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Home My WebLink About02-24-2009 Library Commission Retreat Agenda Packet City of Saratoga Library Commission Retreat Agenda DATE: February 24, 2009 TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. LOCATION: Saratoga Library Community Room 13650 Saratoga Avenue Saratoga, CA 95070 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call: Chiou, Lemmon, Khan, McBane Mulford, Nilan 3. Report on Posting of the Agenda: Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on February 19, 2009 4. Accept Agenda Items and Order: No additional items may be added pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2. 5. Oral & Written Communication: Any member of the public may address the Commission about any matter not on the agenda for this meeting for up to three minutes. Commissioners may not comment on the matter, but may choose to place the topic on a future agenda. 6. Introduction and Agenda Review Commissioners will review the content of the agenda and intended purpose of the work session, as well as develop goals and expectations for the outcome. 7. Commission and Santa Clara County Library Goals A. Santa Clara County Library Strategic Plan Overview Commissioners will review the Strategic Plan Executive Summary and identify opportunities to assist the Library in achieving its goals for 2008‐2013. B. Library Commission Goals Commissioners will revisit 2007‐2008 Commission Goals for alignment to the County’s Strategic Plan and emerging issues within the Saratoga Community. 8. 2009/2010 Work Plan A. Process Mapping Activity 1. Annual Events and Activities 2. Specific Opportunities and Strategies to Achieve Goals B. Commission and Staff Collaborations 1. Working Relationships and Expectations 2. Meeting Procedures Review 9. Adjournment In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you are a disabled person and you need a disability‐ related modification or accommodation to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 408.868.1269 or ctclerk@saratoga.ca.us. Requests must be made as early as possible and at least one full business day before the start of the meeting. Library Commission Agenda Note: In accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, copies of the staff reports and other materials provided to the Library Commission by City staff in connection with this agenda are available at the office of the City Manager at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, California 95070. Any materials distributed by staff after the posting of the agenda are made available for public review at the office of the City Manager at the time they are distributed to the Library Commission. Certificate of Posting of Agenda: I, Crystal Morrow, Administrative Analyst for the City of Saratoga, declare that the foregoing agenda for the meeting of the Library Commission of the City of Saratoga was posted on February 19, 2009, at the office of the City of Saratoga, 13777 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga CA 95070 and was available for public review at that location. The agenda is also available on the City’s website at http://www.saratoga.ca.us/boards‐ commissions/library/index.html. SARATOGA LIBRARY COMMISSION GOALS October 2007 – October 2008 1) STRATEGIC PLANNING a. Actively participate in the Santa Clara County Library’s 2007-2008 strategic planning effort, including: review of recent surveys regarding use of the Saratoga Library, attendance at the January 2008 Friends/Commissioners Forum, and participation in interviews, meetings, or committees, as called upon, by strategic planning staff. b. Work with SCCL, Saratoga Library staff, the Friends, city council and staff, other partners to plan for January 2009 cessation of Monday hours or replacement of temporary funding. 2) LIBRARY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND Review long, as well as short, term Library facilities needs relevant to the Library Capital Improvement Fund; with city staff, clarify responsibilities, authority, and public accountability regarding this fund; satisfy lingering funding questions; explore investment options; and create a mechanism for timely financial updates, project reviews, and proposed allocations 3) COMMISSION Clarify responsibilities of individual Library Commissioners by a) creating a commissioner job description, b) providing library commissioner orientations as necessary, and c) revising, as necessary, the commission’s mission statement, in order to promote understanding, cooperation, and future recruiting, d) actively recruit new commission members to fill impending vacancies. Rln rev 3.19.08 1 SARATGOGA LIBRARY COMMISSION City Council Report, April 2, 2008 Saratoga’s library remains a jewel in one of the country’s leading library systems. Statistics, surveys and bond measures underscore how heavily our library is used, and confirm how highly the residents of Saratoga and Monte Sereno prize their library system. Saratoga’s library has earned especially high marks for its service, its multi- language collections, and its responsiveness to the 21st century online environment. As library commissioners, and city council members, much less as citizens, we bask in something of a golden glow of good publicity, a talented staff, a highly effective “Friends of the Library” organization, and a wonderful new library building open seven days a week. As much as we all appreciate that golden glow, I am really here to remind you that the clock is ticking: on the condition of the Library building, on the bottom line of the Library Capital Improvement Fund, on Monday library hours, and most likely, on state funding. Since last spring, much of the commission’s attention has been devoted to insuring effective and responsible use of the Library Capital Improvement Fund, and taking care of some outstanding building problems. This in turn has led us to begin longer range planning. Although our admirable library building was opened only four years ago, we are still “finishing” interior elements, as you know from our recommendations regarding use of the Fund. This is, in part, due to unfinished business—such as the separate PG&E meters—in part because the original design has posed problems that must be corrected—lighting in the childrens’ room—and in part because of unforeseen problems, such as those posed by a flat roof covered in 2 permeable material, or by failed, sun-damaged wooden siding. Winter rains revealed yet other problems. The Library Capital Improvement Fund, as of December 2007, stands at a little more than $678,000. Although there are some lingering questions regarding specific expenditures before 2005, we have been assured that all contractual obligations regarding building construction have been met, and all legal issues have been resolved. Given past confusion regarding oversight and changes in staff, it was especially important to clarify responsibilities, authority, and accountability regarding the Fund. We want to thank Mary Furey, Dave Anderson, and Thomas Scott, for meeting with us and for answering our many questions, and for helping us create a mechanism for annual financial updates and informed budget allocations. Here comes the note of caution: As you know, this is not a slush fund, but one strictly limited in purpose to long-term capital improvements to the building. It is a FINITE and ever-decreasing fund. To prepare for fund use over the next ten, with luck next twenty years, AND to prepare city staff and council, as well as county library system staff, for that day when the fund is spent out, we will be working throughout the rest of this year with Thomas Scott and Barbara Williams, among others, to pro-ject major capital costs for replacement of such big-ticket items as replacement of the roof, the HVAC system, plumbing, lighting, or the boiler. A long term strategy will allow better use of limited funds, but equally important, will alert city and county system staff to upcoming maintenance issues, and will clarify, where necessary, future responsibilities once the fund is no longer available. Another alert, very briefly: The 2007 gift of the Friends of the Library to keep the library open on Mondays for two years underscores both the power of targeted community support, and the wider public’s misunderstanding of the library’s 3 financial limitations. Ironically, while few public buildings in Saratoga, aside from its schools, see the sheer foot traffic of the library, the public is largely unaware of the impact of increasing competition for increasingly limited public funds, or of the challenges presented by the current statewide economic downturn. Although the commission is a city advisory board and not a fund-raising organization, we hope to work all interested parties, public and private, in finding a way to keep the library open 7 days a week. Similarly, commissioners participated in the SC county system stragetic planning process and hope to participate in the upcoming Sacramento Legislative Day. Finally, I want to take the opportunity to thank the Council for giving us the opportunity to meet six times a year. This has allowed us to once again respond more effectively to library concerns, and to deal in a more timely fashion with the concerns of city staff. We are especially grateful to Thomas Scott, the epitome of dependability, accurate information, and good sense, for his ongoing updates on building fixes and improvements, and his excellent suggestions regarding long term problems. We continue to actively recruit for a fifth library commissioner. In the meantime, I can assure you that our current four members bring extensive experience with local community programs, from Rotary to the Saratoga Music Boosters and Saratoga Educational Foundation; in project management and library design, and in library management and development. We all continue as active members of the Friends, and we are absolutely thrilled to work with Barbara Williams, our very talented new librarian. Roxanne L. Nilan Chair, Saratoga Library Commission