03/21/1980
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LIBRARY BOARD
MINUTES
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CLEARWATER PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD
MINUTES OF THE ~mETING
21 MARCH 1980
Mayor I sCan fe roncc Room
9:30 AM ~ 10:20 AM
PRESENT:
ABsnNT:
Mr. Homer Royer, Chairman
Mr. Curtis G. Barre
Mrs. Herbert E. (Helen) Diller
Ms. Candace Gardner, Vice-Chairman
Mrs. Arta Gates
Mr. George E. Harris
Mr. Fred Korosy
Mrs. Ann Wickersham
~~s. Lucile Williams
Mrs. Nancy Zussy, Library Director
Mrs. Ar1yn Hutt
Mr. Walter ^. Krick (excused)
GUESTS:
Mr. Jeff Butler, Assistant City Manager
'for Finance
Mr. Charles Finton, interested citizen
The meeting was called to order at 9:30 AM. The purpose of this Board
meeting was to present questions to t-1r. Jeff Butler, Assis tant Ci ty Manager
for Finance, regarding alternative means of financing branch facilities and
specific inquiries on bond financing. Mrs. Zussy reviewed the Capital
Improvement budget, which currently calls for a general obligation bond issue
in FY 1980-81 for a Starcrest (now Drew Street) branch facility, and a general
obligation bond issue in foY 1983-84 for both a Countryside branch facility and
a computerized circulation system to tic in all facilities.
Mr. Butler discussed the following points:
1. The spacing of the two issues two years apart wos the result of
strong Commission feeling that the community might more readily
accept bond referendum questions on a smaller scale.
2. He feels the timing of the bond issue5 during the fiscal year is
generally not a critical factor; however, summer is usually a
convenient time and one during which the City is preparing its
financial planning for the next five years and therefore has access
to the most current information about resources available for
immediate and future needs.
3. Legal requirements necessitate a referendum if long term borrowing
for a project is in excess of $1,000,000, unless the project is one
deemed essential to pub lic health or safety or for industrial
development.
4. Based on a $1,000,000 project, and a $30,000 assessed valuation for
a home, the taxes on such a unit \'lould approximate ly add $ 3.00 per
year to the tax bill for revenue bonds. 1hese bonds would cost
approximately 1/4 of 1% (in interest rates) more than general
obligation bonds.
Mr. Barre asked Mr. Butler if the City could assume the cost on its own
without raising taxes. Mr. Butler explained that it could--to a certain extent--
because additional borrowing capacity exists in the existing tax rates due to
paying off some of the 1970 and 1977 bonds.
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CLEAR\qATER PUBLIC' LIBRARY BOARD
~linutcs of the' Meeting March 21, 1980
Page 2
TIlere was general discussion about the need to place both branch libraries
together on a bond referendum in order to acquire a greater number of positive
votes from each area. Mr. Royer asked if a bond issue could be voted on in
advance, for example, a $3,000,000 bond issue for two branch libraries--
1.5 mil to be issued in FY 1980-81 for Starcrest (now Drew Street), and 1.5 mil
to be issued in FY 1983-84 for Countryside. Mr. Butler said this can be done.
He also noted that the City can choose not to sell the bonds even after the
bond issue is voted on.
~fr. Barre asked if other means were available, such as state or federal
funds for branch library construction. Mrs. Zussy reported that her investigations
have discovered that no state funds are available, and we would not qualify for
federal library construction funds because ours is not a county-wide library
system.
Mr. Royer reviewed the points discussed. Mrs. Diller stated that the use
of revenue bonds would be a built-in limitation. She feels the use of revenue
bonds would be n subterfuge.
Mr. Royer asked Mr. Finton for his opinion on the matter. Mr. Finton
feels the City should wait for more favorable conditions in the economy before
bringing up the issue of a bond referendum. He noted that if a bond issue were
turned down now, then citizens' attitudes would have to be reversed in order
to try to pass the issue Inter. ~tr. Finton was concerned about the use of revenue
bonds for the branch libraries, since the library does not generate its own
revenuc, therefore the money would have to be taken from another area, such as
utilities tax. He suggests keeping a positive attitude in the citizens and
wait on this issue until n future time.
Mr. Butler and Mrs. Zussy ro-emphasized the importance of considering
the operating costs for the branch libraries. They noted that the actual
building costs are the smallest part of the overall costs, and that the
operating costs might cnus~ n 10-1590 increase in the tax rate (which the State
Legislature would probably prohibit the City from doing.)
Mr. Butler agreed with Mr. Pinton that the economic situation is not
favorable at this time for this issue and perhaps we should waft until a more
favorable time. Mr. Royer thanked Mr. Butler for his comments and answers
to the Board's concerns. At this time Mr. Butler left the meeting.
Mrs. Diller expressed her view that the Friends of the Library's petition
drive was "downtown oriented" and "n push for the downtown library.lI
Mrs. Wickersham said the petitions could be checked, but that she felt at the
time that the drive was city-wide and had city-wide support for the total
library system.
Mr. Royer reported that the City Commission named the new addition at the
Main Library the Adler Wing (Adler Addition) of the Clearwater Public Library
at the Commission meeting of Mnrch 20, 19RO.
The meeting was adjourned nt 10:20 AM.
31 t--tarch 1980
Susan Doel, Secretary
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Proposed Branch Facilities - City of Clearwater
In an attempt to answer your questions concerning the nature and size of
the service package recommended for the two proposed branch libraries in the
City of Clearwater, I have researched relevant demographic data and professional
standaTds and have found the following:
Current zoning regulations and the best projections from both city and
regional planning authorities project the built-out population of the service
area proposed for the Starcrest branch to be approximately 48,000; that for
CountTyside should be about 25,000.
Given the above, the American Library Association's (ALA) mlnlmum standards
recommend that we build service facilities with the following specifications:
Starcrest Countryside
Service
Population 48,000 25,000
Agg~egate
Space (s~. ft.) 20JOOO 14,000
Seats 144 75
Books 73,000 - 50,000 -
120,000 68,153
No. Staff 24 (8 pro 14 (4-5 pro
16 parapro) 9-10 parapro)
Both'of these facilities measure at least as large as the public area now
occupied at the Main Library. In each branch we plan to offer children's
services, young adult services, adult casual reading, adult serious reading
and study, and reference services.
General reference sources (those used most often for basic services) and
major indexing services should be duplicated at both branches. Back issues of
magazines will probably be purchased for a number of years on microfiche.
Films) genealogical services, out of town telephone directories, and other
specialized and very expensive sources will probably not be duplicated. In the
case of the Starcrest branch, we plan to buy some things cooperatively with the
Clearwater branch of the St. Petersburg Junior College.
As to methods of construction, it is essentially not possible to determine
with any degree of accuracy exactly how much a building would cost under any
option without the official estimate of a contractor. Such exact estimates are
usually not forthcoming short of a formal contract or bidding process. Current
figures for conventional construction, however, as set forth in the December 1,
1979) issue of Library Journal, set the average nationwide cost per square foot
for the year 1978 at about $45 per square foot. In contrast, preengineered
construction averages $25 per square foot.
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The choice of a construction method might best be addressed by a Commission-
,mandated study, conducted by n cross-departmental staff committee, as the times
for the proposed bond, elections near.
The foregoing briefly outlines what staff can recommend in the way of library
services and facilities for the two proposed branches'. Your imput as citizens is
a necessary part of the planning effort. It would also be proper for the Library
Board, if'it so cho~ses, to communicate its feelings to the City Commission in the
form of a formal recommendation as to the types of services you would like to see
in each facility. I will be pleased to offer to assist you by providing any tech-
nical data or other forms of help that I can.
t.
January, 1980
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