LA CROSSE COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD MEETING MINUTES

September 3, 2008

Hazel Brown Leicht Memorial Library

Meeting Room

201 Neshonoc Road

West Salem  WI  54669

4:52 PM

CALL TO ORDER:

President Loren Caulum called the meeting to order at 4:52 pm.

ROLL CALL:

Board members Loren Caulum, Glenn Seager, Mary Bach Filla, Barbara Manthei, George Varnum, and Fred Marini, were present.  Andrea Richmond was excused.

APPROVAL OF THE MEETING AGENDA:

Chris asked the board to move the Mindoro/Farmington Update to the position just before the 2009 Budget report.

Motion by Fred Marini/Mary Bach Filla to approve the agenda as amended.  MOTION carried unanimously with one excused, Andrea Richmond.

PUBLIC INPUT:

No public input at this time. 

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:

Loren said he misspoke at the August meeting and that there were four, not three new libraries being proposed in the WRLS region.

Motion by Barbara Manthei/Glenn Seager to approve the August 6, 2008 minutes as amended.  MOTION carried unanimously with one excused, Andrea Richmond.

APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 2008 EXPENDITURES:

The expense for collection fees has exceeded the budgeted amount, but payments for fines and lost items, due in part to collection efforts, have also exceeded the estimated amount.

Printing charges incurred since the Balanced Deployment placement of multi-function printers in the libraries have been very high.  As the billing module is being customized to County specifications there will be adjustments to the original bills.  All departments have been affected.

Motion by Barbara Manthei/Loren Caulum to approve the September, 2008 expenditures.  MOTION carried unanimously with one excused, Andrea Richmond.

MINDORO & FARMINGTON UPDATE:

The Friends of the Mindoro Library are sponsoring an antique appraiser again this year during the Spanferkle weekend. The event has been moved to Cindy’s Hall, a larger building with more parking, to accommodate the large number of people expected to attend.  The Post Office will use a special Spanferkle cancellation on Mindoro Cut postcards, if requested.  The Friends are holding a book sale, and have sponsored a float featuring Library Dog in the Spanferkle parade.

The Farmington Town Board has looked into the costs of remodeling each of the proposed buildings and feels they would get more for their money if they build a new building, incorporating it into a complex that would include the town hall, the fire department and other community facilities as well as adequate parking.  They also want a larger space for the library than either of the proposed buildings would offer. The complex would be built in stages with the library to be the first phase.

2009 BUDGET:

Steve O’Malley, County Administrator has been studying the formula used to figure the Indirect Costs assessed to the library.  He has temporarily reduced the amount for the library to $90,000, down from the $114,086 that was originally in the budget.  He said the amounts are based on figures from two years previously, i.e. the 2009 budgeted Indirect Cost is formulated in 2008, based on 2006 budget figures.  The county hires an outside vendor to apply this formula. The Library’s Indirect Costs have increased each year:  In 2006 they were $46,237; 2007 - $57,832; 2008 - $70,839; 2009 - $114,086. 

While following the County’s guidelines to have a 0% increase in operation & capital, Chris reduced the book and program accounts by a total of $2,000.  Salaries and benefits will have cost-of-living increases. Finance has recently received information that the Department of Revenue has re-interpreted the cap on special levies, allowing more latitude in planning the budget.  Steve O’Malley added $50,000 to the library budget to cover some of the cost of the new library in Mindoro.  This money will be under the Library Board’s jurisdiction to use as needed when the new library is built.  Some of the added expenses to be covered will be a Branch Library Assistant for twenty-four hours bi-weekly and additions to the materials budgets to stock the shelves.  It is estimated that the total cost of staff, media, and electronics will be approximately $101,000.

ONALASKA CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE:

Chris has finalized the schedule for the staff and branches during the time the Onalaska facility will be closed, December 10, 2008 through February 10, 2009. Chris is supplementing the hours at Holmen and West Salem and temporarily reassigning Onalaska employees to staff the extra hours.

Bangor and Campbell will not have any changes to their schedules.

CODE OF CONDUCT:

An ongoing situation at many libraries has been unattended older children, especially during the summer months when school is not in session.  Libraries are not intended to be day care providers and cannot be responsible for the behavior of children left or sent by their parents for long hours.  It has been suggested that Social Services be called if the situation becomes chronic or disruptive, but that is a severe answer to the problem.  Chris will speak to a Social Services worker to get suggestions.  The board thought it would be best to speak to the parent(s) before any other action is taken.  The Code of Conduct used by the La Crosse County Library does not address the subject other than to state that children under 6 years of age should be accompanied by an adult.  The board looked over the entire Code of Conduct with suggestions for updating it, and asking that it be reworded to reduce the use of negative terminology.

FACILITY AND COMMUNITY UPDATES:

A survey of the lot lines revealed that the Bangor library’s driveway and part of the lawn is on the neighbor’s lot.  The Village met with the owner of the lot and purchased 12,477 sq ft, which was ½ of the land available for sale.

The Village of West Salem has built a new storage shed that will be insulated and have electricity for the library’s use.

The Holmen Village Park/Recreation/Library Committee is scheduled to meet tonight and will have some news to share. 

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS:

2009 Budget. 

WRLS report

Code of Conduct revisions

Collection Policy

ADJOURNMENT: Meeting was adjourned at 6:20 pm.

RECORDED BY:  Judy Jamesson.  Minutes may be amended or changed at the next meeting.