HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-02-2007 Library Commission MinutesCITY OF SARATOGA
LIBRARY COMMISSION;
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
Capital Expansion Project Fund
DATE: May 2, 2007
TIME: 10:00 a.m
LOCATION: Community Room, Saratoga Library
13650 Saratoga Avenue
Saratoga, CA 95070
1. Call to Order (Meeting called to order at 10:00 am (Thirumale)
2. Roll Call: Chiou, Lemmon, McBane Mulford, Nilan, Thirumale
3. Invited Guests: Jill Hunter, City Council; David Anderson, City Manager; Tom Scott, Facilities
Maintenance Supervisor; Mary Furey, City Financial Director; Dolly Barnes, Community Librarian;
Marcia Manzo, former Library Commissioner and member, Library Expansion Committee; Ruth
Lipstein, former Library Commissioner and member, Library Expansion Committee.
4. Report on Posting of the Agenda: Pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2, the agenda
for this meeting was properly posted on April 27, 2007.
5. Accept Agenda Items and Order: No additional items may be added pursuant to Government
Code Section 54954.2.
6. Capital Improvement Fund
Introduction
Nilan welcomed the commission's guests, stating the commisiion's hope that this special meeting
would provide all the opportunity to clarify obligations, procedures, and expectations. Since
Assistant City Manager Lori Tinfow's last report on the Fund in May 2005, the Library Commission
has been updated only on the status of approved projects. Specifically, this special meeting brings
together commissioners and city staff to:
''~ Clarify budget analysis and oversight responsibilities, in addition to the Library Commission's
specific role in identifying, evaluating and recommending library related improvements" to
be paid for by the fund;
'~ Clarify staff obligations, expectations, and procedures regarding the oversight, analysis and
use of the Library Capital Improvement Fund (including review of the City's statement
"Library Capital Expansion Project Fund #320);
Review immediate past use of the Fund, and pending projects;
~~ Review and Adopt project list for 2007-2008, for the Commission's Fund budget to be
presented for City Council approval at the Council's May 16 meeting
a) Review of Fund establishment and original intent
Manzo described the Library reconstruction bond measure, passed in March 2000, to renovate and
expand the Saratoga Library building, and the several phases of construction. Although a number
of elements were not complete at the time the building was accepted, the grand opening occurred
on June 23, 2004. Remarkably, the project came in under budget; the remaining funds were set
aside in a Library Capital Improvement Fund to be used to pay for unfinished construction left
over after the building's reopening to the public, and for improvements to the library building or
site with a life of more than a year. (Funds may not be used to annual maintenance, administrative
or staffing costs, or for furniture, fixtures, and equipment.)
An oversight committee was created, in accordance with the requirement of the 2000 Bond
Measure, to ensure that library renovation and expansion funds are used in accordance with the
intention of the voters. Manzo raised the question of the current status of the oversight committee.
Boyer confirmed that the Oversight Committee has not met since May 2005.
b) Review of use of fund to March 2005
Ruth Giptein noted that fund use up to May 2005 is summarized in Lori Tinfow's May xx, 2005
report to the Oversight Committee, provided to the Library Commission in June 2005. (A copy of
the report was given to new commissioners). She noted that in 2004, the city council assigned to
the Library Commission the responsibility for identifying, evaluating, and recommending library-
related improvement projects to be paid for with bond funds, but that this was separate from fiscal
oversight of the Fund. (Since that time, city staff has provided quarterly reports on the status of
approved projects, but no financial report has been made since 2005.)
As commission member and chair, she sought in 2006 to clarify confusion about the differing
duties (and status) of the Oversight Committee and the Library Commission. Anderson and Hunter
agreed that some city staff and council members apparently assumed that the Library Commission
had, or was given, the same information as the oversight committee, or that there was an overlap
of members. Manzo and Lipstein pointed out that although several members of the original
oversight committee (Norm Siegler, Susan Calderon) subsequently became members of the Finance
Commission (now "dormant," as per city council, since 2005), no Oversight Committee member
joined, attended, or was assigned to Library Commission meetings.
Since City council, city staff, and library commissioners seem to have different assumptions about
commission's breadth of responsibilities and the original committee's status, it was agreed that the
oversight duties of the original Oversight Committee appear to be the responsibility of the Library
Commission. Anderson said that the Library Commission will receive timely updates on the status
of funds as well as of approved projects, and looks forward to working more closely with the
Commission.
c) Use of fund 2005-2007
City Manager David Anderson and City Financial Director Mary Furey distributed summary spread
sheets for fund use 2005 to April 2007 (based on the July 1 to June 30 fiscal year), and
summarized expenditures against the fund since 2005. Furey stated per the "Library Capital
Expansion Project Fund #320 Report" that actual expenditure at February 28, 2007 was $30, 712,
as not all budgeted funds were expended to date. The Account Balance List Report, dated April
26, 2007, identified actual account balance expenditures at $51,286.01 to include interest, general
contract services, signage installation, and lighting. Signage and lighting expenditures were
explained, although greater detail on the general contract services expenditures was not available
at the meeting.
In reviewing 2005-06 expenditures, they noted that the fund sheet includes items from both
completion of phase 2 (building accepted, although a number of projects remained to be
completed and other items had to be corrected), and the current phase 3.
Manzo and McBane Mulford raised questions regarding specific line item expenses, for instance
legal fees and general contracting in phase 2, expended in 2005 and 2006. Staff responded that
these expenses were associated with the finalization of the construction contract scope, contract
litigation, as well as additional items not included in the construction contract but necessary to
completion and functional use of the building. Staff asserted that these expenditures were
necessary and appropriate uses of the fund. Further information regarding status of the litigation
was not available at the meeting.
A procedural discussion ensued, regarding the most effective way for the commission and city staff
to work together to review fund use, analyze future needs and project fund use. Anderson agreed
that the staff will provide the Commission with fund information as required.
Motion: Nilan moved that, on an annual basis, the Library Commission review the financial status
of the Library Capital Improvement Fund (320), with budget information to be provided by City
staff (preferably at its December meeting), and that the Commission review projects proposed
adopt recommendations for the City Council at its March meeting. (second by McBane Mulford.
Motion carried 5/0)
Motion Nilan moved that at its quarterly meetings, the Library Commission continue to review
pending and ongoing projects, and review any specific concerns with performance or changes to
the approved fund budget for that fiscal year (seconded by Lemmon; motion carried 5/0)
Tom Scott was complimented for his thorough and timely reports to the commission. However,
staff and commissioners expressed concern that unusual projects, changes, or quick review may not
be accommodated in a timely manner by the commission's quarterly schedule. Scott noted that
due to the Library Commission meeting schedule, it is difficult for him to keep them apprised of
unusual problems or changes that require a quick review or timely response to a contractor. Nilan
suggested that the current temporary subcommittee (Thirumale/Nilan) could be continued as a
sounding board and means to expedite communication between him and the commission.
Motion: McBane moved that the Library Commission formally create a Library Capital
Improvement Fund subcommittee to advise the Commission and city staff, on an as needed basis,
if unusual problems should arise that require attention on a more timely basis than can be
accommodated by the Commission's current quarterly schedule. (Second by Nilan).
Lemmon raised the concern that, given the subcommittee's importance, the Commission
chair should be a member of such a subcommittee. Nilan noted that this subcommittee should not
be a substitute for Commission oversight, but a means of effective and responsive communication
between city staff and commissioners. Motion carried 5/0.
d) Proposed use:
Tom Scott, with Librarian Dolly Barnes concurrence, presented his list of pending 2007-2008
projects for the Library structure. The following projects were described and discussed:
1) Correcting li~htin in the Children's area ($20,000) - to correct poor lighting and
missing design elements, both infrastructure and light fixtures must ill be redone. He has a
tentative design in hand; further design work will be done, with input from Dolly Barnes
and Tom Scott, then the project will go out to bid.
2) Repairing various lighting and electrical issues ($10,000) - a variety of problems have
arisen within the library (including electrical failures and power surge problems). A
thorough site survey by an electrician is required before proceeding.
Scott noted that the $6,000 approved last year for lighting issues has been spent studying
interior lighting problems covered in #1 and #2 herein, and he now has a much better idea
of what it needed. The requested $10,000 is needed to complete the project.
3) Installing a safety ladder for the Lobby roof. ($2,000). Access to the lobby roof is
needed from both sides of the lobby (currently there is a ladder only on one side, which
provides access to the HVAC system.)
4) Repairing the plywood roof siding over the Lobby ($5,000). The heat reflected from
the white "Cool Roof" has badly damaged the plywood siding. The wood will be
replaced and painted white to delay deterioration.
5) Installing PG&E meters for Metro/PCS and the City. ($20,000). Unfinished from the
original construction project is provision for a second meter for the city's electrical use (for
parking lot lights and orchard pump), as per the property's lease. (At present, there is a
single meter, paid for by the county library, with an estimate made of the city's portion.
Installation of the city's meter can be piggybacked with that of Metro/PCS's third meter,
which has already been negotiated with PG&E by Metro/PCS for their flagpole/cell tower.
Since this item was part of the original design configuration for the building, city staff
asked that it be included with the above four items, in the next year's Fund budget.
Two additional projects are planned that do not involve the Library Capital Improvement Fund:
Maintenance cleaning of the "Cool Roof" (a routine maintenance activity that will be
handled from the city's Roof Repair and Maintenance Fund; and
Staining of all of the outside walls (the county library system has provided $15,000 ---
$5,000 per year for the last three years --- for staining the exterior of the library as
needed). Tom added that the walls on the southern exposure need the most attention, but
it has been almost five years since the building was completed and all walls should be re-
stained.
McBane Mulford asked Tom Scott to comment on how staff estimate optimal cost effective
functioning and projected life cycles of major building maintenance issues, such as HVAC, roof
(where lowered performance or energy efficiency balances against cost of repair and replacement).
Scott described a number of issues, including improved energy efficiency of newer technology, that
must be weighed with costs. Scott and Anderson noted that a "Capital Map" (similar to one used
by the County Library system) would be useful to discussions of long term fund timeline future
needs.
In discussion of the need to project future needs, Anderson suggested that the commission consider
whether there is a lowest level of principal acceptable to maintain the fund, whether the fund can
be segmented to deal with long term and short term discretionary funding. Nilan suggested that
these questions can be included in the Commission's December meeting, along with staff input
regarding long term projects. Anderson and Furey agreed that staff will provide data to assist the
Commission with a long term planning discussion at its December 2007 meeting. Barnes suggested
that in addition to Scott and Furey, the library's Gay Strand be invited to attend.
City staff also will edit the text of Library Capital Improvement Fund (320) to reflect changes
discussed above, for review at the December meeting. Commissioners also asked for further
discussion of definitions of line items that should not be set against the fund (in addition to routine
repair, furniture, fixtures and equipment) and for further information on county responsibilities
(e.g. staining the building's siding).
e) Approval of 2007-2008 use of funds
Motion: Nilan moved to approve item #5, that city's portion of costs of installation of PG&E
meter for Metro/PCS and the City, be funded by Library Capital Improvement Fund at a projected
cost of $20,000. (Seconded by Thirumale.) Motion carried 5/0.
Motion: Nilan moved that items #1 through 4, as described by Tom Scott, be funded by the
Library Capital Improvement Fund at the total cost of $37,000. (Seconded by Thirumale) Motion
carried 5/0.
Motion: Thirumale moved that the Library Commission recommend items #1 through #5, for a
total budgeted cost of $57,000, to the City Council at its May 16, 2007 meeting. (Seconded by
Nilan). Motion carried 5/0.
f) Status of oversight committee and its financial obligations. It was agreed that this topic was
adequately discussed above.
Handouts:
"Library Capita/ Expansion Project Fund #320" (one page)
"Changes in Tota/ Fund Balance " [as of February 28, 2007)
Account Balance lists, 2007, 2006, 2005.