all 52 libraries as of this week; opening the a 22 seat hands-on computer training lab in the Central Library to provide free training to staff and the public; approaching 250,000 visits to the Library’s Internet Web Site in less than one year; opening the new North Collins Library; and providingexpanded Sunday service by adding the Crane and Dudley libraries. She then provided an overview of the Year 2000 budget.
Budget and Finance Committee Chair Mitchell-Peterson provided additional detail on the Year 2000 budget request (highlights from this presentation are contained below). Interim Director Diane Chrisman then provided an update on strategic planning activities.
The meeting was very positive, with thoughtful questions asked and answered by Board members and staff.
Highlights of the 2000 Proposed Budget
The following highlights from the Library’s budget presentation are included for your information:
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First Year Operating for New Libraries in North Collins, Collins and Clarence
All three libraries will feature an expanded collection and state of the art graphical access to the Library’s Online Public Access Catalog, online databases, and the Internet.
The new North Collins Library, opened last month to rave reviews. It replaces a 675 square-foot post-Civil War building with a modern 5,700 square-foot facility. The new site is adjacent to the North Collins High School, providing easy access to students.
The new Clarence Library, anticipated to open late in the year 2000, nearly doubles the library space overof the existing 8,200 Clarence Library on Main sStreet that it replaces. The 16,000 square-foot facility will be located next to the Clarence Town Hall and Park.
On October 21, 1999, the B&ECPL Board of Trustees approved the Town of Collins Library Board’s request to construct an 8,000 square-foot library, replacing their cramped 1,174 square-foot quarters in the basement of Collins Town Hall. The new facility will be located adjacent to Collins Town Hall and the L.K. Painter Community Center, and is anticipated to be completed in late 2000.
As part of the review process, the B&ECPL Board’s Building Advisory Committee, the Town of Collins Library Board, Interim Director Chrisman, and the B&ECPL Board as a whole agreed that Erie County tax funds presently allocated to the Gowanda Free Library needed to be transferred to the Town of Collins Public Library budget to keep operating costs of the new library expenditure neutral. Any funds in excess of required increases in operating costs should be applied to the opening day collection or furnishings of the new library.
The Gowanda Free Library is located in Cattaraugus County three miles south of the new Collins Library site. Previous efforts by the Town of Collins Library Board to work cooperatively with the Gowanda Board to merge their facilities into a new library were rejected by the Gowanda Board.
To ease the transition, and provide time for the Gowanda Free Library Board to explore options, the Library requests only one half of the local funding, $19,924 be transferred in the 2000 budget.
- Grants, Technology, Telecommunications Discounts, and Re-deploying Staff Support Major Service Improvements with Minimal Budget Impact
Improvements will include: Providing greater bandwidth (faster Internet connections) supported by telecommunications discounts and a larger number of workstations than would have otherwise been possible; Eexpanding telephone reference services to 9am-5pm, Monday – Saturday, a 37% increase in service hours over 1999, by utilizing technology and re-deploying existing staffing; Eexpanding electronic database access to patrons in all libraries, specifically The Buffalo News, World Book, New York Times, Infotrac (multiple periodicals) and the Literary Resource Center; . Infotrac access is also available to patrons at home, school and work-via the Internet; and Pproviding patrons secure electronic access to their account information from within libraries and remotely via the Internet, allowing them to verify materials checked out and when they’re due. Infotrac access is also available to patrons at home, school and work-via the Internet.
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$500,000 Supplement to Library Materials Welcomed
Whereas books and magazines are still the primary stock-in-trade of the American public library, meeting changing patron needs has seen ourpurchases change to include audio, video, DVD, CD-ROM, and on-line electronic information. This multitude of information formats strains even the healthiest of materials budgets. Over the last four years, the County Executive provided a major boost of $250,000 per year to significantly augment the amount of new materials available for Erie County residents. The proposed commitment of $500,000 in the Year 2000 will "make a big difference" in providing the improved resources needed to help Erie County residents succeed in an increasingly complex, information rich world.
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Funds Included for Bookmobile Replacement and Central Library Repairs
This budget also provides $212,000 to replace an early 70s seventies vintage bookmobile, improving service reliability, lowering repair costs and providing more functional space capable of incorporating modern technology. Also $300,000 is provided for building repairs at the Central Library.
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Remaining Budget is Steady State
The $29,896,697 recommended operating budget, an increase of 3.6%, maintains service levels as approved by the Library Board in its 1999 adopted budget. It provides funding to operate the "state of the art" public access automation being implemented in libraries in 1999. With the exception of modest additions to support the new Clarence and North Collins libraries, no additional personnel resources have been requested. Current and improved technology services are being provided with no net increase in full-time equivalent staffing.
The following report was submitted to the Interim Director by the Deputy Director, Corporate Information Officer and transmitted to the Board for information:
OPAC – Final Phase at Towns and Branches: I am proud to report that aAll fifty-two Buffalo & Erie County Public Libraries now have personal computers with public access to the B&ECPL Web Catalog, the Internet and Microsoft applications.
Newly installed libraries include the following libraries:
Concord Eggerstville-Snyder
Reinstein Clearfield
Brighton Depew
Cazenovia West Falls
Kenilworth Lake Shore
Eden
The original and enhanced goals of the four-year OPAC project have now been achieved.
Firewall Upgrade Planned: A major upgrade to the Library’s "firewall" is planned for the week of November 15. This critical piece of equipment is used to protect our network and servers. The current software must be enhanced to improve service. Engineers from Compaq (formerly Digital Equipment) will assist Network Support staff with this important effort.
Y2K Preparation: Network equipment and personal computers will be upgraded in preparation for the new year, 2000.
Window for 2000-2001 E-Rate Applications Opened: Final applications for E-Rate discounts for the period, July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001 must be submitted by January 19, 2000. The deadline is approximately 3 months earlier than the previous two years and is particularly challenging to meet because of the difficulty in predicting needs over 18 months in the future. However, new projects to improve several of our servers and to enhance network communications from our bookmobiles will be pursued.
In preparation, Ken Stone, Deputy Director, CFO and I attended two training sessions. The first was held in Atlanta, Georgia and was sponsored by the Schools and Libraries Division. The second was held here in West Seneca and was sponsored by the New York State Education Department. Both provided valuable information and introduced us to important contacts.
New Gates Foundation Opportunity: The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library has submitted an application for a new grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to secure twenty computers and four laser printers for the Cazenovia, East Clinton, Mead and North Park branches. In addition, a separate grant application was completed requesting funds to house an additional training facility at our East Delavan branch.
NYLA Conference in Buffalo: While the schedule to complete the OPAC project prevented Network Support from fully participating in the NYLA (New York Library Association) Conference held this year in Buffalo (October 28 – October 30), several sessions and the exhibits were attended and found to be very beneficial.
The following report was submitted to the Interim Director by the Service Evaluation and Planning Coordinator and transmitted to the Board for information:
Hub Services Task Force: The task force has been busy. It decided on a team approach to regional management. The team would consist of the library manager/director from each library in a region. All teams would directly report to a system administrator. The management model for the two regions in Buffalo would follow a similar approach but is not yet finalized.
In addition, the composition and role of the Hub Services Advisory Councils were outlined and the responsibilities of the Contract Library Boards of Trustees under the regional scheme were enumerated.
Before preparing a draft document for the Board’s Planning Committee, the HSTF is holding a series of meetings with the Boards of Trustees of the libraries in each of the proposed regions. The meetings are opportunities to report the proposed ideas and to conduct dialogues with trustees. Any new concepts, problems or suggestions that are raised will be considered by the task force prior to submitting its recommendations in January.
The schedule for the regional meetings is as follows.
- November 03 – Southwest Region, 4 p.m. at North Collins
- November 10 – Southeast Region, 7 p.m. at East Aurora
- November 15 – Mid-County Region, 4 p.m. at Julia Boyer Reinstein
- November 17 – Northwest Region, 4 p.m. at Kenmore
- November 22 – South Central Region, 7 p.m. at Boston
- November 30 – Northeast Region, 7 p.m. at Audubon
November Managers’ Meeting: A broad listing of services for each of the three library types (hub, community and specialty) was compiled by the Hub Services Task Force. This listing was not sufficient since the Staffing Models Committee needs a more detailed account of library services at each building and because the plan does not advocate a "cookie cutter" approach to library services. The task force created eight committees, composed of the directors/managers in each of the proposed regions, to outline services specific to each region.
An overview of necessary elements and a survey were distributed at the Managers’ Meeting on November 10, 1999. The committees then began examining current and proposed services in each region. Service recommendations are due by the end of November.
Communication: The seventh issue of On Course! was distributed this month.
Agenda Item G – Report of the Foundation Director. Ms. Vedder expressed her appreciation to those who attended the November 8th "Milestones of Science" video debut. She reminded trustees that children’s illustrator Steven Kellogg will present programs at the Central Library and the JBR Library in Cheektowaga on November 19th and 20th Attorney Patrick E. Martin has matched the $300 Foundation gift to the gardening project at the Central Library. He indicated that he would like to establish a gardening fund in the spring similar to the one he established for staff reimbursement for programs.
Agenda Item H – Public Comment. No public comment.
Agenda Item I – Unfinished Business. No Unfinished Business.
Agenda Item J – New Business.
Agenda Item J.1 – Denio Memorial Library. Mrs. Chrisman informed the Board that trustees of the Denio Memorial Library have submitted an application and documentation in support of constructing a new library in the Town of Newstead. Submittals are in accordance with procedures outlined in the revised "Guidelines and Procedures for Approval of New Library Construction." The Building Advisory Committee analyzed the proposal and referred it to the Interim Director. The Interim Director has prepared a report to the Board recommending support of the project with certain stipulations.
The Building Advisory Committee and the Interim Director support the proposal to construct a 7,600 square-foot library on Main Street in the Village of Akron. The new library would hold 18,000 to 20,000 volumes and have access to a village parking lot, which will be expanded. The B&ECPL will work closely with Denio representatives in design development and will advise them that the library must maximize energy efficiency and allow for future expansion.
In analyzing the proposal, one must balance B&ECPL’s guideline regarding expenditure neutrality for new construction projects with other factors that define the community and library service expectations. In submitting the application, Denio noted that additional part-time hours would be required to operate the new library, but the exact level of that requirement can not be determined until the Staffing Models Committee has completed its work and recommended appropriate staffing levels for all System outlets. Because the Village of Akron is geographically isolated, with the soon-to-be-constructed Clarence facility the nearest library, a modest increase in operating costs for Denio seems reasonable. Denio trustees must be advised that the B&ECPL Board would have to seek support for any operating increase from Erie County and there is no guarantee that the request would be approved.
The Town of Newstead adopted a resolution authorizing property acquisition, construction and issuance of $2,500,000 in serial bonds to finance the costs of the new library. In addition, the Town has received a $1 million federal grant, been recommended for a $25,000 State grant and indicated its intention to pursue fundraising activities. To complete its capitalization program, the Town will apply to Erie County for a portion of opening day costs. The B&ECPL Board should support this request for additional funding, acknowledging that there is no certainty that such funds will be available.
Mrs. Chrisman noted that the documentation for the Denio project is in the correspondence book.
In response to Mr. Orffeo’s question regarding the parking situation, Ms. Skotnicki indicated that the Building Advisory Committee transmitted a letter to the President of the Denio Memorial Library Board regarding parking requirements. Mr. Orffeo indicated that if Denio does not meet the parking requirements and the project is not expenditure neutral there are two conditions in the Guidelines which this library does not meet.
In response to Mr. Orffeo’s question regarding the increase in the Denio Library’ 2000 budget, Mr. Stone indicated that B&ECPL is exploring several ways to cut costs.
During further discussion Mr. Orffeo asked Foundation Executive Director Kathryn Vedder if it is the Foundation’s policy to assist smaller libraries in their fund raising pursuits. Ms. Vedder replied that the Foundation will do whatever it is asked. Mrs. Chrisman noted that the advantage of having the help of the Foundation is that library projects will not be in competition with each other in obtaining grants.
There being no further discussion, on motion by Ms. Summer and seconded by Ms. Panty the following was approved unanimously:
RESOLUTION 99-69
WHEREAS, the Denio Memorial Library has submitted a proposal to construct a new 7,600 square-foot library to provide improved library service to residents of Akron, Newstead and the broader community of Erie County residents who may use the facility, and
WHEREAS, the proposal was prepared in accordance with the requirements set forth in the revised "Guidelines and Procedures for Approval of New Library Construction," and
WHEREAS, the proposal and documentation were analyzed by the Building Advisory Committee and forwarded to the Interim Director with a recommendation for approval, and
WHEREAS, the Interim Director also approved the project with the stipulation that Denio representatives be advised that the project must maximize energy efficiency and allow for future expansion, and
WHEREAS, the new library may require a modest increase in operating revenue, but the exact amount of the increase can not be determined until the Staffing Models Committee has submitted its recommendations for appropriate staffing levels for all System outlets, and
WHEREAS, the Village of Akron ranks high in terms of geographic isolation, warranting the consideration of modest increases in operating costs to support appropriate levels of library service, and
WHEREAS, the Interim Director has prepared a report to the trustees for their action within 60 days, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library approve the construction project proposed by the Denio Memorial Library, advising the Town of Newstead that any request for increased operating revenue must be submitted to the Erie County Executive and Legislature for approval, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the B&ECPL Board of Trustees support the Denio Memorial Library’s request for assistance with opening day costs as outlined in the revised "Guidelines…," and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Interim Director assign staff to work with Denio staff, trustees and architects to design and execute a successful construction project.
Agenda Item J.2 – Authorize Chair to Execute 2000 Contracts with Contract Libraries. As a result of Erie County’s budget adoption process annual contracts with B&ECPL contracting libraries are typically adopted in a very compressed timeframe. This creates a burden on the contracting library board members who often have to schedule meetings during the holidays for contract approval to ensure funds can be made available on or about January 1st.
For 2000, the County Executive has recommended the exact amount requested by the B&ECPL Board of Trustees for each contracting library. Additionally, no changes to the 1999 contract form are proposed with the exception of:
- Updating dates and budget amounts and service hours as contained in the 2000 board approved budget request for each library; and
- Providing for the transfer of $19,924 from board approved request for the Gowanda Free Library to the Town of Collins Public Library allocation to support the new Collins Library consistent with the intent of Board approved Resolution 99-62.
Based upon these facts, this resolution authorizes the B&ECPL Board Chair to execute 2000 contracts, utilizing the 2000 proposed budget allocations and figures and with no changes other than the items noted above, in advance of final budget approval.
In the unlikely event that the final budget is lower than the proposed total, the existing contract’s paragraph "TWENTY-FOURTH" provides a mechanism to adjust for this contingency.
On motion by Mr. Orffeo and seconded by Ms. Juncewicz the following was approved unanimously:
RESOLUTION 99-70
WHEREAS, at its regular meeting of July 15, 1999, the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library adopted Resolution 99-34 adopting the Library’s 2000 Budget Request, and
WHEREAS, this budget request included the sum of $8,341,567 for the total of allocations to contracting libraries, and
WHEREAS, the County Executive’s recommended budget, released on November 9th, recommends the same amount, $8,341,567, for the total of allocations to contracting libraries, and
WHEREAS, as a result of Erie County’s budget adoption process annual contracts with B&ECPL contracting libraries are typically adopted in a very compressed timeframe with a final budget unavailable until mid to late December, and
WHEREAS, this creates a burden on the contracting library boards who often have to schedule meetings during the holidays for contract approval to ensure funds can be made available on or about January 1st, and
WHEREAS, providing proposed annual contracts to B&ECPL contracting libraries in advance of budget finalization and based upon the proposed allocations would benefit these libraries by allowing more time for contract review and adoption, and
WHEREAS, no changes to the 1999 contract form are being proposed other than those: 1) updating dates, 2) updating budget amounts and service hours as contained in the 2000 board approved budget request for each library, and 3) providing for the transfer of $19,924 from board approved request for the Gowanda Free Library to the Town of Collins Public Library allocation to support the new Collins Library consistent with the intent of Board approved Resolution 99-62, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library authorizes the Chair of the Board of Trustees to execute 2000 contracts, utilizing the 2000 proposed budget allocations and figures, and be it further
RESOLVED, that this authority to execute contracts is limited to contracts where no changes will be made to the 1999 contract form other than those: 1) updating dates, 2) updating budget amounts and service hours as contained in the 2000 board approved budget request for each library, and 3) providing for the transfer of $19,924 from board approved request for the Gowanda Free Library to the Town of Collins Public Library allocation to support the new Collins Library consistent with the intent of Board approved Resolution 99-62.
There being no further business, at approximately 4:28 p.m., on motion by Ms. Horton and seconded by Mr. Shenk the Board adjourned into executive session to discuss a personnel matter.
Ms. Mitchell-Peterson joined the meeting at approximately 4:35 p.m.
At approximately 5:03 p.m., on motion by Ms. Horton and seconded by Mr. Roach the Board concluded executive session and reconvened into public session. No action was taken during executive session.
There being no further business, on motion by Mr. Roach and seconded by Mr. Shenk the meeting was adjourned at 5:04 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Simone Mitchell-Peterson, Secretary