CALL TO ORDER:

The meeting was called to order by President Mann at 2:30 p.m., in the Library Board Room.

ROLL CALL:

Present: Mr. Kawase, Mrs. Britt, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Georgieff, and Mrs. Mann

Staff: Al Milo, Library Director
Chris Meyer, City Manager
Kathy Dasney, Acting Library Division Manager
Betty Schwarzkopf, Administrative Secretary

Guest: Nancy Lee, President, Friends of the Library

MINUTES:

a. Regular Meeting of March 25, 2004

Mrs. Mann requested a correction under Item No. 11, Board Member Round Table. The third paragraph should read as follows: Mrs. Mann will participate with the California Women Lawyers in the upcoming March for Womens Lives in Washington D.C.

Mr. Kawase moved and Mrs. Johnson seconded that the minutes be approved as corrected. The motion carried.

b. Special Meeting of March 25, 2004

Mrs. Britt noted that on Page 2, Item 2, Scenario Planning Study Session #3, next to the last paragraph, Duncan Johnson, was referred to as Mr. Duncan. It should be corrected to read Mr. Johnson.

Mr. Georgieff moved and Mrs. Britt seconded that the minutes be approved as corrected. The motion carried.

WARRANT REGISTER FOR APRIL 2004:

Mrs. Johnson noted a discrepancy between the subtotal for Library Materials and the grand total. Staff will investigate the discrepancy but noted that the final total of $27,057.56 was correct and requested approval of the warrant register so the April bills could be paid.

Mr. Kawase moved and Mrs. Britt seconded that the April 2004 warrant register in the amount of $27,057.56 be approved. The motion carried.

EXPENDITURE SUMMARY FOR APRIL 2004:

Director Milo noted that 83.3 percent of the fiscal year is complete and 71.8 percent has been expended. There was discussion regarding the increase in the cost of natural gas. The report was accepted and filed.

REPORTS:

1. Library Director

   Mrs. Johnson commented that she was not aware that the Soroptimist fund-raiser and the CALTAC workshop had been on the same day. Mrs. Britt inquired if the Head Start kids are offered library cards as part of the School Night @ the Library program. Mrs. Dasney responded yes they are. Mrs. Britt also inquired if The Fullerton Public Library Readers Advisory newsletter is online. Director Milo responded that this is the first issue, and is in print form only at this time. Copies can be obtained at the Reference Desk. Mr. Kawase inquired as to how the Library will be involved in Night in Fullerton. Director Milo responded that the Hunt Branch will be a site. There will be Korean dancing. Mrs. Dasney added there would also be a chorale from Eastside Christian High School, a water color exhibit, and the Fukui Childrens Art Exchange.

   Director Milo reported that the School Night @ the Library program is completed for this year. Orangethorpe School has pictures of the Hunt Branch program on their web site.

   Director Milo said there are proposed changes as to how Commissioners and Board members will be appointed by the City Council in the future. Council is moving towards a direct appointment process. City Manager, Chris Meyer, said the item will be on the Council agenda on May 4. Council will give staff direction on which commissions will be consolidated and which will have their membership numbers changed. He does not expect that it will affect the Library Board. The only thing that would change is that rather than being appointed by the Council as a whole, the Board members would be appointed by one Council member.

   Several board members expressed concern that this is a political move on the part of the Council. Mrs. Johnson said she had watched the meeting on TV. In the past, the selection process has been that applicants are interviewed by two Council members and a member of the Board. She has represented the Board on a number of the interviews and it works out very well. She expressed surprise at the new idea. City Manager Meyer believes any openings will continue to be advertised and applications accepted. Copies of the applications will be provided to each Council Member. The Council Members will review them, decide who he or she wishes to interview, and select an applicant to be their appointee. It was at the request of two Council members that the item was on the agenda. Staff provided Council with information on how appointments are made in other cities. Mrs. Johnson said she did not hear the word interview used, and inquired as to what the Council exactly voted on at the meeting. Mr. Meyer said they voted in concept to make the following changes to commission appointments: to have an advertising and application process, and for each member of the Council to have an opportunity to nominate one person to represent them on each commission. In the event there was a problem with an appointee, an appointment would be made by Council majority. Mrs. Johnson asked what item would be on the agenda at the next meeting. Mr. Meyer responded that Council will discuss whether or not to consolidate or downsize certain commissions. Some commissions are required by State law, and therefore are established by ordinance. Most of them are not and are established by resolution. Depending on the action Council takes, staff will provide the appropriate City ordinances and resolutions for their review. Mrs. Johnson said the Board of Trustees is not a commission and inquired how it will affect Board members. City Manager Meyer responded that the Board is also appointed by the City Council. Mr. Georgieff inquired as to what brought this about. Mr. Meyer responded that he does not specifically know. Mrs. Mann said there had been a recent appointment to the Planning Commission that had caused a furor around the city. She inquired if some incident had sparked it. Mr. Meyer said it would be wrong for him to speak for the City Council. He suggested the Board members call the Council members. Mr. Milo said the Council meeting would be rebroadcast on cable TV over the weekend. Mrs. Britt commented that the purpose of this proposed change certainly cannot be efficiency. There has to be another purpose.

   The Directors written report was accepted and filed.

2. Friends of the Library

   Nancy Lee, President of the Friends of the Library reported that the Friends gave the Library $30,000 for Library Materials. The Board of Trustees Secretary will write a thank you letter to the Friends for their generous contribution. The next book sale will be held on June 11, 12, & 13. Margaret Silva has retired from the Friends following her 89th birthday. Several members have not been in good health. They are trying to recruit new members.

3. Library Foundation

   Ray Kawase reported that the second of the three lecture series was not well attended. The Board is considering doing something different next year. The Foundation is depending on the Board of Trustees to give them direction for a new fund-raising project.

   City Manager, Meyer, interjected that he had a discussion with the Foundation Board President, Floyd Sabins, regarding the site on Bastanchury. The City has received letters from real estate firms and developers inquiring about the property. Developable land is valued at $1 million to $1.25 million per acre. He said Mr. Sabins informed him that if the land is sold, the Foundation would not want the money to be used for library operations. Mr. Meyer said a long-term lease is an option to consider and could be a source of income for 40 years.

   Mr. Georgieff suggested that the Board meet with the Foundation Board to work out direction for a future project. Mrs. Mann said it is the Boards mandate to make policy. The Board needs to have some broad goals in place first and then come up with specific ideas for the Foundation to choose from. Mr. Kawase emphasized that the Foundation does not want to do anything that the City is obligated to do. They do not want the City to rely on them for operating funds. Mrs. Britt said it is difficult to have an in-depth discussion at a regular board meeting because of the amount of Board business that needs to be conducted. She suggested having a special meeting. Mrs. Mann said in her experience with the Foundation she believes they want an identifiable project such as a room, a collection, or something additional that the library would not have without them. Mrs. Johnson suggested that the Board members have a special meeting to begin putting specificity to the scenarios prior to meeting with the Foundation.

ACTIVITY REPORT FOR MARCH 2004:

Mrs. Britt asked a number of questions that she did not expect immediate answers to. She commented that the Bookmobile circulation statistics continue to be higher than either the Main Library or the Hunt Branch. She questioned if that supports the Boards idea of outreach? If the trend continues over a period of time, would that mean patrons prefer the library go to them rather than coming to the library? She also noted a difference between the number of reference questions at the Main and the Hunt Branch and questioned if that could be the difference in demographics between the two facilities. She noted that the number of programs is going down and the attendance is going up. She also said Trustees hours should be counted under volunteers because they are volunteers. Why are their hours not counted? Mr. Kawase inquired about the non-resident fees. Director Milo said it is bringing in revenue but circulation is probably down because there is less non-resident use. Mr. Kawase inquired if the Board would be addressing that again in terms of whether it is worth it. Mr. Milo responded that staff is recommending it be continued. There is no other means of making up $40,000 which it is estimated to bring in this year. However, it is unpredictable if people who purchased cards this year will renew next year. Mr. Kawase said he does not like charging for a library card. A public library should not charge for a library card. Mrs. Britt agreed. Mr. Milo said the alternative decision packages would have cut hours or library materials. City Manager Meyer said Council does not favor cutting hours. The report was accepted and filed.

OLD BUSINESS:

1. CALTAC Board Training

   Mrs. Mann thanked Mrs. Britt for all her hard work on the workshop. Mrs. Britt said she has not pursued the Board training workshop, she would prefer to do that at a later date. She added that Senator Ackerman is going to be the new Senate Leader. He will reschedule the meeting with the Board members sometime in July or August.

2. Meeting Room Policy, Use and Fee Structure

   Director Milo said the policy was written prior to the Foundations existence. He added that the policy needs revision and requested that the board members take it home, review it and bring it back to the next meeting for discussion.

3. 2004-2005 Proposed Budget Reductions

   Director Milo explained that City Council will receive the proposed budget at their May 4 meeting. They will not take action. It will be received and released for public review. The budget hearings will be held in June. It is usually late May when the boards and commissions see the budget; however, one item needs to be addressed before that time. Mr. Milo said staff was instructed to include a 1.5 percent budget reduction ($52,840) in the Librarys General Fund contribution. When the process began in January it was a decision package. However, now a cut is required. Staff submitted the budget and reviewed the decision packages. There are two options: 1) Cut $52,840 in Library Materials; or, 2) close on Thursday nights ($27,080) combined with a Library Materials cut of $25,760. The Boards approval is needed to decide which option to recommend. Option No. 1 was submitted to the City Manager in order to finalize the budget. City Manager Meyer added that if the Board prefers Option No. 2, the budget cover letter can state that the Board prefers Option No. 2. Mrs. Johnson commented that cutting $52,840 would amount to approximately a $5,000 per month cut for the year. Mrs. Britt said she preferred Option No. 2 because it would make it clear to the community that the library is in a dire situation and painful choices are being made. A $52,000 cut in library materials is not something the community will particularly notice. The future of the library does not look that clear. The Board knows there are many worse options in front of them. She would prefer to close that one evening just to make the community aware of the situation in which the library finds itself. Mrs. Mann inquired if staff chose that as the first option. Mr. Milo responded that Option No. 2 was preferred by the managers. Mrs. Johnson said she believes the Boards main purpose is to serve the community. It isnt the patrons fault that the budget is in this situation. The Board should do everything possible to serve the patrons as long as possible and to do that the Library should be open.

   Mr. Georgieff moved that the Library Board of Trustees supports Option No. 1 as submitted to the City Manager.

   Library Division Manager Kathy Dasney asked to speak to the motion. She emphasized that staff supports Option No. 2. To cut that amount in the childrens library budget would be a 15.6 percent cut in the materials budget which is already too low. The reality is that publishers do not keep a backlog of books. Most patrons can find a time when they can get to the library. Thursdays are the most lightly attended night. The managers feel the less damage done to the materials budget, the better off the library will be.

   Mr. Kawase said that $27,000 for the Library is a huge amount. The Police or Fire Departments wouldnt even miss that amount. Mr. Meyer responded that the City Councils priorities are public safety and maintenance. He explained that the City Council reinstated five police officer positions after they were cut from the budget for this year. They also authorized upgrading Fire Station No. 4 with a full paramedic engine at a cost of about a half million dollars per year. Those items were funded with reserves. Once reserves are used they are gone, so the cost had to be budgeted for next year. The only way to balance the Citys budget is for every department to take a cut.

   Mrs. Mann said even if the books are available that werent purchased this year, they will cost more next year. It will be impossible to make up what is lost. As much as she dislikes the idea of closing one night, if there is money next year, the library can reopen. Nothing will be lost except inconveniencing people. Thursday is the least visited night by our patrons.

   Mrs. Mann said she thinks the Board should reconsider the idea because $52,840 represents a lot of unpurchased materials. The money will never be recouped. The Library would be open every night for people to come and use old, outdated materials.

   Mrs. Johnson seconded Mr. Georgieffs motion that the Library Board supports Option No. 1 as presented to the City Manager. The motion carried 3:2.

   Mrs. Dasney reminded the Board members that last year they had approved the Thursday night closure decision package. She said this is a contradictory vote. This was not the managers recommendation.

4. Scenario Planning

   Mrs. Mann circulated a letter she received from Duncan Johnson expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to work with the library on the scenario planning process. Mrs. Britt said she had not received any response to Scenario No. 2, The Thriving Library. Mr. Milo said the managers had commented that marketing the library, making people aware of what is at the library, and outreach seemed to be the important issues. He said staff is already doing a lot of marketing. He asked Kathy Dasney and Joanne Hardy to make a list of how they currently market the Childrens Library and Adult Services. Copies of the list were mailed to the Board in advance. Mrs. Britt responded that she had talked to Joanne Hardy prior to the meeting and Joanne told her what she saw in the scenario report was what she remembered from the meeting. Mrs. Britt asked Mrs. Dasney for her opinion. Mrs. Dasney agreed. Mrs. Britt said then they were all in agreement and the report just needed to be finalized to make it official. Mrs. Johnson suggested that the Board hold a special meeting to process the scenario and narrow down a project to present to the Foundation. The Foundation would then be invited to attend a regular Board meeting for further discussion.

   Mrs. Johnson moved and Mrs. Britt seconded that a special Board meeting be held on Wednesday, May 19, at 3 p.m., in the Library Board Room. The motion carried.

NEW BUSINESS:

2004 Library Closure Dates

Director Milo explained that staff is recommending that the Main Library be closed on the following dates: Friday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to Noon for staff training; Sunday, May 30, (the Sunday before Memorial Day); Sunday, July 4 (Independence Day); and Sunday, September 5 (the Sunday before Labor Day).

Mrs. Britt moved and Mrs. Johnson seconded that staffs recommendation be approved. The motion carried.

ACCEPTANCE TO DONATIONS:

Mr. Georgieff happily moved to accept the donations in the amount of $1,927.04. Mr. Kawase seconded the motion. The motion was approved

CORRESPONDENCE:

The Board Secretary will write a thank you letter to the Rotary for their $1,500 donation to the Hunt Branch and a letter to the Friends for their $30,000 donation for Library Materials.

Referring to copies of two letters that had been distributed to the Board prior to the meeting, Director Milo explained that the City Manager had directed him to write a letter to the Norton Simon Art Foundation Board. The letter inquired in the event of a City budget crisis, could the Hunt Branch be temporarily closed for up to three years, or would the property revert back to the Foundation as stated in the deed. They responded that due to the financial problems libraries are experiencing, they would refrain from exercising their right as long as the closure was temporary and did not exceed three years.

BOARD MEMBER ROUND TABLE:

Mrs. Johnson reported that she had been invited to speak at the Lions Club about the library. The Lions are going to donate $1,000 to the Foundation and be eligible to be the donor wall.

Mrs. Britt said that Foundation Board Member, Irene Landsberg, had suggested that a newspaper article be written regarding the scenario planning process. She will work with Mrs. Britt to write the article.

Mr. Georgieff reported that he had approached the oral history center at CSUF as well as Mr. Phelps (not affiliated with the Phelps Family Foundation) of the National Endowment for Humanities, regarding an oral history project to celebrate the Citys upcoming Centennial.

Mr. Kawase reported that Night in Fullerton is the last Friday of the month. The Fullerton South Rotary Club has invited a group from Fukui, Japan to come and help celebrate their 40th year as a Rotary Club. Also, the Sister City Committee invited a delegation from Fukui Sister City which will perform at the Downtown Plaza.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mrs. Johnson moved and Mr. Georgieff seconded that the meeting be adjourned at 4:55 p.m. The motion was approved.