08/01/2019 Library Board Meeting Minutes August 1, 2019
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
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Meeting Minutes
Thursday, August 1, 2019
10:15 AM
Main Library - Council Chambers
Library Board
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City of Clearwater
Library Board Meeting Minutes August 1, 2019
Roll Call
Present 6 - Chair David Loyd, Vice Chair Barbara Blakely, Board Member Donna
Dennis, Board Member Elizabeth Folk, Board Member Rosemarie
Kibitlewski, and Board Member Kelly McLeay
Absent 1 - Board Member Barbara Ann Murphey
Also Present - Jennifer L. Obermaier— Library Director, Patricia O. Sullivan — Board
Reporter
1. Call To Order
The Chair called the meeting to order at 10:15 a.m. at the Main Library.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily
discussed in that order.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approval of May 2, 2019 Library Board Minutes
Member Blakely moved to approve the minutes of the May 2, 2019
Library Board meeting as submitted in written summation. The
motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda: None.
4. New Business Items
4.1 Discuss Library Closures
Library Director Jennifer Obermaier said some Coachman Park concerts
disrupt Main Library parking. The Main Library will close: 1) October 13,
2019 - Maxima Hispanic Heritage Concert, 2) October 17, 2019 at 2:00
p.m. - Jazz Festival, and 3) October 19, 2019— Jazz Festival. On October
14, 2019 all branches will close for staff development.
4.2 Discuss Pinellas Public Library Cooperative (PPLC) Countywide Development Day
Ms. Obermaier said the PPLC (Pinellas Public Library Cooperative) will
host a countywide staff development day on October 14, 2019. Library staff
will attend in place of the Library's annual inhouse training.
5. Director's Report
5.1 Update Summer Reading Program
Ms. Obermaier said the Summer Reading Program was wrapping up next
week. Staff said it was hugely successful, the Library received stellar
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City of Clearwater
Library Board Meeting Minutes August 1, 2019
customer comments. Children, teens, and families enjoyed the space
themed program which included crafts and provided opportunities to view
the sun and moon through a telescope. For the 3rd year, the Summer
Break Spot, funded by JWB (Juvenile Welfare Board), fed lunch and an
afternoon snack to children 17 and under, between 25 and 30 families
participated each day. She thanked the JWB and hoped the program would
continue next year.
Ms. Obermaier and staff were thanked for their efforts and commended
for the program and for feeding children in need.
5.2 Update Library Program
Ms. Obermaier said staff was expanding Maker Studio programs with new
hardware that allowed residents to digitize family treasures and produce
reality programming. The North Greenwood Branch focused on providing
book club programs for children. A Maker Space program opening at
North Greenwood will allow residents to digitize world history recordings.
5.3 Update Library Foundation
Ms. Obermaier said the Library Foundation funded and coordinated a
party for Library volunteers. The Library needed and appreciated the
volunteers. The foundation did not meet during summer, its next meeting
is next week.
5.4 Update Friends of the Clearwater Library
Ms. Obermaier said the Friends of the Library's book sale was scheduled
for October 30— November 3, 2019 at the Main Library. Half of the books
will be displayed in Chambers and the remainder will be in the cafe area.
6. Old Business Item
6.1 Update Career Online High School
Ms. Obermaier said the State vetoed next fiscal year's $750,000
statewide funding for the Career Online High School program.
Approximately 3 or 4 people graduated from Clearwater's program and 16
were actively working on course work, the program provided 18 months
for completion. Most programs in the state had an 80% or higher
completion rate. Staff was reviewing student status in hopes of scheduling
a fall graduation ceremony.
To continue the program, she said the library would need to find
alternative funding for the $1,200 scholarships, the State library was
trying to obtain funding to offset costs.
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Library Board Meeting Minutes August 1, 2019
Concern was expressed that the program had lost State funding.
6.2 Discuss Imagine Clearwater Main Library Feasibility Study
Ms. Obermaier said in June the Imagine Clearwater Main Library
feasibility study was presented to the City Council, which overwhelmingly
supported moving forward with recommended renovations.
In response to a question from resident Kathleen Beckman, Ms.
Obermaier said proposed renovations included enclosing the roof top
terrace for banquet space, a restaurant, or occasional events to be
accessible 24/7 by a new elevator off Osceola Avenue, relocating the
front entrance and circulation desk to the building's southwest corner,
closer to Bluff Walk, converting the entrance to a gallery for art displays,
programming, or open space, and after Chambers is relocated,
expanding the meeting rooms to the outside building wall abutting Osceola
Avenue. The caf6 area will be a smaller and offer grab and go food, it will
be open to the terrace providing good synergy with Bluff Walk. A stairway
to the 3rd floor will be added at the south end of the building. Additional
10-person conference rooms and collaborative rooms were planned.
Modifications will occur. The project will modernize the library to meet
current and future needs and was estimated to cost $6.5 million.
She said renovations may begin sometime in 2020 though no timeline was
established, a Construction Manager needed to be hired via a RFP
(Request for Proposals), engineering drawings and permits also were
necessary. If construction can be done in phases, the library could
remain open throughout the renovations.
She expressed concern that removal of waterfront parking spaces for
Imagine Clearwater would impact the Main Library parking lot. The
Chambers'location in the Main Library has impacted parking availability.
While a parking study identified parking space availability in downtown,
many families with strollers and children and people with mobility challenges
did not want to walk any distance to access the library. She will work to
ensure patrons have parking.
In response to a question, she said she needed to speak with the school
re continuing the student-run caf6 program following renovations.
6.3 Update FY19/20 Budget
Ms. Obermaier said the City Council had set a status quo millage rate for
FY(Fiscal Year) 2019/20. A Special City Council Meeting in mid-August
will review the overall budget. She did not foresee any changes to the
Library's budget.
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City of Clearwater
Library Board
Meeting Minutes August 1, 2019
7. Board Members to be Heard: None.
8. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 10:40 a.m.
City of Clearwater
Chair Library Board
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