AADL Board of Trustees Meeting - April 16th, 2018

Tue, 04/10/2018 - 9:03am

When: April 16, 2018 at Downtown Library

Watch the April 2018 Meeting of the AADL Board of Trustees. Select an agenda item below to jump to that point in the transcript.
For more information, please see the Board Packet for this meeting.

18-054 I. CALL TO ORDER
18-055 II. ATTENDANCE
18-056 III. RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION FOR DISCUSSION OF REAL ESTATE
18-057 IV. RECONVENE REGULAR MEETING AT 7:00PM
18-058 V. APPROVAL OF AGENDA (Item of action)
18-059 VI. CONSENT AGENDA (Item of action)
CA-1 Approval of Minutes of March 19, 2018
CA-2 Approval of March 2018 Disbursements
18-060 VII. CITIZENS’ COMMENTS
18-061 VIII. FINANCIAL REPORTS Bill Cooper, Finance Manager
18-062 IX. COMMITTEE REPORTS
18-063 A. BUDGET & FINANCE COMMITTEE
18-064 X. DIRECTOR’S REPORT Josie B. Parker, Director
18-065 XI. OLD BUSINESS
18-049 A. RESOLUTION TO REALLOCATE BALANCE OF APPROVED FUNDS FROM THE TRAVERWOOD MSE PROJECT TO USE TOWARDS PUBLIC MEETING SPACE IN AADL BRANCHES Len Lemorie, Facilities Manager (Item of action)
18-050 B. RESOLUTION TO EXTEND SPACE USE AGREEMENT WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE ANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARY(Item of action)
18-066 XII. NEW BUSINESS
18-067 A. DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED 2018-2019 BUDGET(Item of discussion)
18-068 B. VOTE FOR CLOSED SESSION FOR AT THE MAY 21, 2018 REGULAR BOARD MEETING FOR DISCUSSION OF REAL ESTATE, LABOR NEGOTIATIONS AND DIRECTOR’S EVALUATION (Item of action) Roll call vote
18-069 XIII. CITIZENS’ COMMENTS
18-070 XIV. ADJOURNMENT

Transcript

[00:00:05.16] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: OK. So let's call this meeting to order. Pull up our agenda. Karen, Jim's definitely here.
[00:00:14.81]

[00:00:18.24] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: OK. So we need to approve the agenda.
[00:00:21.69] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Motion to approve the agenda.
[00:00:26.05] VICTORIA GREEN: Second.
[00:00:27.67] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: All those in favor?
[00:00:28.84] ALL: Aye.

[00:00:29.79] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Opposed? OK. So next one we move on to consent agenda.
[00:00:36.74] JAN BARNEY NEWMANN: So moved.
[00:00:38.31] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Second?
[00:00:40.01] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Any discussion? All those in favor?
[00:00:43.04] ALL: Aye.

[00:00:44.27] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Opposed? All right. Do we have citizens' comments?
[00:00:50.90] KAREN WILSON: I do have a citizen's comment.
[00:00:52.69] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Great. OK.
[00:01:03.80] JOSIE PARKER: Do you have a microphone for her?
[00:01:05.92] A/V PERSON: Yup.
[00:01:09.32] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Oh my gosh, a presentation!
[00:01:10.86] COLLEEN SHERMAN: There's a presentation!
[00:01:21.78] ELI NEIBURGER: There we go.
[00:01:37.44] FAVNI: Hi, my name--
[00:01:39.22] ELI NEIBURGER: Keep going. It's on.
[00:01:40.87] FAVNI: Hi. My name is Favni, and I made a presentation for the Michigan Statistics Poster Competition, and I'd like to share what I've found out. My first question was, what is the most used material? I wanted to know if people used the library as a fun reading program, or as a watch movies program?
[00:02:05.02] I found out that books is 49%, and DVDs is 26%. So books is definitely more. Because books is more, I wanted to know what are the most popular books over all the years. Most of them were Harry Potter. I wasn't surprised by that. But when this new book, The Hunger Games, came up, I was like, what in the world is that book?
[00:02:35.91] So when most of them were Harry Potter-- Did that even work?
[00:02:43.67] ELI NEIBURGER: There you go.
[00:02:45.56] FAVNI: When most of the books were Harry Potter, I wanted to know what are the most popular series. So the most popular series were Hunger Games trilogy, Harry Potter, Divergent trilogy, Heroes of Olympus, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
[00:03:08.17] Because most of the books that we found were above my level, I wanted to know what books were most popular in my lexile range, which is 750-850. From this list, I've already read Wonder, Thea Stilton and the Cherry Blossom Adventure, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They were really good.
[00:03:32.39] And I'd also like to give a big thank you to Eli, for taking the time to meet us, and giving us the idea of using the Summer Game data. He also sent us the data, and helped us fix some of the problems he had. And last but not least, inviting me to this board meeting. Thank you.
[00:03:54.67] ALL: Thank you!
[00:03:56.08] [APPLAUSE]
[00:04:02.19] JOSIE PARKER: If I understand correctly, you didn't just present at the Michigan Statistics Event. You are going to present someplace else, aren't you?
[00:04:14.54] FAVNI: I'm not supposed to present. I just sent the poster, and they're going to look at it, and then decide who gets what place.
[00:04:24.33] JOSIE PARKER: OK.
[00:04:25.74] ELI NEIBURGER: How did you do at the Michigan conference?
[00:04:27.98] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Yeah, how did you do?
[00:04:28.67] FAVNI: I got first place.
[00:04:29.60] JOSIE PARKER: Ah, exactly!
[00:04:30.40] [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
[00:04:31.38] I was trying to get you there. [LAUGHS] So when you're first place at the Michigan conference, what's next?
[00:04:40.12] FAVNI: The next is the-- National? The national level.
[00:04:45.77] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Aw.
[00:04:46.05] JOSIE PARKER: Good luck.
[00:04:46.51] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: That's awesome.
[00:04:47.41] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Very good.
[00:04:47.96] ED SUROVELL: Can we ask how old you are?
[00:04:52.70] FAVNI: In the competition you're not supposed to know anything.
[00:04:57.10] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Oh! OK. Your secret's safe with us.
[00:05:00.15] [LAUGHTER]
[00:05:00.64] FAVNI: I can tell you.
[00:05:01.61] ED SUROVELL: OK.
[00:05:05.01] FAVNI: I'm eight.
[00:05:05.72] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Aw.
[00:05:07.20] ED SUROVELL: How old did she say?
[00:05:07.70] JOSIE PARKER: Eight.
[00:05:08.20] ALL: Eight. Eight years old.
[00:05:09.19]
[00:05:09.69] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Oh, my gosh.
[00:05:10.05] COLLEEN SHERMAN: That's fantastic. Congratulations.
[00:05:12.63] LIBRARIAN 2: Yes.
[00:05:13.44] Thank you so much for being here.
[00:05:14.53] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Have you thought about running for public office?
[00:05:17.67] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: The filing deadline is coming up. So we're just so thrilled that you came and showed us. Like, this is the top thing at a board meeting in months. So thank you so much.
[00:05:29.70] JIM LEIJA: Totally.
[00:05:32.25] FAVNI: Thank you.
[00:05:34.69] [APPLAUSE]
[00:05:35.18] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: OK, now. I don't know. I don't think I want to be next after that. There's another person who signed up?
[00:05:44.10] Yes. Bonnie?
[00:05:49.20] ED SUROVELL: We didn't ask what school she went to.
[00:05:50.82] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Would you say it again when you get up there?
[00:05:52.32]
[00:05:54.73] CHANDANI: OK. Hi, Library Board. My name is Chandani [INAUDIBLE], and I'm currently a senior at the University of Michigan, studying public policy and graduating in a couple of weeks. I previously came to speak to you in the fall, because I'm interning at CivCity, which is a local nonpartisan, nonprofit, that focuses on increasing awareness of how local government works, and getting residents in Ann Arbor engaged in civic life.
[00:06:26.06] And through CivCity, I recently published a report that looks at the level of diversity in local government, and thinking about what the community and what the public bodies in Ann Arbor can take away. And I will be emailing you all with the link very shortly. Many of you contributed to this report by filling out the survey I'd sent to gather demographic data, and allowing me to interview you for this project. So thank you so much to the six of you who were able to respond to the survey, and the two of you who took the time to be interviewed. It was greatly appreciated.
[00:06:57.84] I wanted to share a couple takeaways with you tonight. One takeaway I have is that across the bodies I looked at-- so city council, board of education, library board, and the county commissioners-- a lot of people care about engaging with the community, thinking about diversity, thinking about making better, more efficient decisions for the community. But there's not very much collaboration between these bodies, or proactive collaboration with the community.
[00:07:29.11] So one idea I have is actually what Anne Bannister and Jason Morgan-- so city council and county board-- they got together and had a coffee hour-- a joint coffee hour-- which allows them to engage with each other, and think about how boards can work with each other. And also engage in the community and bridge that gap. And I would love for there to be more innovative ways to engage the community, because obviously not too many people come to your regular meetings, which are open.
[00:07:57.87] And so it would be great to find a way to ask residents how they can better engage in ways that are accessible to the community. And another takeaway I have is that there's still a lot to do in terms of diversity, not just of representation but also of ideas. And diversity doesn't just mean having the elected officials who look like the people they represent, but that's definitely a start.
[00:08:25.65] And looking at the population of Ann Arbor as a whole, there's many communities that aren't currently represented. For example, right now we only have one person of color on city council. And in particular, there's very few young people in office-- no young people of color. And what I would love is for the more active recruitment of these younger folks-- more women to run for office.
[00:08:49.92] And because you're in that unique position of being able to actively recruit people, and people see you as trustworthy-- and obviously, you have the experience. it would be really great for candidates to be recruited into this, especially people who might otherwise not run.
[00:09:06.21] And a final thing to consider is that many elected officials I spoke with in my interviews-- I interviewed 12 people-- they presented ideas for increasing financial stipends that you get to incentivize people to run. Because obviously it's a big time commitment.
[00:09:21.19] But it would be beneficial also to look at ways to decrease the cost of running for office in the first place, so that more people are encouraged to run, and a broader array of people with all their different experiences, will come and run in the first place.
[00:09:36.76] So I really hope that this report will encourage public discussion, and discussion within the bodies and across bodies of the importance of diversity, and the importance of community engagement and collaboration, and just the general awareness of what is happening in Ann Arbor government.
[00:09:52.89] And I encourage you to read the report. You can find it on medium.com. It's published by Mary Morgan, who is the executive director of CivCity. And I'll send you all the report, and feel free to email me back if anything is particularly striking. Thank you for your time.
[00:10:08.97] LIBRARY BOARD: Thank you. Thank you.
[00:10:11.95] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: So maybe one thing to know, on the heels of that, is that this library conducts an event every time there's an election for library board. Giving information about what it's like on the library board, and how the board is structured. I know that at least one or two of you came to that--
[00:10:29.53] LINH SONG: Victoria and I both went.
[00:10:30.24] [INTERPOSING VOICES]
[00:10:31.20] Right.
[00:10:31.68] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: And that will be held this summer in June. So that's something. I don't think the other groups really do something like that.
[00:10:38.41] SPEAKER OFF SCREEN: [INAUDIBLE]
[00:10:55.62] JIM LEIJA: I want to know what the age range is for young people.
[00:11:00.58] [LAUGHTER]
[00:11:03.94] Because I'm interested to know if I've aged out now.
[00:11:07.12] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: I guess we don't count, huh?
[00:11:08.52] JIM LEIJA: Yeah.
[00:11:09.90] SPEAKER OFF SCREEN: I put young people --[INAUDIBLE]
[00:11:14.57] JIM LEIJA: That's it for us, Jamie!
[00:11:16.09] [LAUGHTER]
[00:11:18.55] Yeah.
[00:11:18.80] SPEAKER OFF SCREEN: [INAUDIBLE]
[00:11:21.18] JIM LEIJA: Mm-hmm.
[00:11:21.65] SPEAKER OFF SCREEN: [INAUDIBLE]
[00:11:50.50] JIM LEIJA: Sure. Thank you.
[00:11:52.73] JOSIE PARKER: Except this one.
[00:11:55.38] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Yeah. That's true. We actually probably are skewing younger than most boards maybe.
[00:12:00.20] ED SUROVELL: [INAUDIBLE]
[00:12:01.56] VICTORIA GREEN: More women.
[00:12:02.97] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Women. Yes. Yeah, we're doing good. We're doing well. We're doing good. We're doing good.
[00:12:08.62] [LAUGHTER]
[00:12:10.61] OK. All right. It's a long day. OK. So citizens comments, anyone else? Well, if you make it through the whole meeting, you can speak at the end as well. That's like the prize for staying the whole time. OK. So we move on to financial reports. Bill?

[00:12:36.11] BILL COOPER: Good evening, everyone. As of March 31st, 2018, we have collected $15,297,148, or 98.1% percent of our budgeted tax receipts for the year. And we are currently under budget by $1.4 million dollars. Any questions for me?
[00:13:02.61] ED SUROVELL: Under what budget for $1.4? Tax collections or what we're spending?
[00:13:10.62] BILL COOPER: Under the budget as of 8/12 of the year.
[00:13:12.84] ED SUROVELL: Under our budget? OK.
[00:13:14.40] BILL COOPER: Yes.
[00:13:15.33] ED SUROVELL: All right.
[00:13:16.94] BILL COOPER: Yes, we're going to change this around next fiscal year.
[00:13:22.48] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: In what way?
[00:13:23.94] BILL COOPER: We're going to put the periods, collections, and expenditures more in line with how we actually spend it, instead of just dividing it straight by 1/12.
[00:13:34.73] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Good, yeah. That makes sense.
[00:13:40.87] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: I think we're good then.
[00:13:42.49] BILL COOPER: OK.

[00:13:43.21] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Thank you. OK. Budget and finance. Jim?
[00:13:51.10] JIM LEIJA: We had a budget and finance meeting sometime in March. I think it's-- I can't remember when though-- few weeks ago, to talk about the draft budget which will be presented here tonight, later in the agenda. The current draft budget presumes that we will maintain the current levy on the millage, which is about 1.89. The maximum that we can levy this time.
[00:14:23.92] The budget represents a conservative increase of about 2.3%. We're waiting for the numbers from the county to come in next week, about the tax assessment. So we'll know then, what the value of the millage is, and if we'll be affected again by a headly downgrade, in terms of the overall value. We discussed all of these things in our budget and finance meeting, and we'll leave the discussion of the budget until later in the agenda.
[00:14:59.83] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Makes sense. Any questions about the other stuff? OK. Thanks Jim. Looking forward to talking about the budget in a few minutes. Josie, director reports?

[00:15:11.72] JOSIE PARKER: Thank you. Well, this happened. The community action network and SLATE-- which is a University of Michigan student volunteer organization-- visited Secret Lab with their students. And it made the Community Action Network newsletter, which we included in your ephemera packet so that you could see it.
[00:15:36.44] These are photographs from that evening. They did letterpress. They did sewing. All the things that were possible in the Secret Lab were available to them. And they had die cutters, the 3D printer, and they were very, very happy about that evening. Very excited. It's great.
[00:15:53.88] Tunde Wey is going to be in Michigan in the first part of May. Tunde Wey is a cook, a chef, who began a project in New Orleans from his food truck, where he decided to try something interesting to test some of the attitudes toward privilege.
[00:16:19.86] And he charged people of color $12 for lunch, and he charged his Caucasian clientele $30 for lunch. And he was interested in seeing what that response would be. It was not what he expected. He expected his Caucasian clients to turn and walk, and most of them did not. And they had a conversation with him over that, and paid the $30.
[00:16:47.90] He then has just taken his idea further, and has expanded it into other conversations. And what he does is he brings the conversation to a real dinner table. And a group of people meet for dinner from various backgrounds, and have this conversation about privilege over dinner.
[00:17:09.17] He'll be doing this in Ann Arbor. He'll be doing it in Detroit. And he is coming to the library to do a talk and make a presentation. So we're very, very excited to have him, and very interested in what that evening will reveal to us, and whoever is attending in that evening. It will be quite a night. So this came to us from the Penny Stamps. The staff asked if we would like to be interested as a partner.
[00:17:39.38] ED SUROVELL: Do we have a date for that?
[00:17:41.57] JOSIE PARKER: It's in the first week of May. What is it?
[00:17:45.02] ELI NEIBURGER: Friday the 20th.
[00:17:46.91] JOSIE PARKER: May 20th. So it's not the first week.
[00:17:48.95] SPEAKER OFF SCREEN: No, April 20th.
[00:17:49.06] JOSIE PARKER: April 20th. Oh, he's coming here first. OK. Then he's doing to Detroit. OK. April 20. It's coming up this week. Our participation--
[00:17:58.61] ED SUROVELL: Here at this branch?
[00:18:00.53] JOSIE PARKER: Yes.
[00:18:01.49] ED SUROVELL: Time?
[00:18:02.57] SPEAKER OFF SCREEN: 7:00 PM It think.
[00:18:03.52] JOSIE PARKER: 7:00.
[00:18:04.28] ED SUROVELL: Thank you.
[00:18:05.01] JOSIE PARKER: Yeah. Thank you. And you have in front of you an events page. And that event is the top of the page. The very first one. So you have that. We participated again in Foolmoon and Festifools. It's a community activity that the library has been involved in since its inception. And so the library provides opportunities for families to come to the library on Sunday afternoons, over a period of time, to build their costumes and their luminaires.
[00:18:36.56] And this is some of the staff from the library with narwhals and fish, and they swam down Main Street happily. From AADL. It was a great day. Weather cooperated on that Sunday. So I want to thank everyone here who was involved in that.
[00:18:54.56] We received word today that the Michigan Bright Nights community form series was a 10-year experience with public mental health education at the U of M. And the library participated as one of the sites. And the paper for that study has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Academic Psychiatry.
[00:19:18.80] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Oh, that's cool.
[00:19:19.51] JOSIE PARKER: And we are listed. So we're very, very happy to have been a part of that.
[00:19:25.36] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Looks like Tim-- he's listed as an author.
[00:19:28.84] JOSIE PARKER: Yeah.
[00:19:29.31] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: That's great.
[00:19:30.25] JOSIE PARKER: Yeah. Tim, we have a great shout out on that one. So thanks Tim, for all your hard work in that process. Visions is the Biennial Assistive Technology Conference, that will be held here in the Downtown Library, Wednesday, May 16th, from 11:00 to 4:00. The keynote speaker is William Robinson III, the director of the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons. This is moved from WCC to the Downtown Library.
[00:19:54.92] Some of you will remember that when it began originally, many, many years ago, it began right here in this room. Now, it's going to take over the entire building that day. The outreach staff are to be commended for a great job getting organized for this.
[00:20:13.07] And speaking of outreach, I wanted to highlight some of the initiatives and ongoing room use partnerships. We were talking about meeting rooms, and who's using the library, and who's in them. Over a number of years, we have provided space to the units that you see listed-- Ann Arbor Public Schools Adult Ed, U of M's PALMA, WAVE-- Washtenaw Alliance for Virtual Education at the Alternative High School, Washtenaw Literacy, ESL.
[00:20:40.78] The WISD brings a number of student groups into the library-- and several of them. Students with disabilities of various-- physical and developmental-- to programming in the library, and have for a long time. So I wanted you to realize this is happening. And some of them, like Washtenaw Literacy, have been going on over 15 years. So they're long-term programs for adults and students in the library.
[00:21:15.20] Second floor public computers have been moved to the Northwest corner of the second floor. The desk on the second floor-- one has been removed, one-- its location has been changed. There it is. Security is on the second floor now, located behind that desk.
[00:21:38.09] We are finding this to be a much more advantageous location for all involved. And we've been able to open up the space that was the computers on the second floor on the wall side, for laptop bars, which filled up almost immediately, once the computers were taken down. So it was pretty interesting to see that happen.
[00:21:58.97] These are some public and staff comments. This one is from the community Action Network-- a child learning to sew. And thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, Kelsey, Cierra, and ADL, for your divine hospitality at the Secret Lab Thursday evening. This is from Bryant and Highcomb Teens enjoyed letter pressing, sewing, die cut and 3D printing. We really can't wait to come back. And they sent library love.
[00:22:26.69] This is another one. This is not a sign that the airport bus dropped you off right at the ADL public library, Amelia. It's just art prints, music tools, and giant chess sets to check out. Someone else said, as someone who bought a sewing machine but doesn't use it for much, I'd have rather rented a communal one, and saved myself a couple hundred bucks-- referring to the sewing machine.
[00:22:54.92] This one-- I have my little script here, I want to get myself right. This is another post from the Secret Lab about letter press. And you can see that someone did stationery using our logo. This is a beautiful photo. They're setting, printing, and drawing a special poster to commemorate one of the greatest bicycle racers of all time-- Eddy Merckx.
[00:23:25.26] And this one is too beautiful photos from a book-binding workshop that were held in the Secret Lab. So you can see someone used a ruler to bind a book, and someone else used-- it looks like a gardening journal, one of them.
[00:23:44.19] And this one is really wonderful. Friday night last, we had Rhythms and Language and Culture of the Arab World, here, with Karim-- I think it's Nagi-- who was here to do music and dancing. He also visited several schools in Ann Arbor that day. And the kids brought their families. They had so much fun at school they brought their families down to the library. So it was great.
[00:24:08.37] The other one is spring break moon project with help from a library telescope, and a thank you from that young man who obviously could not have done it without the library. And that looks like a backyard, I'm guessing. Someone's backyard. That's great. And this one is a British journalist who was visiting Ann Arbor for a few months, who writes, hands down, this is the place we will miss most in Ann Arbor. I wish I had kept count of how many books we've taken out. Conservative estimate, 500 since August. And so, the family was here for a short period of time, and then were going back home, and we got this note. So it was very nice to do that.
[00:24:53.58] Last Friday, the library hosted Library Camp at ADL. We've done this now for three years. And this is open to anyone who's interested in libraries. And people come from all over southeast Michigan primarily. And it's a conference that we hold here, that's at no charge. The staff pull it together in terms of space. We have one talk in the morning that's organized, and then the people there decide what the conversations will be through the day.
[00:25:29.73] And I have the library camp schedule. I'll just pass it around so that you can look and see at some of the things people talked about. Susan Kornfield from Bodman came, and spoke to us about copyright. She is an expert. She came to the library about 15 years ago, and spoke at a staff day. And she's an amazing speaker, but she's incredibly well-versed in libraries and how copyright affects libraries of all kinds. And so her questions to staff were very-- she evoked a gasp at the very beginning. She asked this question-- a brand-new book has been published. It's a cookbook. She points over here and said, this person-- I'll say Josie-- decides that she wants some of the recipes out of that book to put in her cookbook that she's going to be publishing in six months. Are those recipes protected, or not?
[00:26:37.14] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: I have no idea actually.
[00:26:38.19] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: You have to change something in there.
[00:26:40.13] JOSIE PARKER: They are not protected.
[00:26:41.30] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: They're not?
[00:26:41.99] JOSIE PARKER: They are not protected.
[00:26:43.86] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Don't you have to give the source? Source?
[00:26:45.43] JOSIE PARKER: No.
[00:26:45.81] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Really?
[00:26:46.19] JOSIE PARKER: No. The courts have ruled that a recipe is a list of ingredients, and that is all.
[00:26:52.87] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Wow.
[00:26:54.20] JOSIE PARKER: So everyone in the room went, oh! And that started the day out. And so she had everyone's attention, and then we went through rest of the process. It was quite--
[00:27:04.61] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: When you see in the newspaper they will say an adaptation of so-and-so-and-so-and-so.
[00:27:09.68] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Maybe that's just practice.
[00:27:10.76] JOSIE PARKER: It might be just to avoid having to deal with somebody being upset.
[00:27:14.60] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Right.
[00:27:14.82] JOSIE PARKER: But they're not protected. And so it was quite a moment. So we had a great conversation. It was a good day. I applaud the staff who were involved. It was a lot of work. But we learn as much as the folks who visit us, from hearing their stories and what their challenges are, and all sorts of libraries.
[00:27:35.18] The only other thing I want to tell you-- in addition to what's written and what we talked about here-- is that on Friday, we experienced a boiler failure. And we had a leak in pipes in the boiler in this building. And it shut down the boiler. We were fortunate that Friday was not too cold, so we were able to remain open, although we had no heat for almost 24 hours, in this building. It is repaired, but it's temporary.
[00:28:09.08] Because of the age of the pipes and the location of the leak where the pipe broke away, it's going to take a little while to determine exactly what we can do. Also, we're still assessing how much damage there was, because the water leaked into a control system. I don't imagine that we will be able to repair or replace for less than six figures. So it's important for you to know that now, so that when I come back to you in a month or so, and say, we need money transferred in order to do this, you will have an understanding of when it happened, and where we are with it.
[00:28:53.51] The assessment that was done by O'Neill-- the billing assessment-- called out that this was a possibility, because of the age and the condition of some of the piping in the building. So unfortunately, this has happened.
[00:29:08.28] JIM LEIJA: And the location.
[00:29:09.59] JOSIE PARKER: And the location, yes.
[00:29:11.72] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: It's so disappointing. On my way up to meet with you today, I met with some of the staff down in the Secret Lab. In my day job. I run a book art studio for the University of Michigan as part of our library. You have book arts equipment, so I went to see some of the staff. And my head fills with like, oh, it'd be so cool if that space could have more, and be bigger. Maybe we should invest more in that space. And then to come right in to hearing, no, we have to spend all this money to fix this old thing that we knew was going to-- it's so depressing. I feel very frustrated that we are in this situation where we have to spend money on this stuff. Ugh.
[00:29:58.35] LINH SONG: But we need heat.
[00:29:59.68] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: I know we need heat. But like, this building is frustrating. I just wanted to have the opportunity to say that publicly.
[00:30:06.88] JIM LEIJA: At least it's not the sewage for a change.
[00:30:08.99] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Oh! If you've been filling out your Bingo! card.
[00:30:12.22] [LAUGHTER]
[00:30:14.57] For those of you who don't regularly join us, the sewage comes up every month, because we also have sewage problems in addition to other old piping problems.
[00:30:23.50] JIM LEIJA: It's the boilers instead of the crocs.
[00:30:26.11] JOSIE PARKER: We have capacity problem.
[00:30:27.97] JIM LEIJA: Yeah, that's true.
[00:30:28.78] JOSIE PARKER: So the thing that I would say about that is, because we draw so many people to the library-- hundreds of people daily, thousands of people for some major events-- this building was built around at a time that it was built to serve a certain number of people. It serves far more people than that. So what we have is a capacity problem.
[00:30:49.18] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Yeah.
[00:30:49.54] JOSIE PARKER: The community is willing to come to the library in numbers that was not conceived of, and so we are restrained by the condition of our building, but also the space of our building.
[00:31:02.86] LINH SONG: We're not alone in this, too. I know in Burns Park, Burns Park Elementary had to replace a boiler, I think in the past two years. And that was a six figure project too, that they actually had to get specially made because of the age of the boiler, and how they had to retro, I think, retrofit the technology for the building.
[00:31:29.56] JOSIE PARKER: And I'm not sure what all we will tell you we will end up having to do at this point. So I'm not sure. We're not sure.
[00:31:38.62] LINH SONG: Do you think you'll know by the next board meeting?
[00:31:41.68] JOSIE PARKER: It's not clear we'll have all of that information. We'll have more information.
[00:31:45.81] LINH SONG: So we'll just have to hope for warmer weather in Michigan?
[00:31:49.30] JOSIE PARKER: Yes. Yeah. Yes.
[00:31:50.59] LINH SONG: OK.
[00:31:51.48] JOSIE PARKER: Yes. And that's my report.
[00:31:55.80] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Well, maybe-- Do you have something--
[00:31:57.62] VICTORIA GREEN: I just have one question. Josie, I understand what you're saying about the expense, and how we're all frustrated at the difficulty of repairing equipment of the age of our infrastructure of this building. Is there any risk to the staff or the patrons? Are you actually concerned that we won't be able to provide heat, or that we're putting them at some environmental risk?
[00:32:15.01] JOSIE PARKER: There's not a risk to anyone. This isn't a space that's-- staff don't travel and the public's not involved in it. And it's not sewage water. It's
[00:32:27.61] VICTORIA GREEN: Yes, it's expensive and inefficient too.
[00:32:30.22] JOSIE PARKER: Right. So if the temporary measures we've taken fail, then we won't have heat in this building. So if it is too cold, we would have to close. So we had we were able to make the decision Friday to be able to stay open. It was chilly, but it wasn't cold. Had it been a different day, that might have been a different decision. Yeah.
[00:32:56.55] VICTORIA GREEN: And then we're providing no services to people.
[00:32:59.00] JOSIE PARKER: Right.
[00:33:01.01] VICTORIA GREEN: OK.
[00:33:03.29] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Well, shall we move on to other matters of building improvement?
[00:33:08.42] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Well, we've been advised, and we were advised, when we were considering before the age of our building.
[00:33:15.30] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Mm-hmm.
[00:33:16.85] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: And we had to confront people who'd say, well, you can just fix it.
[00:33:20.75] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Right.
[00:33:21.01] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: There's nothing wrong with that building. We've been singing this same song, and people don't seem to take it seriously. Maybe what we can do is just not be such an attractive place.
[00:33:35.22] [LAUGHTER]
[00:33:37.79] But that would be hard too.
[00:33:39.30] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: I know, right? Exactly. So we move to-- oh, sorry. [SNEEZES]
[00:33:46.45] LINH SONG: Bless you.

[00:33:47.31] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Old business. The next item up is also related to the buildings-- all the branches. We have a resolution to reallocate the balance of approved funds from the Traverwood MSE project, to use towards public meeting space in AADL branches. That's page 19.
[00:34:06.31] JIM LEIJA: I'll read.
[00:34:07.75] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Great.
[00:34:08.26] JIM LEIJA: The board resolves that $378,000 of capital project funds, is reallocated from the Traverwood branch library MSE wall project for the construction of public meeting rooms in Malletts Creek, Pittsfield, and Traverwood branch libraries. All resolutions and parts of this resolution that conflict with the provisions of this resolution are rescinded.
[00:34:31.36] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Is there second?
[00:34:33.19] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Second.
[00:34:33.61] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: And we have Len joining us for discussion? So we talked about this at the last meeting-- Yes, Ed?
[00:34:41.05] ED SUROVELL: Well, you just answered my question. We talked about this at the last meeting where I wasn't here.
[00:34:46.53] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Correct, yes.
[00:34:47.77] ED SUROVELL: If somebody could spend a minute explaining what's going on.
[00:34:52.78] LEN LEMORIE: Absolutely. So we're hoping to expand on the multiple meeting spaces that have been so successful at Westgate. We've worked on the meeting spaces at Pittsfield, and what you're looking at now. And so we have a 35-seat meeting room, where the computers are now, where we see less usage in the computers. And then we have two five-seat tables in the Northeast corner, that we can use as bookable space.
[00:35:17.65] Malletts Creek-- the goal was to move one range of shelving forward, to take the four-top tables move those to two-top tables. And then add a seven-seat meeting room in a space that's not ideal for groups to meet in. And then Traverwood-- there are four computers outside of the lab and, then one range of shelves. We were going to relocate the shelves and have a meeting room right outside of the lab. It would be an eight-seat table there. Questions?
[00:35:54.83] VICTORIA GREEN: Len, can you just remind me what our existing bookable rooms are throughout the branches?
[00:35:59.31] LEN LEMORIE: So Westgate has two-- meeting room A and B. I believe one's an eight-top and one's a 10-top?
[00:36:04.40] ELI NEIBURGER: Eight and five.
[00:36:05.28] LEN LEMORIE: Eight and five. And then, so we've added-- with the launch of the website-- we added two spaces downtown, which are on the second floor. And--
[00:36:12.45] ELI NEIBURGER: [INAUDIBLE]
[00:36:13.25] LEN LEMORIE: Both 10-tops there. And they've been wildly successful. Both locations.
[00:36:16.84] VICTORIA GREEN: So this is expanding it to all branches then?
[00:36:18.97] LEN LEMORIE: Yes. We wouldn't be eliminating any existing study space. We would be sticking with the architecture of the building, so they are designed to look like they've always been there. And that's really important to us as part of this project.
[00:36:37.97] COLLEEN SHERMAN: We talked about glass, right?
[00:36:39.48] JOSIE PARKER: Mm-hmm.
[00:36:40.09] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Glass. It will be glass.
[00:36:41.17] LEN LEMORIE: Yes. Pittsfield already has existing glass around the lab. So we can utilize that. Malletts Creek has its own colored glass that we would utilize for that space, the same as Traverwood.
[00:36:53.25] COLLEEN SHERMAN: I was ready to vote for this last month. This seems like a great idea.
[00:37:01.28] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Any further discussion?
[00:37:03.56] LINH SONG: So the use of these rooms are different from the larger meeting rooms, right? You're seeing different groups-- different sized groups?
[00:37:09.84] LEN LEMORIE: A little bit of everything. About a week ago, since the last board meeting, I had one of our vendors, our contractors call me in the morning. He just wanted to do training in one of our buildings. And we were able to get him bookable space that day.
[00:37:25.90] LINH SONG: And it's really the website that's driving this? The demand? Or website and space?
[00:37:32.44] LEN LEMORIE: I think it's a library that's driving it. It was successful before the launch of the website at Westgate. So it's just something that people use, and it's been a huge success.
[00:37:41.80] COLLEEN SHERMAN: How booked are the rooms by percentage. Are we getting 80% capacity right now of the four spaces?
[00:37:47.91] ELI NEIBURGER: [INAUDIBLE]
[00:37:48.82] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Yeah, that's what I thought. Yeah.
[00:37:52.30] ELI NEIBURGER: On a day-by-day you might have 70 to 80%.
[00:37:56.51] COLLEEN SHERMAN: OK. So you might need to book in advance, and that's OK?
[00:38:00.43] ELI NEIBURGER: Well, you have to book at least the prior day.
[00:38:03.43] VICTORIA GREEN: OK. And one thing-- I don't know that you all would agree-- but one thing that strikes me, is that the Westgate space, it's easy to see them. And you think, I can use that.
[00:38:12.38] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Right.
[00:38:12.82] VICTORIA GREEN: I'm not at all advocating that we would move them downtown, because we're a vertical building, and these would be on the first floor. So I think there's every reason to think there would be demand for these as well.
[00:38:22.69] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Right. Agreed. I mean, every time at Westgate, it's just packed. And so diverse. It's cool to see the different things people use them for.
[00:38:34.49] VICTORIA GREEN: I guess I have one other question. So I hadn't thought about reallocating space in any of our branches. Were there other ideas that were proposed that you gave weight to, in terms of other things we could have done with that space, instead of bookable rooms? Was there a counter-argument made about what we could do with them among the staff?
[00:38:51.59] LEN LEMORIE: I think we went into it going for-- this is something we wanted to do because we saw the success at Westgate.
[00:38:57.62] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: We had more demand than we could meet. We had to do it.
[00:39:00.29] LEN LEMORIE: Patrons were asking for it, so that was the goal we went into it with.
[00:39:03.20] COLLEEN SHERMAN: We found the space to meet this need, and also, just the things that we're giving up are low-utilized spaces within the branches already.
[00:39:18.75] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Great. Thank you so much.
[00:39:20.19] LEN LEMORIE: Thank you.
[00:39:20.63] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Ready to vote, everyone? All those in favor?
[00:39:23.42] ALL: Aye.

[00:39:24.50] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Opposed? All righty. OK. So our next resolution is the resolution to extend space-use agreement with the Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library. It's on page 20. Would someone like to read it?
[00:39:37.16] JIM LEIJA: Happy to read.
[00:39:38.12] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Thanks, Jim.
[00:39:38.83] JIM LEIJA: The president of the board of trustees of Ann Arbor District Library is authorized to sign a one-year extension of the space-use agreement, along with the president of the board of the Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library. All resolutions and parts of resolutions that conflict with the provisions of this resolution are rescinded.
[00:39:55.13] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Second?
[00:39:57.85] LINH SONG: Second.
[00:39:58.66] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: OK. Any discussion on this?
[00:40:03.10] VICTORIA GREEN: It's my recollection from last time we looked at this, that there are no changes. That this is the same agreement that was signed last year, except for new dates and new signatures, right?
[00:40:11.61] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: That's correct.
[00:40:13.94] JIM LEIJA: And I understand that it has been a successfully driven agreement this year. The Friends have lived up to their side of the agreement.
[00:40:27.94] JOSIE PARKER: Yes.
[00:40:28.40] JIM LEIJA: Thank you.
[00:40:28.87] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Yeah, I think everything has gone well.
[00:40:30.59] JIM LEIJA: Terrific.
[00:40:31.46] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: The Friends were to get back to us if there were any requested changes, and sounds like everything's fine.
[00:40:38.87] JIM LEIJA: Great.
[00:40:40.82] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Any other questions before we vote? All right. All those in favor?
[00:40:45.16] ALL: Aye.

[00:40:46.30] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Opposed? OK. Great. So we move on to budget. The big topic for this evening, in new business.
[00:40:58.75] BILL COOPER: Good evening, again. Can we have the fiscal year 2018-2019 draft budget. As Jim stated earlier, we're estimating a modest increase of 2% in the tax collections, and an overall increase in the overall budget by 2.3%. Which takes the revenue to $16,679,610.
[00:41:37.16] So the other revenue stream that I'd like to talk about is the grants and memorials for $100,000. We had the treasurer's report from the Friends, and in their report they did state that they plan to give us the $100,000 grant in May.
[00:41:56.78] JOSIE PARKER: And they confirmed that at the meeting Wednesday evening.
[00:41:59.18] BILL COOPER: OK. So we do know that we're going to receive that that money. The other revenue streams pretty much held constant. We do have a little increase in nonresident fees, just based on where we look at where we're going to end up this year. And a increase in the copier revenue by $10,000. And everything else has pretty much held steady in the revenue portion.
[00:42:30.89] On the expenditures, I will highlight a few of the areas. Salaries and wage-- we are looking at a 7.8% increase, and that includes a merit pool of 3% in that. The other increases are due to staffing. Put room in for staffing for security. Maintenance says we have more events and we grow things. We need more people to handle those. And also, if we need to restructure to stay with the mission and vision of the Ann Arbor Library.
[00:43:11.21] We had an overall decrease in the employee benefits by 0.63%, because we got some good news from our insurance that the insurance is actually going down by 1.59%. We saw a slight increase in unemployment, and a slight increase in workers' comp, but all together we had a decrease 0.6%. So that was good.
[00:43:34.40] Our employment taxes were just 7.65% of our estimated salary, so that's where that comes from. You'll see an increase of 2.65% in the materials. Same thing with more advance-- more materials, more things that we'll be doing. Building rental per the lease agreements for the archives and Westgate-- we have an 8.14% increase in that expenditure.
[00:44:04.67] For library programming, you see one of the biggest increases of 16.44%. There again, that's where the marketing and communications also falls under the library programming. So with more events-- and this will be the first full year of the marketing and communications department.
[00:44:24.77] The grants and memorials-- since we are receiving the $100,000 from the Friends-- we are spending $100,000, and we primarily spend that for the Summer Games. Operating supplies-- a 65.17% increase. There again, more things going on. More supplies are needed. Postage-- we actually are having a big decrease in the postage. We're not mailing out hold notices and things anymore, so we're seeing a 42.86% decrease in that expenditure.
[00:45:00.13] And then the other expenditures, that's actually a decrease. But just to give you an idea of what some of those other expenditures are. That includes things like membership dues to various organizations. For example, the Society for Human Resource Management, the Main Street Area Association, the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the American Library Association. Also what falls under that is bank fees, alarm fees, and boiler inspections.
[00:45:32.51] [LAUGHTER]
[00:45:35.34] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: We can just tell them that it's broken. They don't need to come.
[00:45:40.77] BILL COOPER: So the expenditures-- we have to have a balanced budget, so that brings us to the $16,679,610 in expenditures. So that is our operating budget. On the next page, you see the capital project budget, which is outside of the operating budget. And we are proposing that we'll have a budget of $1,008,825 for capital projects for fiscal year '18-'19.
[00:46:15.23] That money comes from the leftover money projected for this year, of $508,825. We have right now a balance of $886,825 in the capital fund project. And with your resolution tonight, we're going to spend the $378,000 for the bookable meeting room. So that's where that balance comes from. And then we're estimating to move over surplus funds from this year of $500,000 into the capital fund project for next year. Any questions for me?
[00:46:52.87] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Looked like Ed, was about to say something.
[00:46:53.55] BILL COOPER: Yes, sir.
[00:46:54.71] ED SUROVELL: Got a whole bunch. Let's see if I can remember a few of them.
[00:46:58.73] BILL COOPER: OK.
[00:47:01.47] ED SUROVELL: Ann Arbor Visitors and Convention Bureau.
[00:47:03.93] BILL COOPER: These are all things that we're members of.
[00:47:06.32] ED SUROVELL: What does that membership cost?
[00:47:08.57] BILL COOPER: I don't know off the top of my head.
[00:47:10.62] ED SUROVELL: I mean it's a tax-supported institution, and frankly, a very generously supported one. And when I ran my own business I had some questions about it, and I still do. And I would love if offline I could get some information about that.
[00:47:29.06] BILL COOPER: Yes, I can get you that information.
[00:47:29.87] JOSIE PARKER: We've been a member of the Convention Visitors Bureau for many, many years. I don't know when it started, Ed. But we can look at the fee.
[00:47:38.48] ED SUROVELL: It started when we all had dark hair.
[00:47:40.64] [LAUGHTER]
[00:47:41.42] But it was generously supported by taxes extorted from our visitors, and I have always had a question about why it had to be supported by private industry and by tax-supported institutions. Its revenues come from the state, collecting tax on motel and hotel stays.
[00:48:12.60] JOSIE PARKER: OK. We can look at--
[00:48:14.07] ED SUROVELL: I just, I'm interested.
[00:48:16.12] BILL COOPER: Sure.
[00:48:16.75] ED SUROVELL: Second of all, the money from-- excuse me?
[00:48:21.12] ELI NEIBURGER: Looks like it's $100 a year.
[00:48:25.06] ED SUROVELL: You know what? If that's what it really is, I could care less. But my feelings are the same about it. The next question is, the money we receive from the Friends goes into the general budget?
[00:48:42.78] BILL COOPER: Yes. It's part of our operating budget.
[00:48:44.87] ED SUROVELL: OK. To be frank, I have raised this question in the past-- not in the public, but in private-- that that money, which is special money, is not tax-generated. It has a special ability to spend on whatever we want. In my own opinion, ought not to go into the general budget, but ought to be kept aside for things that we cannot spend tax dollars on.
[00:49:12.24] JOSIE PARKER: We use that money to buy the prizes that people earn in the Summer Game. We actually consider those prizes-- most of the prizes that the library buys with the Friends' money, so it's not bought with tax money, for that very reason. So it's been purposefully used that way, for the reason you state. Although, it shows up in the operation general budget.
[00:49:38.53] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Didn't we occasionally pay bus fare for our second graders?
[00:49:43.21] JOSIE PARKER: Second grade round up, right.
[00:49:48.47] ED SUROVELL: Just off the top of my head-- and this can be dealt with outside of the meeting, too-- it seems to me that the Summer Games, which are a unique institution, and have a unique population, can receive private support if we try to do so.
[00:50:10.52] And we don't have a lot of opportunities that are easy to ask the public-- that is to say, private industry-- to support it. It's a wonderful thing to sponsor, and we might get some benefit in building friends and practicing our own [INAUDIBLE] skills and looking at it. And I think that ought to be dealt with outside of this meeting as well.
[00:50:37.84] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Can I address that? Because I agree with you, and I chose to make a gift to the Friends thinking that it would support Summer Games. So it's that dynamic. I think whether you direct your gift to the Friends or the library, that's something we should take on offline, and think about if we're going to message around how to give, we should think about how to do that for Summer Game, because it would be a great place to have philanthropic support. Unless there's a reason not to.
[00:51:09.65] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Just to clarify, an offline discussion would involve maybe one or two of you, but not the entire board.
[00:51:17.12] COLLEEN SHERMAN: One or two of us, not the entire board. And someone from the Friends I would think, because I would like to hear their perspective. And then Josie should be there.
[00:51:27.05] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: They have ideas themselves about raising--
[00:51:30.50] ED SUROVELL: Well, to be frank, I would rather that the independent raising of that be considered to be directly from the library rather than from the Friends. For other reasons, again, can be discussed. It can either be discussed in the finance committee, or it could simply be discussed with staff at a different occasion.
[00:51:54.75] LINH SONG: My only hesitancy is that the prizes that go out for Summer Games are branded with our logo. Right. It's AADL and everything. And if we had corporate sponsorship, I don't know how I'd feel about logos for national companies, local companies.
[00:52:15.79] ED SUROVELL: It's done all over the place. We can talk about it elsewhere. It is quite possible to do. I mean, frankly, again, when I had a business I gave away tons of crap. Some had the company's name on it, and some we just gave money and the sponsoring organizations-- including other public libraries-- went out and do their own buying based on their own perception of need. And we didn't get branded. And I could have cared less.
[00:52:46.63] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Right. There are other ways we can acknowledge the gift without branding the item. Because if we're going to give it to your kindergartener, and it's branded with a business, that doesn't seem like it's something your library should do. That's not how we want to--
[00:53:01.00] LINH SONG: And it won't be crap either.
[00:53:03.01] ED SUROVELL: But I think we can talk about that elsewhere.
[00:53:05.18] LINH SONG: Everything about that would be bad.
[00:53:07.12] ED SUROVELL: I just think it's an issue that needs to be raised. It has much broader implications.
[00:53:14.19] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Well, you suggested the finance committee. Victoria, what we're going to say?
[00:53:19.33] VICTORIA GREEN: I just want to say, I do share your concern about branding. Although, I'm also remembering you know all the Rec & Ed sports teams my kids were on, wearing branding around on their backs as well.
[00:53:29.40] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Right.
[00:53:29.66] VICTORIA GREEN: So I just want to be clear that this wouldn't be unusual in Ann Arbor. At the same time, I agree that my preference would be it says, Library.
[00:53:37.32] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Library.
[00:53:37.96] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: So I hear in this discussion-- you see here in this updated budget there's this $100,000 figure, and there's a question on the table, like, is that all we can expect from this community? Can we look for more avenues to raise that number? How would we do that? How does it work with the Friends?
[00:53:55.93]
[00:53:56.70] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: That seems something the finance committee should talk through.
[00:53:59.33] ED SUROVELL: Bless you.
[00:54:00.01] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Yeah, we could put it on Jim?
[00:54:02.93] JIM LEIJA: Yeah, I'm happy to accept that as a further conversation.
[00:54:08.38] VICTORIA GREEN: I don't think it's really in next year's budget, though. We're not going budget--
[00:54:11.23] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: No, no.
[00:54:11.60] ED SUROVELL: Good thing to talk about in retreat.
[00:54:13.59] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: In retreats, OK.
[00:54:15.67] JIM LEIJA: I also just wonder too, because I'm not aware of any kind of in-kind partnerships that produce prizes for the Game. Are there are a few? Yeah.
[00:54:27.92] ELI NEIBURGER: There have been a few before. AATA has thrown in some items
[00:54:28.52] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Oh, yeah.
[00:54:29.61] JIM LEIJA: Yeah.
[00:54:29.88] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Oh, yeah.
[00:54:30.47] LINH SONG: Yes, yes, yes.
[00:54:31.76] ELI NEIBURGER: Typically we're looking for finding more exciting items.
[00:54:35.02] JIM LEIJA: Right.
[00:54:36.44] ELI NEIBURGER: So that's not so much of an emphasis.
[00:54:39.31] JIM LEIJA: So, part of it is, I wonder if there's more of an intermediary step to experimenting with business support through some in-kind gifts like gift cards, and that kind of thing, in order to bridge from what it is now-- being supported by the Friends-- to what it might be as a fully--
[00:55:04.03] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Intermediary.
[00:55:04.80] JIM LEIJA: Yeah. Like, corporate.
[00:55:08.08] COLLEEN SHERMAN: The team that does it knows much better than I do.
[00:55:10.98] JIM LEIJA: Yeah, exactly.
[00:55:12.21] COLLEEN SHERMAN: You could probably go ask the Leslie Science Center to give us some raptors, and then it would really be exciting.
[00:55:18.14] JIM LEIJA: Yeah.
[00:55:18.55] [LAUGHTER]
[00:55:19.64] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: So maybe one thing we should also note it's just that we're really grateful to the Friends for this $100,000 that they give us.
[00:55:25.20] ALL: Yes. Yes.
[00:55:26.55] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Yes, Ed?
[00:55:27.25] ED SUROVELL: I just want to clearly distinguish before the gratefulness for the Friends, which is very real. I'm just suggesting that what we do with the money ought to be seriously considered, because it has a different nature than all of the other money that we have. And that we have never discussed that in the 22 years I've been here. And there's always been a presumption that A goes to B, and that's the end of it.
[00:55:59.61] And that even here we raise the question, oh, we don't want branding or logos, when, frankly, it's done all over the world. In the public spirit of amateur games-- Michigan Stadium, and every other athletic competition in North America is that way. And although I don't want to be that way, I think there are, as you suggested, lots of intermediate steps-- maybe Jim did-- intermediate steps between saying, Adidas and Nike, and having the participation of the community in what we do, in a very public way that may lead to greater participation.
[00:56:46.43] And that will at some point begin to open up greater possibilities for funding for the library. We talked about some of the seating elsewhere, and I just think that it's worth looking at. It may go nowhere, but if you don't talk about it, it won't go anywhere.
[00:57:07.98] And I think that we have a little bit, as a library, of a prejudice against for-profit businesses. I do not share that prejudice. And I think that, at least, I would like to discuss later. It's not on the agenda now, but it is worth talking about. And as I said before, further, I say it now.
[00:57:38.03] JIM LEIJA: Frankly, if there are local businesses and corporations that want to contribute to the library, I'd be more than happy to accept those monies. So I think we're on the same page. And I do like-- I mean, the point is well taken I think, in the ways in which the Summer Game is a community engagement effort. That there could be some strategy that the staff might want to think about, since we're talking about it, and it has become one of the great ways in which the library becomes an ambassador in the community. And there's so much of that already built in.
[00:58:16.76] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Right, do hear that from my colleagues. I don't mean to cut you off.
[00:58:20.41] JIM LEIJA: Yeah, no. I'm just affirming what Ed said. The other question I have, just bringing us back to the budget, is I'm curious to know Ed, is, so there's this question aside of fundraising for this particular objective. But let's say this $100,000 need is filled by someone else, where would you see the funds of the Friends better allocated?
[00:58:49.76] ED SUROVELL: Well, I haven't given the slightest thought to it. But what I know is that at the moment I do know where they're allocated. They might be allocated to staff travel and education. They might be allocated to things that we would like to do with tax money, but we don't have the tax money to do it. They may simply expand our budget. But as long as it's focused on this one thing, then the budget isn't going to expand any place else.
[00:59:27.20] In theory, there may be a year when the Friends have a lot more money than $100,000, and want to give it to us. And simply I'm asking us to consider how that unique money is spent. I do not have an agenda. I don't know what I might spend it for. But I can think of loads of things.
[00:59:56.67] Let's take a look, for example, at the publishing program we have. I don't know what's the budget line for that is. And as you know I've kind of groused about it otherwise. But nevertheless, if things like that are valuable service to the public, great. We might be able to buy hundreds of more telescopes, microscopes, sewing machines, and all of the other things we rent out by the day, week, or month. Those are expensive-- and to some extent limited. And to some extent, they come out of budgets.
[01:00:31.85] Our budget is, in fact, a zero-sum game. And what we buy with a microscope, does not get purchased for something else that we may need, or we may need very much in the future. But if you don't talk about it, and you don't allow library staff-- that lady over there, raise your hand, that's you-- to say there are other things we might be doing, but I don't even bring them to you, because we spent all our money already.
[01:00:58.81] JIM LEIJA: Well, I ask that question quite frequently in the budget and finance committee, about what it is that we can't do, or you want to do, that you don't see. And my colleagues on that committee will know. And I just want to reassure you that we're doing that. Because I do want the staff to feel empowered to think in big and visionary ways, as they're so prone to doing anyway without our encouragement.
[01:01:22.43] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Yes.
[01:01:22.82] JIM LEIJA: But to really find that extra financial leverage that we might need to do something truly extraordinary. So I don't doubt that that's already happening.
[01:01:35.28] COLLEEN SHERMAN: So acknowledging Ed's point. It's a good point. And it's a point we can all take. At the end of the day, yes, we still need a zero budget. We can't just roll that money over. We can't roll that money over for the next big creative thing. We can't accumulate it. So OK so say we find--
[01:01:51.02] JOSIE PARKER: Yes, you can. Yes you can.
[01:01:52.64] JIM LEIJA: That's what we're doing with our capital.
[01:01:54.16] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Right. That's what we're doing with our capital. But it has to be for capital, right?
[01:01:57.98] JOSIE PARKER: It would rollover into the fund balance.
[01:01:59.67] JIM LEIJA: It would roll over to the fund balance. So that's why we ask this question.
[01:02:04.70] COLLEEN SHERMAN: So maybe it's the big dream, right?
[01:02:06.83] JIM LEIJA: Yeah.
[01:02:08.38] COLLEEN SHERMAN: So if we say replace-- if we take on campaigning and ask people to give for Summer Game-- which seems like an easy yes. To me, like, that's raising money for kittens, right? Like, how cool is this program? Like, yeah I'll give you five grand for that. Not me. I didn't say that.
[01:02:25.46] [LAUGHTER]
[01:02:26.86] But if we can replace that, that's a really great point. And we can roll over the 100K from year the year. Before we know it, five years, we have half a million dollars, and then we can do something that-- send the second graders to a different library in New York, or I don't know.
[01:02:42.34] LINH SONG: Could we buy a boiler?
[01:02:43.70] VICTORIA GREEN: Repaired boiler.
[01:02:44.21] JIM LEIJA: That's what we're doing. And I think that's a good point, as it relates to the budget, is that right now, the anticipated overages, in terms of tax collection-- I can't speak anymore-- tax collections, are going to mostly primarily to the maintenance of this building very specifically. So when we don't have a six-figure boiler repair, I don't have to anticipate a six-figure boiler repair. There are many other things that we could be doing.
[01:03:17.36] And it is our choice. Right now, we're investing a lot in the capital fund, because we are anticipating the need for maintenance in this building. And, of course, in the rest of the system, but this building in particular. Yes, Ed.
[01:03:32.41] ED SUROVELL: But with a responsibility to the public. You can only do that as long as you get re-elected? You could only do that as long as there are 75 angry people out there saying, why are you levying us at the maximum of our budget, of your millage? You can only roll over money, and you can only build funds and continue to tax at the level you tax. As long as the public allows you to do it.
[01:04:08.04] LINH SONG: We? Right? You're talking about us?
[01:04:11.40] JOSIE PARKER: Right.
[01:04:11.79] ED SUROVELL: Yes. We. Right here. One can only do that, as a public body, to a certain extent. And that extent is public approval. And because the little amount I'm talking about isn't subject to that. It is possible to review its use.
[01:04:35.08] JOSIE PARKER: The only comment I want to make about it, and I agree that it's use should be reviewed, is the Friends themselves have an interest in the money they donate to the library-- how it's used.
[01:04:49.30] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: That's what I was going to say.
[01:04:50.65] JOSIE PARKER: And the Friends of the Library have for many, many years requested their funds be used to support the programming for children and teens in the library. And that's what's happened with it. Their name is on the publicity around that Summer Game. It is in the books that are given away to children who read for a book.
[01:05:13.33] So I wanted to just say, that while, yes, it can be used for other things. And yes, it is not tax money, so we have the ability to use it in ways that we do not tax money, there's a vested interest from the Friends about what happens with that money. And they use the fact that their money supports the programming for youth and children and literacy too in their membership drive.
[01:05:42.79] JIM LEIJA: Yes.
[01:05:43.30] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Yes.
[01:05:43.45] JOSIE PARKER: And they have several hundred members.
[01:05:45.95] JIM LEIJA: So they leverage this designation as a way to raise funds?
[01:05:48.82] JOSIE PARKER: They do. So a discussion about that has to take that into consideration.
[01:05:54.33] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: And they work hard to come up with that $100,000.
[01:05:56.97] ED SUROVELL: I understand all of that. But if we look at that, we also-- I sit on another foundation board-- the Library of Michigan foundation board-- where a well-intentioned and very energetic person and foundation had a lot of money behind it, turned the State of Michigan Library into the 10th largest genealogical library in America, all with public money. And frankly, consuming-- our agreement was, you pay for the staff and the books, and we'll pay for the space.
[01:06:37.21] But those spaces are also a zero-sum game. And then the roof falls in on the budget, and the governor says get those damn books out of here. And that's the end of it. It ended one day in the middle of the winter, it was gone. You cannot put yourself in a position where outside forces-- no matter how well intentioned-- drive your programming to the detriment of other possibilities of the future.
[01:07:12.37] Now, I have to be very careful. I am not calling the Summer Games detrimental to anything. I think they're fabulous. They're absolutely wonderful. They are unique. And they can have the Friends of the Library stamp on them forever and ever. However, they don't have to use all their money to support it. We can use some other money to support it, or we can go to them and say we have other opportunities which we can use your money, but we cannot use our own money. And we would like you to consider those.
[01:07:49.34] We have to have-- to use an awful phrase-- a dog in the fight as well. We have to think what are we doing?
[01:08:03.01] VICTORIA GREEN: Ed, I do hear what you're saying about that. And I know we all think that the Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library are an active and engaged collaborator with us. We're not passively accepting from them, but we work with them. But I think I'd be a little more focused on what you're saying if I was hearing unmet need.
[01:08:24.16] JIM LEIJA: Yeah.
[01:08:25.37] VICTORIA GREEN: Because I hear you in theory. In theory, I think, yes. We want to put our funds to the best use. And if we have more flexible funds, we certainly want to think about that in working with a partner. But I'm not hearing an unmet need that we think, if only we had that kind of funding we could do. But it's important to remember that we have that option, we do have more flexibility with the Friends' funds, once we receive them, at the same time that we want to maintain a good working relationship with the Friends. Because their goals are the same.
[01:08:49.70] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Well, I would say the big elephant in the room-- unmet need-- is that we're at capacity or beyond capacity for this building.
[01:08:57.95] JIM LEIJA: That's right. So I think well, there are not unmet needs in the immediate future in terms of programming-- and its nice to see increases for programming in this budget-- the building just can't support that much more programming.
[01:09:09.32] VICTORIA GREEN: Right.
[01:09:10.73] ED SUROVELL: Well, but we have other branches that can.
[01:09:14.33] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: But probably not at quite the level that we need to accomplish things.
[01:09:17.99] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Yeah.
[01:09:19.07] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: So there's something actually I wanted to mention in this budget, and its nice to see this 3% increase continued again for staff. We were talking a lot about buying stuff. We were not talking that much about paying people. And I think it's really nice to see a continued commitment at that level with the merit pool.
[01:09:36.72] VICTORIA GREEN: Can I ask a question? In my years on the board, we haven't done a market comparison for staff salaries. Do we do that as part of a regular cycle?
[01:09:44.49] [INTERPOSING VOICES]
[01:09:45.52] JIM LEIJA: Right before you came.
[01:09:46.37] VICTORIA GREEN: We do it every several years?
[01:09:47.58] JOSIE PARKER: Every third year.
[01:09:48.05] JIM LEIJA: Every third year.
[01:09:48.62] VICTORIA GREEN: So it's due next year?
[01:09:49.87] JIM LEIJA: Mm-hmm.
[01:09:53.17] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Any other comments on the budget?
[01:09:55.00] VICTORIA GREEN: I have two super small ones. Well, one small one. I think it was you, Ed, who earlier talking about sewing machines and telescopes, said the word "rent." So, I want to be clear. We don't rent things?
[01:10:05.91] [INTERPOSING VOICES]
[01:10:06.31] We check out.
[01:10:07.37] ED SUROVELL: Check out.
[01:10:08.76] VICTORIA GREEN: We don't rent things to the public. Although some of us get fees sometimes, and we, of course, are happy to pay them. My second question though, is a little-- can you walk me through, Len, on what operating capital outlays are?
[01:10:22.60] BILL COOPER: OK.
[01:10:23.20] VICTORIA GREEN: What those funds are for, and why they've increased in the next budget cycle?
[01:10:26.14] BILL COOPER: Right. So the operating capital outlays, some of those projects that would fall under that would be replacing the carpet on the first and second floor, here at the Downtown Library. A/V upgrades here at the Downtown Library. Replace worn furniture at all the locations. Roof repairs would fall under that.
[01:10:49.49] VICTORIA GREEN: And what's the dividing line between-- some of things you said, I would have expected, perhaps, to be in capital projects funds. What's the dividing line between the two?
[01:10:57.55] BILL COOPER: Yeah, that's where most of the things that were outlined in the reserve advisors survey-- those projects would follow under the capital project fund.
[01:11:08.54] VICTORIA GREEN: Is there a dollar figure that triggers them to being in projects?
[01:11:10.69] BILL COOPER: It think the first year they estimated-- what was it? Is Len still here? $730,000 for the first year if we did all of the things they recommended.
[01:11:20.25] JOSIE PARKER: It isn't it isn't dollar amount so much as it is routine maintenance.
[01:11:24.36] JIM LEIJA: Yeah, and the things you expect to have to do, and something that happens that's big, that you only do once in 30 years or 40 years.
[01:11:35.08] VICTORIA GREEN: So our operating capital outlays, we expect to be able to predict with a high degree of accuracy in projects--
[01:11:40.08] JOSIE PARKER: Correct. We were committed to replacing a certain amount of carpet every year. Replacing a certain furniture every year, or whatever is needed. That sort of thing.
[01:11:49.16] JIM LEIJA: And I don't think we've looked at that schedule for a while.
[01:11:52.82] JOSIE PARKER: For a while.
[01:11:53.90] JIM LEIJA: But you have.
[01:11:55.21] JOSIE PARKER: Yeah, we have. But we can share it with you again.
[01:11:57.25] JIM LEIJA: I don't remember if we looked at it since you've been on the committee. But, yeah.
[01:12:02.52] VICTORIA GREEN: Len did one a year or so ago.
[01:12:04.29] [INTERPOSING VOICES]
[01:12:05.54] A multi-year one.
[01:12:06.90] JOSIE PARKER: Yeah. Right.
[01:12:08.04] VICTORIA GREEN: I'm OK with it. Thank you, Bill.
[01:12:09.88] BILL: Mn-hmm.
[01:12:14.52] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: All right.
[01:12:15.72] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: You did it.
[01:12:16.80] [LAUGHTER]
[01:12:17.74] [INAUDIBLE]
[01:12:18.69] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: So this is just a discussion. We vote on the final budget in May.
[01:12:23.01] JIM LEIJA: Mm-hmm.
[01:12:24.45] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Thank you.
[01:12:25.41] BILL: All right. Thank you.

[01:12:29.09] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: All right. Next up is a vote for a closed session at our next meeting-- the May 21 meeting. And it's a roll call vote.

[01:12:37.02] JIM LEIJA: I would move for a closed session at the May 21st, 2018 regular board meeting for discussion of real estate, labor negotiations, and director's evaluation.

[01:12:45.06] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: No move. Second, I mean.

[01:12:47.35] JIM LEIJA: Thank you, Jan.

[01:12:52.51] KAREN WILSON: Victoria Green?

[01:12:55.51] VICTORIA GREEN: Oh, I'm sorry.

[01:12:57.00] JOSIE PARKER: Yeah, roll call.

[01:12:58.17] VICTORIA GREEN: I'm voting on closed session.

[01:13:00.32] [LAUGHTER]

[01:13:01.28] So that's just being recorded. Aye.

[01:13:02.97] [LAUGHTER]

[01:13:05.28] KAREN WILSON: Jim Leija?

[01:13:05.99] JIM LEIJA: Yes.

[01:13:06.87] KAREN WILSON: Jan Barney Newman?

[01:13:07.87] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Yes.

[01:13:08.37] KAREN WILSON: Colleen Sherman?

[01:13:09.37] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Yes.

[01:13:09.87] KAREN WILSON: Linh Song?

[01:13:10.87] LINH SONG: Yes.

[01:13:11.37] KAREN WILSON: Ed Surovell?

[01:13:12.29] ED SUROVELL: Yes.

[01:13:12.74] KAREN WILSON: Jamie Vander Broek.

[01:13:13.66] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Yes. All right. Victoria, I'm so glad not to be the only one who--

[01:13:20.83] [LAUGHTER]

[01:13:22.06] [INTERPOSING VOICES]

[01:13:24.42] Are there other citizen comments?
[01:13:26.00] JOSIE PARKER: I figured.
[01:13:27.47] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Oh great. Great. Finally, someone takes me up on staying through the whole thing and then talking.
[01:13:33.67] LINH SONG: Yeah.
[01:13:34.15] JIM LEIJA: Mm-hmm.
[01:13:36.57] DAVE: Yes, Dave [INAUDIBLE]. The conversation about what to do with the Friends' money and how to handle it kind of resonated me in one way. And that is, that one of your strategic goals is to explore alternative sources of funding. And to me, when you start talking about what we're going to do with the Friends' money, that should be part of a larger discussion of, are we going to do some alternative funding? What's it going to look like? Are we going to have a different foundation? Look for corporate partnerships? Et cetera, et cetera.
[01:14:08.34] So I hope, as you move forward in this next year, you maybe might need to budget a little money so you can spend some time looking at what needs to be done in that area. Because certainly, if you go to the voters and ask for a special millage at some point, or whatever it is, no doubt one of the questions is going to be--
[01:14:30.05] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: What's it for?
[01:14:30.80] DAVE: -- what are you doing to raise money beyond asking us, the taxpayers. That's my comment for the evening. Thank you.
[01:14:37.55] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Thank you. Oh, it's too bad Chandani's not still here from CivCity, because knowing the strategic plan numbering of the organization that you're making a public comment on, that's like A+ civic engagement.
[01:14:49.83] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Yes.
[01:14:50.39] LINH SONG: Yes.
[01:14:51.94] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: Anyone else?
[01:14:54.33] JIM LEIJA: I just do feel moved to comment, which is to say that that conversation that we have reported on here, in this meeting, has been happening in the budget and finance committee, regarding questions about foundations and the feasibility of that the question for us, in relationship to how we are thinking about philanthropic support, corporate support, for the library system.
[01:15:21.06] COLLEEN SHERMAN: It's a complex question.
[01:15:22.23] JIM LEIJA: And it's a complex question.
[01:15:23.34] JAN BARNEY NEWMAN: Jim didn't you report in an earlier meeting-- your committee reported-- that you decided that it wasn't the right time for a foundation?
[01:15:31.53] JIM LEIJA: At this time, yes. Given the little bit of consulting that we've done in the community. And Colleen, do you want to comment to that?
[01:15:38.99] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Yeah, I want to say something about the complexity of the question, which is we can't lose transparency within that complexity.
[01:15:46.38] JIM LEIJA: That's right.
[01:15:46.77] COLLEEN SHERMAN: So I think we should, at some point, think about how we publicly present that conversation-- what we know about foundations, what we've looked at, how we thought about it-- within the finance committee so far.
[01:16:01.23] JIM LEIJA: I think that's a great idea.
[01:16:03.57] COLLEEN SHERMAN: And if you, or I, or Victoria present on that, we can do some homework, and make sure that we have a report that's full, that tells the whole story. And also asks the questions we still need to answer.
[01:16:18.60] JIM LEIJA: Right. I think as our resident philanthropic development specialist on the board, that would be a great conversation for you to lead.
[01:16:27.18] COLLEEN SHERMAN: Thank you. I'd be happy to do it.
[01:16:29.17] VICTORIA GREEN: I agree.
[01:16:29.83] JIM LEIJA: You're very knowledgeable.
[01:16:30.51] COLLEEN SHERMAN: I can say fundraising is harder than you often think it will be. And what's hard about fundraising is keeping track of who gave you what, what it's for, and then how to make sure that that money gets to where the donor intended it to be. You can ask donors to give to the thing that you want to do, but it doesn't mean they're going to do it.
[01:16:53.34] At the end of the day, they can tell you what they want to do. And you can either use their money, or not use their money. If we campaign for something like Summer Game. That's more of a community annual giving campaign. That's a different animal. But that still takes operational work-- a lot of operational work.
[01:17:11.83] JIM LEIJA: Thanks.
[01:17:12.97] JAMIE VANDER BROEK: OK. Thanks everyone. I think that brings us to the end of our agenda. So we're adjourned.

Media

April 16, 2018 at Downtown Library

Copyright: Creative Commons (Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share-alike)

Rights Held by: Ann Arbor District Library

Downloads

Video - 1.2 GB

Subjects
AADL Board Meeting