[00:00:01]
ORDER THIS MEETING[I. Call to Order]
OF THE BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY, BOARD OF TRUSTEES.TODAY'S WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH.
THIS IS ONE OF OUR REGULAR MEETINGS, AND I'D LIKE TO START WITH CALL TO ORDER.
SO I'LL JUST, I'LL READ THE NAMES OF OUR TRUSTEES AND YOU CAN CERTAINLY RESPOND BY SAYING HERE OR HELLO OR HI OR WHATEVER.
I'M ANNA MARIE, A TABERNACLE AND CHAIR.
UH, JANET COURT RESTRICT DATE.
UH, TRACY WILL BE ABSENTEE LAURA STURKEY DISTRICT NINE.
NO, TOM HAS JUST JOINED US DISTRICT TWO.
AND JAMES MORRELL, DISTRICT FIVE.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, AMANDA DICKMAN.
DID HE LOG IN? HE'S WORKING ON AN ISSUE, A BLOCK, THE BRANCH.
AFTER WE HAVE RAY MCBRIDE, OUR LIBRARY SERVICES DIRECTORS ON HERE.
WE HAVE ELLIS HOWARD REPRESENTATIVE FROM BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR.
AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF GUESTS THAT RAY WILL INTRODUCE AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
SO, UM, LET ME BEGIN BY PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
IF WE WOULD ALL SAY THAT, PLEASE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE HEIGHTENED STATES OF AMERICA.
ONE DAY UNDERGRADS WERE DELIVERED TO YOU.
UM, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RE DID YOU OKAY.
[V. Approval of Minutes]
TO MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OUR JUNE 10TH MEETING.EVERYBODY RECEIVED THEM ELECTRONICALLY.
SO I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND, PLEASE DO CELL MODE.
UM, AND I WANNA JUST SAY, UM, EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THE END OF THE MEETING, AND THEN WE WILL COME OUT BACK TO THE PUBLIC AFTER THAT'S OVER CORRESPONDING
[VI. Corresponding/Membership]
AND MEMBERSHIP.I WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT HERE AND SOME OF YOU TOO, WE PROVIDED OUR STAFF WITH THE PIZZA PARTY LUNCH, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF EMAILS, STAKING GUYS, AND A COUPLE, YOU CAN'T SWIM.
YOU CAN WALK, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF THE BRANCHES AND THANK YOU SO MUCH AND EVERYBODY SIGNED HIM.
SO IT WAS A GREAT THING TO DO.
AND, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, SAYING HELEN A BRAND SAID, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE HEARTFELT APPRECIATION FOR OUR TEAM.
IT WARMED, IT WARMED OUR HEARTS TO BE APPRECIATED DURING THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES, MAY YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES REMAIN SAFE AND MAY WE ALWAYS SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN SPIRIT IN LA? SO IT WAS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
AND I THANK ALL THE TRUSTEES FOR SUPPORTING THAT.
RAY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE IN CORRESPONDING OR POPPING UP CORRESPONDENCE? ALL RIGHT.
SO I'M GOING TO MOVE TO, UM, THE LIBRARY DIRECTORS
[VII. Library Director’s Report]
REPORT AND TURN IT OVER TO RAY.WE CURRENTLY HAVE QUILT VACANCIES.
I SENT OUT TO THE UPDATED ORGANIZATION CHART THIS MORNING AND WE HAVE FIVE OF THOSE 12 VACANCIES ARE ADVERTISED AND WE'RE ACTIVELY HIRING FOR THOSE, UH, IN ORDER OF PRIORITY NEED.
UM, WE HAVE UNDER PROJECTS, UH, UPDATE, UH, THE BLUFFTON RENOVATION.
YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A MUCH MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT, UH, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF THIS MEETING, BUT JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, UH, THAT, UH, UH, AS FAR AS THE BLUFFTON RENOVATION PROJECT GOES, UH, LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVED IT OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT.
UM, THE, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE HAS APPROVED, UH, UH, UM, UH, ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING STUDY.
UH, THAT WILL BE THE CONCLUSION THAT'S THE, THAT THE ARCHITECTS WILL DISCUSS TONIGHT.
UH, ONCE THAT'S FINISHED, THEY WILL PUT THEIR FINDINGS IN A BID PACKET FORMAT IN THE COUNTY BUBER COUNTIES, BID PACKET FORMAT.
[00:05:01]
THE DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING WILL PUT THE PROJECT OUT TO BIDS.CONTRACTORS WILL BID ON THE PROJECT.
I, AND THEN A BID SELECTION COMMITTEE WILL BE FORMED THAT REVIEW THE BID PACKETS.
UH, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE NORMAL COUNTY CHANNELS.
UH, ONCE A BID COMMITTEE SELECTS THE WINNING BID OR THE CONTRACTOR, UH, THEN IT NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL AND MOVING TO FINANCE COMMITTEE, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND THEN BEFORE THE POOL COUNTY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL TO EXPEND THE FUNDS, UH, FOR THE PROJECT, UH, AFTER THAT'S APPROVED, THEN THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY THAT WINS THE BID WITHIN HAVE NORMALLY 30 TO 60 DAYS TO MOBILIZE, UH, AND TO START CONSTRUCTION TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
SO THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WE WILL NEED TO GO THROUGH.
UH, ONCE THE ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING STUDY IS BRIEFED AND APPROVED TONIGHT, AS FAR AS WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THAT IN MORE DETAIL AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS DURING THE ARCHITECTURAL, UH, UH, REVIEW AND PRESENTATION.
UH, ALSO, UH, AS THE LAST PART OF MY, UH, UH, REPORT, UH, LIBRARY STAFF WANTS TO RECOMMEND TO THE FULL BOARD, WE REOPEN OUR LIBRARY AND WE REOPENED OUR, UH, LIBRARIES TO THE PUBLIC FOR LIMITED SERVICES AND OUR BOOKMOBILES ALSO, UH, ON MONDAY, UH, FIVE OCTOBER.
UH, AND SO THAT'S OUR RECOMMENDATION FROM LIBRARY STAFF.
UH, AND THEN ONCE THE BOARD APPROVES IT, THEN WE'LL GO TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR HER REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE ALSO TO EXPAND THE HOURS OF OUR CURBSIDE SERVICE ON MONDAY THE 21ST OF SEPTEMBER TO EXPAND THEIR HOURS FOR CURBSIDE SERVERS, BUT EXPAND IT TO THE HOURS THAT WOULD, WE WOULD THEN BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT STAFF GETS USED TO WORKING THOSE HOURS AGAIN.
UH, AND THEN WITH APPROVAL, WE WOULD OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, THE LIMITED SERVICES, THE WAY WE WERE, UH, UH, PREVIOUSLY.
UH, SO THAT WOULD BE MONDAY FIVE OCTOBER, UH, AND I WILL NEED A, UH, A VOTE FROM THE BOARD TO DO THAT.
BEFORE YOU DO THAT, AS A REMINDER, WE WERE OPEN FOR TWO WEEKS.
WE HAVE NOW HAD, UH, 14, UH, COVID-19 TESTS OF OUR STAFF.
THERE ARE ONLY TWO WHO, UH, HAVE HAD COVID-19.
MOST OF THOSE WERE MINOR CASES.
THEY BOTH FULLY RECOVERED, BOTH WERE, UH, GOT THE VIRUS FROM BRANDS AND FAMILY AND OR FAMILY.
THERE HAS BEEN NO TRANSMISSION BETWEEN LIBRARY, STAFF AND OTHER LIBRARY STAFF, NO TRANSMISSION FROM THE PUBLIC TO LIBRARY STAFF AND NO TRANSMISSION, UH, LIBRARY STAFF TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN OPEN, UH, SAFELY, UH, AND, UH, AND EFFECTIVELY, AND WE NEED TO GET OUR STAFF BACK TO WORK.
AND SO, UH, UH, SUBJECT TO ANY QUESTIONS, UH, BEFORE THE BOARD VOTES, SO THAT RECOMMENDATION, BUT LIKE SOMEBODY CAN MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION.
PLEASE SELMA BERNIE SECONDED, ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS FOR THE DIRECTOR, PLEASE.
I SAW YOUR NOTICE TODAY THAT THE BRANCH WAS BEING CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION.
DO WE KNOW ABOUT HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSED? WE'RE WAITING ON, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW THEY, UH, LA VICO LIBRARY, UH, IS, IS ZONED.
THE POOREST OF THE BUILDING AND THE ATTACHED BUILDING IS OWNED BY THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE BUILD THE COUNTY LEASES, THE LIBRARY PORTION OF THAT BUILDING FOR $1 A YEAR, BUT THE 25 WILL NEED TO BE, TO BE REVIEWED.
AND WHEN HE FINDS A PROCESS, HE, UH, UH, THE FACILITY IS, UH, UH, IS, IS ONLY ONE, UH, THERE'S ONLY ONE METER.
AND SO WHEN THE FOLKS NEXT DOOR THAT OWNED THE OTHER PART OF THE BUILDING, UH, THEY ARE WORKING ON GETTING A MAJOR BRAND TO REPAIR THE SCHOOL OWNED PORTION OF THAT BUILDING.
THAT'S ATTACHED TO THE LIBRARY
[00:10:01]
AND TO DO THAT, THEY NEED TO GET IT INTO A CERTAIN DECENT SHAPE, THE ROOF LEAKS, ET CETERA.SO NOT THINKING THAT THE LIBRARY IS PART OF THE SAME WATER SYSTEM, THEY SHUT EVERYTHING OFF TO DO, TO DO THE REPAIRS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THEN WE FIND OUT ABOUT, SO WE HAD TO TRACK EVERYBODY DOWN.
AND SO, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOW TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH THE PEOPLE, DOING THE REPAIRS TO LET US KNOW HOW LONG THAT'S GOING TO TAKE.
SO WE ARE, AND AS SOON AS WE FIND THAT OUT, I'LL SEND THAT OUT TO THE BOARD.
UH, BUT WE WILL HAVE KIND OF HAD TO CLOSE THE BUILDING BECAUSE THERE'S NO WATER TO THE BUILDING.
YOU CAN'T FLUSH THE TOILET, THE, UH, UH, FOR STAFF OR FOR THE, PUBLIC'S NOT ALLOWED IN THE BUILDING.
UH, BUT WE HAVE TO REASSIGN THE STAFF TO OTHER LIBRARIES, UH, IN THE SHORT TERM.
UM, BUT IT'S, UH, SINCE THAT JUST HAPPENED THIS MORNING, UH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO TAKE, BUT I WILL LET YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS WE FIND OUT, ALL RIGHT, UNMUTE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPEAK, PLEASE, SORRY.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS FOR RAY FOR THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR? ALL RIGHT.
LET'S TAKE A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE RECOMMENDATION TO REOPEN THE LIBRARIES.
AND I TOOK THE FIFTH WITH LIMITED SERVICE, AND THAT INCLUDES THE BOOKMOBILE CORRECT RATE FOR OUR LIMITED SERVICES.
WE STILL CANNOT SOCIALLY DISTANCE ON THE BOOKMOBILE.
SO THE BUFFALO BILLS WOULD BE GOING OUT TO SITES, PROVIDING A CURBSIDE STYLE PICKUP.
YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD GET THE BOOKS FROM THE STAFF WOULD GET THE BOOK FROM THE BILL AND, UH, AND GIVE IT, PUT IT ON THE TABLE FOR THE, UH, UH, PATRONS TO PICK UP.
SO AGAIN, THAT WOULD NOT BE, UH, PEOPLE GOING ON TO BOOKMOBILE.
IT WOULD BE FOR EXCITED SERVICE FROM THE BOOKMOBILE AT, UH, COMMUNITY SITES.
UM, UH, WE WERE LIMITING, WHERE ARE WE NOT LIMITING? HOW MANY P HOW MANY, HOW LONG PEOPLE COULD BE IN THE LIBRARY? ARE WE GOING TO, WHAT ARE THE STIPULATIONS GOING TO BE? YES, THE SAME STIPULATIONS WILL APPLY 50% OF OCCUPANCY RATES.
UH, WE WOULD HAVE SOMEONE AT THE, AT THE ENTRY AGAIN WITH, UH, SANTA'S HAND SANITIZER AND WITH A BASKET, IF YOU NEEDED IT, THAT COUNTY STILL HAS A MASK ORDINANCE.
UH, AND, UH, WE WOULD OPEN SOME LIMITED, UH, UH, COMPUTERS, UM, NO MEETING ROOMS, UH, AT THIS POINT.
SO WE WOULD BE GOING BACK TO OUR, OUR PHASE THREE, WHICH IS THE SAME AS WE WERE DOING FOR THE TWO WEEKS THAT WE WERE, UH, WE WERE OPEN BEFORE.
AND WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE SHORTHANDED SOMEWHAT, UH, FOR, UH, FOR THESE TYPES OF OPERATIONS.
WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF AT THIS TIME.
YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HAND OR WAVE OR WHATEVER.
ANYBODY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT, RAY AROUND, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND RECOMMEND THAT TO THE COUNTY THAT WE'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
I BELIEVE, UH, I BELIEVE THERE WERE SOME, UH, SOME THAT DID NOT APPROVE, SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE COUNT, RIGHT.
IT'S NOT, SOME DID NOT APPROVE THAT.
MAYBE IT WAS JUST SOMEBODY PUTTING THEIR HAND DOWN LATE.
I CAN SEE ANYBODY DISAPPROVED.
THIS MORNING WE HAD THE VOTES STRAIGHT.
BEFORE YOU GO TO FINANCIAL AID PART, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE CHET ATKINSON.
HE'S JOINING US FROM THE COUNTY MR. ATKINSON.
AND HE'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIMSELF A LITTLE BIT LATER.
AND I SEE WE HAVE A DAVID MOORE.
SO YOU'LL BE INTRODUCING HIM SHORTLY.
AND JOSH HAS JOINED US WELCOME AND BRENDA'S JOINED US AND CARRIE WAS ON AS WELL.
[VIII. Financial Reports]
THE FINANCIAL REPORTS, PLEASE.AS, AS USUAL, I'M GOING TO LEAVE, UH, THE, UH, THE LIBRARY FINANCIAL REPORT TO JOE, BECAUSE HE HAS SUCH A GREAT JOB WITH THAT.
AND THE EXPENDITURE REPORT, AS YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE SAVING MONEY WITH COVID-19, BUT WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO EXPEND THAT MONEY IF WE COULD SIMPLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, UH, WITHOUT COVID-19.
UH, SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, I WOULD LEAVE, UH, THE, MY EXPENDITURE UP TO DO THOSE FINANCE REPORT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GO TO FINANCE COMMITTEE.
[IX. Committee Reports]
THAT'S JOE BOGUS IS THE CHAIR I'M ON[00:15:01]
IT.LAURA STURKEY TERRY THOMAS AND JAMES MORALE.
SO, UM, THANKS, THANKS TO, UH, RAY FOR HIS OPENING COMMENTS AND INTRODUCTION THERE.
AND I WILL TRY TO MUDDLE THROUGH OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION AS WE'RE SEEING HERE.
UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO COVER IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES IS REALLY TWO THINGS.
ONE IS A DISCUSSION OF OUR CURRENT FINANCIAL SITUATION.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, A LITTLE BIT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT IMPACT FEES AND WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT, UM, IN RELATION TO THE FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS, LET ME, LET ME OPEN BY SAYING THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT ONLY TWO MONTHS, SO, UH, PROGRESS HERE.
SO THERE ISN'T MUCH TO REPORT.
I'LL COME TO DANCE THROUGH THIS PRETTY QUICKLY, AND THEN WE CAN GET ONTO, UH, TWO OTHER THINGS, UM, BEAR IN MIND THAT THE ACCOUNTING FINANCIAL YEAR, AND THEN AT THE END OF JUNE, AND IT DOES TAKE SOME THEM SOME TIME TO KIND OF WRAP THINGS UP AND TO PULL IT ALL TOGETHER INTO A NICE BALL AT THE END OF THEIR REPORTING PERIOD.
AND ONCE WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN HAND, THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET A BETTER RETROSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE YEAR.
BUT AT THIS POINT WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THEIR FINANCIAL BOOKS CLOSURE AND WRAP UP.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO THEN IS TO START IN OUR NORMAL ORDER OF FINANCIAL DOCUMENT, UH, DISCUSSION.
AND THAT'S THE START WITH OUR SPECIAL FUNDS PAGE.
AND THEN ALL OF THIS WAS DISTRIBUTED TO YOU.
AND AMANDA SENT IT OUT A SECOND TIME IN A MUCH NICER PRINTING FORMAT IN A LIGHT TO BEGIN AT THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, AS I NORMALLY DO, AND START WITH TALKING ABOUT STATE AID AND LOTTERY.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED OUR FIRST QUARTERLY INSTALLMENT OF STATE AID, $81,000.
AND THAT WE HAVE SPENT 22,874, WHICH HAS GONE TOWARDS LIBRARY MATERIALS NOW TO SORT OF KEEP THAT NUMBER IN MIND, BECAUSE WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT LATER WHEN WE GET TO THE MIRROR MATERIALS EXPENDITURE REPORT.
BUT AT THIS POINT WE HAVE A NICE CLOSING BALANCE AND OUR NRC, THE LOTTERY FUND OF 58,000.
NOW WHAT WE KNOW OVER TO THE LEFT-HAND SIDE AND TO THE MIDDLE OF THE COLUMN, I'M SORRY, AND TALKING ABOUT IMPACT FEES FOR A SECOND AND DROPPING DOWN TO THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE NOW HAVE AN ENDING BALANCE ROUNDED OF 4.7 MILLION, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A PRETTY GOOD NUMBER.
WE HAVE ADDED ABOUT A 70,000 SINCE OUR LAST REPORT.
AND THAT NUMBER IS REALLY NET OF ALL EXPENDITURES.
WE'VE SPENT MONEY IN A NET GAME HAS BEEN ABOUT 70,000.
WE HAD RECEIPTS DURING THIS REPORT IN PERIOD OF 186,000.
AGAIN, 80% OF THAT NUMBER COMES FROM BLUFFTON.
THANK YOU, BLUFFTON AND EXPENDITURES OF ABOUT 116,000, ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF THAT FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS AND THE REST OF IT IS THE CHARGE TO BLUFF THEN FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING PORTION OF THE STUDY, LEADING TO THE RENOVATION OF THAT PARTICULAR FACILITATE.
NOW I'M TRY AND PUT THIS IN SOME KIND OF PERSPECTIVE.
UM, BACK IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR, JANUARY OF 19, I REPORTED AN IMPACT FEEDBACK OF 3.7 MILLION.
AND THEN SINCE THAT TIME IN THE ROUGHLY 18, 19 MONTHS, WE'RE NOW AT 4.7 MILLION, WHICH MEANS THAT IN THIS INTERVAL, WE'VE ADDED ABOUT $1 MILLION OF IMPACT FEE NUMBERS.
NOW KIND OF KEEP THIS NUMBER IN MIND BECAUSE THAT BECOMES RELEVANT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPACT FEES AND WHERE WE ARE.
BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU A SENSE, SENSE OF PROPORTION AND DIRECTION HERE THAT OVER ABOUT THE LAST 18, 19 MONTHS, WE'VE ADDED $1 MILLION TO AN IMPACT FEE BALANCE NET OF ALL EXPENDITURES AND BEAR IN MIND, WE SPEND ABOUT $300,000 A YEAR FOR MATERIALS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN THE REST OF IT GOES TOWARD VARIOUS THINGS LIKE FACILITIES, FACILITIES, CONSTRUCTION, AND IMPROVEMENT.
WHAT WOULD WE ADD IN THE MILLION DOLLARS OVER THIS PERIOD, WHICH IS NOT INCONSEQUENTIAL ON THE LAST COLUMN HERE, THE SPECIAL TRUST, THERE REALLY IS NOTHING MATERIAL TO REPORT HERE.
I'M GOING TO SKIP OVER THIS BECAUSE REALLY THERE'S JUST BEEN A FEW DOLLARS THAT HAVE CHANGED HANDS HERE.
AND THE NEXT PAGE I WANT TO BRING UP IS OUR BUDGETARY UPDATE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR ONLY TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
UM, SO CALENDAR WISE, WE'RE ABOUT 17 OF THE YEAR AND WE HAVE SPENT ABOUT 11% OF OUR ALLOCATION, WHICH IS, WHICH IS PRETTY GOOD THERE.
THE, UM, A SIGNIFICANT THING TO, TO REPORT IS THAT FOR THIS YEAR, WE'VE
[00:20:01]
ONLY HAD A BUDGET CUT OF 81,000.NOW, WHEN WE CONSIDER THE IMPACT ON COUNTING THE REVENUES FOR THE VIRUS, FOR THE DROP-OFF AT TOURISM, FOR THE CONTINENT STATE DOLLARS, THIS IS REALLY SUBSTANTIAL.
AND THEN I AM JUST PLEASED AS PUNCH THAT THIS IS THE ONLY IMPACT THAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR.
UM, AND YOU CAN, AND YOU CAN SEE HERE.
UM, WE ARE, WE ARE CONSIDERABLY UNDER, UNDER SPENT.
UM, WE ARE BUDGET IS ABOUT 4.4 MILLION.
WE SPENT ALMOST HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AND WE HAVE REMAINED IN A 3.9, ALMOST 4 MILLION, $4 MILLION, AND WE'RE 11% THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY HEALTHY REPORT.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT WE'LL SEE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE WE ARE IN AN UNUSUAL SITUATION WITH JUST CURBSIDE CURBSIDE SERVICE.
SO AS THE YEAR PROGRESSES, I THINK THAT WE'LL SEE A MORE RETURN TO A MORE REALISTIC EXPENDITURE PATTERN.
AND THEN THE FINAL DOCUMENT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS OUR EXPENDITURE REPORT, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT WE SPEND ON BOOKS.
THEN THE MATERIALS HERE, UH, AND AGAIN, THIS IS VERY HEALTHY LOOKING AT THE TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
WE, WE SEE THAT 179,000 AND CHANGE HAS BEEN SPENT TOWARDS LIBRARY OF BOOKS AND MATERIALS.
THE MAJORITY OF THAT, FOR LEAST MATERIALS WHAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IS REALLY THE BEST SELLERS, THE TOP 50 50 READING LIST.
AND THAT'S THE KIND OF MATERIAL THAT IS GOING TO BRING PATRONS TO THE CURBSIDE, PICK UP THE BAY TO GET THEIR LATEST DAVID IGNATIUS NOVEL.
UM, THIS PUTS US ON A NICE PATH TOWARDS A $600,000 EXPENDITURE YEAR, WHICH IS SOMETHING OF A PERSONAL TARGET OF MINE BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE RELATED BOOKS OF MATERIALS AND THE PERIODICALS AND DATABASES, WHICH BRING OUR PATRONS TO THE LIBRARIES THEMSELVES.
SO AGAIN, THAT, THAT IS WHERE WE ARE.
UH, ONE THING I'D LIKE TO ADD IS THAT DURING THIS PERIOD, THE FRIENDS HAD SAYS, GIVEN US 56,000 FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS, AND AGAIN, KUDOS AND THANKS TO THEM FOR THIS VERY GENEROUS DONATION HERE.
SO THAT WRAPS UP OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION.
IN A NUTSHELL, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD.
WE HAVE A NICE BALANCES IN ALL OF OUR COLUMNS AND WE'RE UNDERSPENT TOWARDS OUR, UM, BUDGET OVER A YEAR.
AND AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO ASK IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR BUDGETARY PAGES, JOE, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION FOR RAY JUST TO PUT OUR FINANCIAL PICTURE IN PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS RE OVERALL, WHAT WOULD WE SAY OUR BUSINESS IS DOWN IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR? HOW WOULD YOU RATING BOOKS CHECKED OUT OR WHAT MATERIALS, WHAT ARE WE, ARE WE DOWN BY 10%, 20%? WHAT ARE WE? 50%, 50%, ONE, FIVE OR FIVE OH FIVE ZERO.
THEN WE ARE, WE PRACTICE ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER LIBRARIES IN THE, IN THE STATE, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT WHERE MOST OF OUR, UH, IT'S ABOUT 50 50 RIGHT NOW, THE PERSON WHO WANTS TO THIS YEAR, 50% OF OUR CIRCULATION IS DIGITAL AND 50% PRINT.
THERE ARE, WE'RE ALL DOING CURBSIDE SERVICE.
THAT LIBRARIES ARE STARTING TO GO BACK TO LIMITED SERVICES THAT ARE OUT THERE AS OF THIS MORNING, 17 OUT OF THE 40, 42 COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEMS ARE, I HAVE NOW REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE QUICKLY APPROACHING 50% OF THE LIBRARIES IN THE STATE, UH, THAT ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC OR LIMIT SERVICE.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR JOE, PLEASE ON FINANCIALS? CAN YOU SEE THE PLACE TO BRING OUT THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT CURRENT CERTIFICATION? OKAY.
BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT THOUGH, LET ME TALK A BIT ABOUT THE IMPACT FEE STATUS AND WHERE WE ARE FOLLOW UP WITH THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, UH, CERTIFICATION.
UM, BUT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IMPACT FEES ARE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO OUR FINANCIAL STATE.
AND WHEN WE LEFT THIS ENTIRE SUBJECT, UM, YOU KNOW, BACK IN NOVEMBER, UM, THE TISHA BISH STUDY AND TISHA BESS IS THE CONSULTING FIRM
[00:25:01]
THAT WAS BROUGHT IN BY THE COUNTY TO ANALYZE THEM WHAT WAS NEEDED TO BE REGENERATED MOVING FORWARD.UM, OUR 10 YEAR IMPACT THE REVENUE NUMBER WAS PEGGED AT 6.2 MILLION.
UM, AND AT THAT POINT, RAN, I PERSONALLY MET WITH THE TISHA BEST CONSULTANTS AND REFERRED AND EXPRESSED OUR CONCERNS THAT THIS WAS A LITTLE LIGHT AND THE FEW AREAS NEEDED TO BE REVISITED AND REEXAMINED.
UM, TISHA WAS PRETTY RECEPTIVE TO OUR IDEAS AND MADE IT MADE A FEW SMALL CHANGES AND WE HAD A GOOD EXCHANGE AT THAT POINT.
UM, THE NEXT STEP WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO REVISIT THIS AT A LATER DATE WITHIN OUTSIDE EVENTS TO GO OVER THE SITUATION, UH, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AT THAT TIME WITH THIS STUDY ON HOLD, IN ORDER TO VIEW ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE GOING ON AT BUFORD COUNTY AT THE TIME, AND THAT WERE ON HER PLATE.
SO THIS WENT BREATHING INTO A HIATUS UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO UNTIL I'M SORRY, A FEW MONTHS AGO.
AND AT THAT POINT, FISHER BESH UPDATED THEIR STUDY IN JULY.
AND WHEN WE CHECKED THE LIGHT OUT, LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, WE SAW THAT OUR SITUATION HAD IMPROVED VERY NICELY AND THAT OUR LOBBYING EFFORTS THAT PAID OFF PRETTY WELL, THE NEW 10 YEAR REVENUE PROJECTION COMING OUT OF THIS WAS NOT 6.2 MILLION, BUT 6.9 MILLION.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A NICE 12% BUMP BETWEEN THEN AND NOW.
AND AT THIS POINT, OUR INTENTION IS TO LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE AND TO TAKE THE GOODS WHILE WE, WHILE WE HAVE THEM IN HAND.
NOW THEY PUT THIS WHOLE THING INTO PERSPECTIVE.
WE NOW HAVE, AS I SAID, 1.7 MILLION SITTING IN OUR IMPACT FEE ACCOUNT AND ADD TO THAT THE PROJECTION OF 6.9 MILLION, PUTTING THOSE TOGETHER PUTS US AT ABOUT 11.6 MILLION OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD.
NOW REALIZING THAT WE SPEND ABOUT $300,000 OUT OF IMPACT FEES FOR MATERIALS AND OTHER THINGS THERE'S COUNTS ABOUT 3 MILLION OVER, OVER, UM, THE TEN-YEAR PERIOD, UH, THAT LEAVES US A BALANCE OF ABOUT 8.6 OR CALL IT 9 MILLION TO SPEND ON OTHER ITEMS AS THEY COME UP A NEW BRANCH EXPANSION OR RENOVATIONS THAT DEAL WITH FACILITIES AND SUCH AND AT, AND AT THIS POINT, THAT IS A RATHER HEALTHY NUMBER AND LOOKING FORWARD, I THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO BE QUITE SUFFICIENT FOR OUR NEEDS.
NOW I'VE SAID WE'VE ADDED OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS ABOUT 1 MILLION IN IMPACT FEES, NET OF ALL EXPENDITURES.
SO ACTUALLY OUR HISTORICAL, OUR NEAR TERM HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN BETTER THAN WHAT FISHER BEST HAS PROJECTED US TO BE.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO THE UPTICK IN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION IN GENERAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
I BLUFFED THEM AND GOD ONLY KNOWS IF THAT WILL CONTINUE, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A PRETTY GOOD AND HEALTHY SITUATION HERE.
UM, IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT THIS IS A 10 YEAR PROJECTION, HOWEVER, IMPACT FEE REGULATIONS ALLOW FOR THIS TO BE REOPENED AND REVISITED BY THE COUNTY IN FIVE YEARS.
SO IT SHOULD SOMETHING DRAMATIC HAPPENED BETWEEN NOW AND 2000 AND THEN FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, 2015, 2025.
THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNTY TO REVISIT THAT.
NOW THE LATEST INFORMATION IS THAT THE COUNTY DID HAVE A WORKSHOP ON LATE AUGUST TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
THERE ARE SOME ISSUES FOR THE COUNTY THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THE IMPACT, THE STUDY, AND THAT'S REALLY IN THE RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION AREA BECAUSE, UM, WHEN TISHA BUSH LOOKED AT SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION, THEY WERE PROJECTING SOMETHING ON THE ORDER OF WHAT, 50% PER RESIDENCE IMPACT FEE HIKE.
AND OF COURSE THAT'S CROSS CONSTITUTE CONSTERNATION IN THE REAL UTTER INDUSTRIES AND CONSTRUCTION AREAS AND IN THE COUNTY.
SO THAT HAS BEING PUT ASIDE FOR ROMAN.
WE DON'T EXPECT LIBRARIES TO BE A CONTENTIOUS ITEM.
AND, UH, AND I THINK OUR BEST INFORMATION AND INSIGHT IS THAT THE LIBRARIES WOULD BE LOOKED ON AS A STANDALONE ENTITY.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE VOTED INTO, IN, INTO LAW AND REGULATION.
BUT, UM, THAT HAS YET TO BE DECIDED.
UM, SO I, THAT IS WHERE ARE ON AN IMPACT FEES.
RAY, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING MORE CURRENT TO ADD OR ANYTHING COMMENT ON MY OBSERVATIONS, PLEASE, PLEASE DO SO.
I THINK YOU ARTICULATED THAT VERY WELL.
ANY ADAPTATIONS AND SUCH THAT WE CAN HANDLE ON IMPACT?
[00:30:01]
I, I HAVE A QUESTION.UM, WE HAD, I, WE HAD, I KNOW THAT THE BLUFFTON EXPANSION, IT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, BUT, BUT WE ALSO HAD TALKED ABOUT BUILDING A NEW LIBRARY IN BLUFFTON, AND I KNOW THAT WAS KIND OF, BUT I'M WHEN IT WAS AT CANCELED OR WAS THAT PUT ON HOLD AND WOULD THE IMPACT FEES, UM, BE USED AT ALL? CAN THAT BE USED AT ALL FOR THIS, FOR NEW BUILDING MATERIAL, FOR NEW BUILDINGS? OKAY.
THE, THE, UH, THE BLUFFTON NEWER SIDE IS ON HOLD AT THIS POINT.
UH, AND THAT'S SPECIFICALLY WHAT, UH, UH, IMPACT FEES ARE DESIGNED FOR AS FAR AS GROWTH IN THE COMMUNITY.
BOSTON IS CLEARLY WHERE THE GROWTH IS THAT THOSE IMPACT FEES CAN MOST DEFINITELY BE USED, UH, FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO, SO THE, UH, THE BUILDER WHO'S BUILDING THAT WHOLE COMPLEX, ARE THEY, ARE THEY GOING TO KIND OF, UM, WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, ACTUALLY GO FORWARD WITH THAT BUILDING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS? ARE THEY, OR HAVE THEY DITCHED THAT PLAN FOR US? NO, THEY HAVE NOT, BUT IT'S ON HOLD RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE COUNTY REALLY CANNOT LOOK FORWARD TO SEE WHAT THEIR REVENUE IS GOING TO BE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO, UH, IT'S ON HOLD FOR THAT REASON.
CLEARLY THE, UH, ON THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE, ALL OF IT, THAT'S WHAT WE NEEDED RANCH LIBRARY.
WE THAT, UH, IF WE DON'T GET A BRANCH LIBRARY IN THAT AREA IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, UH, YOU KNOW, LAND IS ALREADY APPROXIMATELY A MILLION DOLLARS IN APRIL AND THAT AREA.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE IT AHEAD, WE, WE REALLY JUST DON'T KNOW THE COUNTY, UH, KIND OF PROVE THAT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I AM INVOLVED IN THE, UH, COUNTY WIDE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN STUDY FOR, FOR ALL FACILITIES MOVING FORWARD FOR THE COUNTY AND THAT, THAT PROJECT.
AND, UH, THE BURTON WELLS PROJECT HAS BEEN IN OUR FACILITIES PLAN SINCE THEN, SINCE THE EARLY TWO, SINCE 2006 IS STILL IN THAT, THEN THE NEW PLAN.
AND SO, UH, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO MOVE THAT PROCESS FORWARD.
UH, HOWEVER, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE COUNTY REVENUES ARE GOING TO PLAY A HUGE PART IN WHETHER OR NOT THE PROJECT TRULY MOVES FORWARD IN THE NEW YORKER.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT TO CLARIFY, UM, SCHOOL IMPACT FEES ARE ONLY BEING LOOKED AT FOR THE SERVICE AREA SOUTH OF THE BROAD, BECAUSE NORTH WAS ABROAD HAS CAPACITY FOR THE GROSS THAT'S ANTICIPATED NORTH OF THE BROAD.
SO THE IMPACT FEES, UM, FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE ONLY GOING TO IMPACT THE SERVICE AREAS SOUTH OF THE FRAUD.
BUT IF ANYONE WANTS TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT PIECE STUDY OVERALL IT'S, UM, ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE AND ALSO THE WORKSHOP WE HAD, AND, UM, W THE ONLY THING THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH FIRST READING ON THIS, WE SEPARATED OUT WITH SCHOOL IMPACT FEES FROM ALL THE OTHER IMPACT FEES, JUST AS JOE SAID, TO KIND OF KEEP IT A SEPARATE ISSUE.
SO, UH, STAN, YOU KNOW, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL IS SCHOOL IMPACT.
AND LET ME ADD ONE THING HERE, BECAUSE YOU DID SORT OF ALLUDE TO IT, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE SHOULD REALIZE.
AND WHEN, WHEN I TALK ABOUT IMPACT FEES ON 4.7 MILLION, THAT'S THE AGGREGATE NUMBER, BUT THAT'S THE AGGREGATE NUMBER IN SIX DIFFERENT RECORDING DISTRICTS.
UM, AND THOSE EXPENDITURE FROM THOSE DISTRICTS SUMS IS REQUIRED TO BE MADE WITHIN THOSE DISTRICTS.
SO IT REQUIRES A LITTLE BIT OF A BALANCING ACT ON THE PART OF RYAN AND HIS STAFF TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT MATERIALS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE ALLOCATED CORRECTLY.
NOW, IF I'M CORRECT, YOU STUDY, AND THE NEW REGULATIONS WHEN IT GOES INTO EFFECT, SIMPLY DIVIDES BUFORD COUNTY AND TO NORTH OF THE BROAD SOUTH ABROAD FOR SIMPLICITY'S FAKE.
HOWEVER, IT HAVE ANOTHER LAYER OF COMPLEXITY OF THIS OLD MONEY HAS TO BE SPENT WITHIN THE SIX DISTRICTS, BUT NEW MONEY COMING IN, GET TO BE SPENT WITHIN TWO DISTRICTS.
SO THIS WHOLE IMPACT FEE STUDY IS REALLY ALSO CALLED AN ACCOUNTANT'S FULL EMPLOYMENT ACT, BECAUSE IT WILL KEEP EVERYONE BUSY TRYING TO KEEP THE SUMS AND THEIR ALLEGATIONS.
AND ON THAT, LET ME TURN TO THE FINAL SUBJECT.
AND IT'S EXCITING FINANCE SIDE, WHICH IS THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT CERTIFICATION.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE GO THROUGH EVERY YEAR, AND THAT'S
[00:35:01]
A REQUIREMENT OF THE STATE FOR, UH, POOR STATE AID.AND IT SIMPLY STATES THAT WE ARE CONTINUING OUR EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN THE LIBRARIES IN GOOD STEAD COORDINATE.
THIS CERTIFICATION HAS RECEIVED THE ROLE OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MOVES OVER TO THE FULL BOARD AT THE TAB FOR FINAL ADJUDICATION AND FOR VOTE.
AND THAT SIGNATURE AFTER THE VOTE COMES FROM BOTH THE CHAIR AND THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR WITH THAT, I'LL WRAP UP THE FINANCE SIDE.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT CERTIFICATION? WE DO IT EVERY YEAR AND IT'S KIND OF PERFUNCTORY.
I SIGN IT, RAY SIGNS IT DISTINCT MILES, AND WE SPEND OUR MONEY.
EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT? YES.
I SPOKE TO, AND I FORGET HIS NAME.
I HAD BEEN COMMUNICATING A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO REGARDING THE LIBRARY FOR THE NEW LIBRARY, AND HE SEEMED TO BE RIGHT ON IT.
HE FEELS THAT THE NEW LIBRARY AREA BEING BEEN SO DEVELOPED, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS TO TRY AND GO FORWARD WITH THE LIBRARY IS THROUGH THE COUNCILMEN BECAUSE HIS PEOPLE ARE REALLY NEEDY OF THAT LIBRARY.
THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE GOING FORWARD.
AND HE TOLD ME, HE THOUGHT THAT THE LIBRARY WAS GOING TO BE PUT IN THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU PROBABLY SAID IS ON HOLD.
NOW THAT IT WOULD BE PART OF THEIR CENTER THAT'S BEING BUILT THERE.
THE LIBRARY WOULD BE BUILT IN THAT AREA RATHER THAN US HAVING TO BUY SEPARATE LAND.
YOU TALK TO, HE IS THE, JUST THE DISTRICT COUNCILMAN.
AND AS WE HAVE GONE OVER IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, THAT PROPOSAL WAS WITH THE NEW RIVER BRANCH, THE, UH, DEVELOPERS GONNA, THEY HAVE APPROVAL FROM BLUFFTON.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD.
SO AS RAY SAID, RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE ISSUES WITH, IF YOU RECALL, WE'RE GOING TO, WE WOULD USE COMP IMPACT FEES FOR THE BUILDING ITSELF, BUT THE COUNTY WOULD HAVE TO PUT MONEY UP.
SO, UM, WE'LL ADD MORE INFORMATION GOING FORWARD RIGHT NOW.
I'D LIKE TO TABLE THAT UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO ADD.
JUST TO CLARIFY FOR ROSS, THE, THE, THE DEVELOPER, UH, IS NOT GIVING US THE LAND THAT THE DEVELOPER WOULDN'T SELL US THE LAND.
SO YOU NEED JUST TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
AND SO WHILE THE LAND IS USUALLY VALUED AT ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS, HE WOULD GIVE IT TO US OR, OR TO THE COUNTY FOR 800,000.
SO, UH, THAT WAS THE PROPOSAL BY THAT.
THERE'S A LONG WAYS TO GO ON THIS.
UH, I THINK EVERYBODY CLEARLY UNDERSTANDS THE COUNTY CLEARLY UNDERSTANDS, UH, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO.
UH, BUT IT REALLY COMES DOWN AS COUNCILMAN UBER.
THERE'S ONLY ONE VOTE OUT OF 11.
SO, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S, UM, THERE'S A WAYS TO GO YET, BUT, UH, WE UNDERSTAND FOR THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THAT'S PROBABLY THAT PROJECT IS A PRIORITY.
AND BEFORE I GO FORWARD, I DO WANT TO, AGAIN, THANK ALICE HOWARD WHO REPRESENTS COUNCIL DISTRICT.
I THINK FOR, SHE DOES SERVE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OR LIAISON TO THIS COMMITTEE, THIS BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
AND SO ELLIS HAS BEEN A VERY SOLID ADVOCATE FOR THE LIBRARIES AND REALLY REPRESENTS OUR VOICE ON CONSOLE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS, ALICE.
DO YOU EVER REPORT PLEASE MEETING? WE HAVEN'T MET SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET, SO WE'LL MEET NEXT WEEK.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, BUFORD, BRENDA, OR JAMES, DO YOU HAVE A REPORT EITHER ONE OF YOU THINGS AND CERTAINLY A MANDATE? UH, YEAH, I CAN SAY A FEW THINGS.
CERTAINLY AMANDA AND OR, UH, REALLY CAN FOLLOW UP, BUT, UM, THEY'VE BEEN MEETING ON THURSDAY MORNINGS AT, UH, BASE YOU'RE ON BAY STREET, OUTSIDE SOCIALLY DISTANCING, PRACTICING THAT, UH, AND HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE.
UM, I PERSONALLY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PLAN FORTUNATELY TO ATTEND SOME OF THE MEETINGS JUST DUE TO SCHEDULING CONFLICTS.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT AND MENTION IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR OWN DISH THAT SHE RECEIVED THE, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, RECENT
[00:40:01]
AWARD IN 2019, 20, 24 HOURS INDIVIDUAL.AND THEN THEY PRESENTED THAT TO THE LOCAL FRIENDS, A DIFFERENT GROUP PRESENTED THAT TO HER ON THIS PAST, UM, IN JULY.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF COOL THOSE OUT TO HER AND THEN THE HARD WORK DONE, THEY CITED LAST YEAR'S BOOK SALE AND THE SHOP, THE SHELL'S PROGRAM AND ALL THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE WITH THOSE THINGS, BUT JUST KIND OF WANTED TO GIVE HER A SHOUT OUT MS. DEB J THIS FOR RECEIVING THAT AWARD.
UH, AND THEN JUST ALSO WANTED TO BRIEFLY MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, UH, DOT COM, UH, BUFORD, THEY HAVE A WEBSITE THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON TO CONTINUE TO UPDATE, UH, WITH NEWS.
UM, SO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE SOME RECENT NEWS, UH, INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, MOST RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT RAY AND HIS RETIREMENT AND A WEBSITE IS FRIENDS OF THE BUFORD LIBRARY.COM.
UM, THEY HAVE LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, KEEPING THAT UPDATED.
UM, SO JUST KIND OF WANTED TO MENTION THAT AS WELL.
UH, WITH THAT I'LL JUST KIND OF LEAVE.
I'M NOT SURE IF AMANDA AND OR RAY HAS ANYTHING ELSE.
THEIR NEXT MEETING IS ACTUALLY SCHEDULED TOMORROW MORNING AS WELL.
ANYONE ELSE ON THAT ONE? ALL RIGHT.
DO YOU EVER REPORT, I DON'T SEE LAUREN ON, DO YOU EVER REPORT FOR BLUFFTON? IF NOT, MAYBE RAY, HAVE YOU BEEN GIVEN A REPORT FOR BLUFFTON? NO, I DON'T.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR THEM AT THIS POINT.
LYNN REPORT FOR HILTON HEAD FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY.
UM, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOME NEW DIRECTORS.
UM, THEY'RE MOVING ALONG QUITE WELL, BUT THEY DO NEED SOME, UH, THEY'RE THEY'RE CHANGING PERSONNEL.
OH, THE BIGGEST THING IS, UM, I THINK CONSIDERING WHAT, HOW TO HANDLE THE FUTURE HERE, UM, THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REOPEN THE YOUTH BOOKSTORE, WHICH IS, WHICH WILL HELP WITH THEIR REVENUE, FOR SURE.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO START WORKING ON THAT RIGHT AWAY AND GET READY IN CASE THEY'RE ABLE TO OPEN OCTOBER BEGINNING OF OCTOBER.
UM, AND THE ONLY OTHER THING WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE, UH, UM, THE BOOK REVIEW, THE BOOK BREAK THAT WE DO IN JANUARY.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO PLAN ON BEING IN-HOUSE ON THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT IF WE CAN DO THAT VIRTUALLY.
AND, UM, I, I THINK THE FILMS AS WELL, SO WE'RE JUST, THEY'RE JUST ALL IN A PLANNING STAGE RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'S ALL I, ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION I'M FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ACTIVITIES.
AND AGAIN, I, WE ALL SUPPORT THEM.
THEY'RE GREAT, GREAT ASSISTANCE TO OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM, AND WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THEY DO AND CONTRIBUTE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WISELY.
RESLEY RICHMOND IS THE CHAIR, LYNN MILLER, JANET PORTER, AND TERRY ARE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO BRING OUT OF COMMITTEE RISE? I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO UPDATE ANYTHING.
I SERVED BRENDA LED'S AND PAUL LYNN MILLER.
IT'S OUR LAST MEETING YOU'LL RECALL THAT WE HAD LAUNCHED WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IN MARCH, ACTUALLY THE WEEK BEFORE, KIND OF COVID HIT.
AND, UM, THEN WE PUT IT ON HOLD AND WE EXAMINED IN THE LAST MONTH OR TWO, WHETHER WE SHOULD TAKE IT OFF HOLD.
AND, UM, RAY IN PARTICULAR FELT THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO DEFER.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT ON HOLD AND PROBABLY WILL TRY TO RESURRECT IT ONCE WE GET A NEW DIRECTOR IN PLACE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.
UH, WE HAVE NO CHALLENGE MATERIALS.
JOE IS THE CHAIR WITH JAMES REZ AND TRACY.
JOE, DO YOU HAVE ANY CHALLENGE MATERIALS? WE REMAIN ON CHALLENGED.
GOOD LIBRARY FACILITIES COMMISSION.
BERNIE COLE IS THE CHAIR OF THE JOE WAS LAURA STIR MYSELF.
THIS IS HOW WE DIVE INTO THE BLUFF BRANCH LIBRARY.
ARCHITECTURAL PRESENTATION PARTY GO HAVE.
I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH RAY A COUPLE OF TIMES ON THIS ISSUE WITH THE REMODELING RIGHT NOW, IT'S IN THE AREA OF THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY TO, UH, GET THAT LIBRARY TO HAVE MORE CHILDREN'S SPACE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND MATERIALS.
AND IT'S A SLOW PLYING PROCESS THROUGH COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
UH, BUT THAT'S HOW BUREAUCRACY WORKS.
UH, WE DO HAVE WHAT RAY TALKED ABOUT.
THAT WAS THE, UH, THE PRELIMINARY FIGURES OF THE ESTIMATE, WHAT IT'S GOING
[00:45:01]
TO COST.SO WE JUST HAVE TO TAKE THIS FROM ONE COMMITTEE TO THE NEXT AND EVENTUALLY IT'LL GET DONE NOW IN TERMS OF THE, UH, THE NEW LIBRARY IN SOUTH BOSTON, THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IT ALSO ALREADY HERE.
AND THAT LIBRARY WOULD REALLY BE A GYM FOR OUR SYSTEM.
IT'S IN A GREAT LOCATION, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND WITH THE DISRUPTIONS AND DISCOMBOBULATION IS BROUGHT ON BY THE CORONAVIRUS SO-CALLED COVID-19, UH, THAT IT'S GOTTA BE COMFORTABLE WORK TO REAL SLOWLY.
SO THIS IS NOT GOING TO GET DONE THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER.
UH, WE, UH, JUST HAVE TO PLAY IT BY EAR AS TO THE RENOVATIONS OF THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY.
UH, THAT WILL, I THINK, PICK UP A LITTLE SPEED WITH THE, UH, PUTTING OUT FOR BIDS, UH, CAUSE THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS.
WE HAVE A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST, UH, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
IF YOU EVER WATCH A TORTOISE MOVE, YOU WOULD, UH, POSSIBLY GET A PHEON FOR THIS, BUT AT LEAST WE'RE ON TOP OF IT AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, BEFORE WE GO, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE ARCHITECTS ON THE CALL AND RAY, CAN YOU TAKE US INTO THE REMODEL AT BLUFFTON PLEASE? YEAH, SO, UM, UH, SO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE ARCHITECT IN THE UNITED STATES.
UH, AND SO HE IS PROBABLY THE BEST LIBRARY DESIGNER, UH, UM, IN THE HISTORY AFTER THE PHARAOHS.
SO, UH, UM, SO, BUT HE IS, HE'S AN AMAZING ARCHITECT.
UH, I I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE TO WORK WITH HIM ON SEVERAL PROJECTS OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS.
UH, AND SO DAVID AND THEN TOUR AND ANDERSON, UH, WHO IS, UH, UH, IS UP AND COMING, UH, IN DAVID'S SHOES, TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH DAVID.
UH, SO, UH, WITH THAT, I WILL LET, UH, TARAN AND DAVID, UH, INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND THEN WALK US THROUGH THE PROPOSED RENOVATIONS.
UH, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE SOME DISCUSSION, UH, AT THE END OF THEIR PRESENTATION.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YEAH, I DON'T.
IS THIS ANY BETTER? ALL RIGHT, I'LL TRY THIS.
TORN IS GOING TO SHARE THE SCREEN.
UH WE'LL THANK RAY FOR THAT, UH, THAT OVER THE TOP INTRODUCTION, UM, UH, RYAN, I'VE BEEN FRIENDS FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND WE HAVE A HISTORY AND A YOU'RE LOSING A GREAT DIRECTOR.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT WE TRIED OUR BEST TO TALK HIM OUT OF IT, BUT HE WOULDN'T LISTEN.
I CAN, CAN EVERYONE SEE THE SCREEN? YES, WE CAN SEE IT.
SO THE FOUR PLAN THAT YOU SEE HERE IS AS YOU KNOW, BLOCKED IN THE LIBRARY, UH, WE DID ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE TALKED ABOUT CONSOLIDATING THE ADULT COLLECTION FOR THE UPPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF THE FLOOR PLAN AND THEN MOVING THE CHILDREN'S AREA IN THE UPPER LEFT-HAND CORNER AND INCREASING ITS SQUARE FOOTAGE, AND THEN TAKING THIS TO CHILDREN'S AREA, WHICH IS IN THE LOWER LEFT-HAND CORNER AND MAKING THE ADULT NEW BOOK AND AUDIO VISUAL COLLECTION AND SOME READING ROOMS. THE OTHER PART OF THAT MASTER PLAN WAS TO TAKE THAT EXPANDED CHILDREN'S AREA AND ENCLOSE IT IN GLASS SO THAT THE NOISE GENERATED IN THE CHILDREN'S AREA WOULD NOT PERMEATE THE REST OF THE LIBRARY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THIS PLAN THAT TORN IS SHOWING YOU THE RED LINES ARE NEW MALLS, AND YOU WILL SEND IN ANOTHER SLIDE THAT MOST OF THOSE RED WALLS ARE GLASS WALLS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE CHILDREN'S AREA IS FULLY ENCLOSED NOW FROM THE MAIN CENTRAL
[00:50:01]
COMMON SPACE OF THE LIBRARY, AS PART OF THAT WORK, UH, IN THE UPPER LEFT-HAND CORNER, IN THAT BRIGHT PURPLE THE COLORS THAT YOU SEE HERE, BY THE WAY, DENOTE DIFFERENT FLOOR MATERIALS.WE TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT LARGE ROOM IN THE CORNER AND THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER, UM, IS THE CHILDREN'S PROGRAM ROOM.
SO IT IS NOW THE SAME SIZE AS YOUR LARGE MEETING ROOM, WHICH IS IN THE RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF THE FLOOR PLAN, WHICH IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF PRESSURE OFF THAT ONE MEETING ROOM DURING SUMMER CHILDREN'S READING PROGRAMS. YOU NOW ESSENTIALLY HAVE TWO LARGE MEETING ROOMS IN THE LIBRARY, ONE DEDICATED, FULLY FOR THE CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, WHICH IS STILL AVAILABLE OFF THE FRONT LOBBY AND NEAR THE TOILETS FOR GENERAL PROGRAMMING FOR THE LIBRARY.
WE ALSO HAVE CREATED A LARGER CHILDREN'S WORK ROOM, UH, AT THE VERY TOP OF THE PAGE NEXT TO THAT AREA.
IT'S A SMALL SQUARE SPACE THAT HAS DIRECT ACCESS TO THE PROGRAM ROOM.
AND THEN THE CURRENT REFERENCE LIBRARIAN OFFICES, UM, IS NOW TURNED INTO, UM, UM, UH, ANOTHER, UH, GROUP STUDY ROOM AT THE END OF THAT COMMON SPACE, WHICH YOU SEE IN PURPLE.
SO WE'VE PICKED UP ANOTHER GROUP STUDY SPACE THERE AS WELL.
AND IF YOU ZOOM IN ON THE CHILDREN'S TOILET AND THE WORKROOM, UH, BETWEEN THE TWO GREEN SPACES, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE HAVE CHANGED THE WAY YOU ENTER THAT FAMILY TOILETS.
NOW YOU ENTER IT OFF OF THE NEW CHILDREN'S AREA AND, UM, AND THEN WE'VE CREATED SOME STORAGE, UM, IN THE, IN THAT SPACE.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FLOOR PLAN? IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS IN THE, UM, MASTER PLAN, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT LEVEL OF WORK.
UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY, THIS IS ROSALIE.
SO LET ME UNDERSTAND THIS THE GREEN AREA.
UM, I MISSED PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
DID THE FRONT, THE GREEN AREA AT THE FRONT, WHICH IS THE CURRENT CHILDREN'S AREA IS NOW GOING TO BE ADULT, UH, NEW MATERIALS AND THE AUDIO VISUAL COLLECTION I SEE, AND THE CHILDREN'S AREA WILL BE THE GREEN IN THE BACK AND THE PURPLE AND HOW MUCH MORE SPACE WILL THIS ADD FOR THE CHILDREN TORN.
WHY DON'T YOU GO TO SLIDE NUMBER THREE? SO IN THIS SLIDE HERE, YOU WILL SEE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE BLUE SPACE, THE NEW CHILDREN'S AREA THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AND THE GRAY AREA IN THE LOWER LEFT IS THE CHILDREN'S AREA.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT LEFT AND THE NUMBERS, THE CURRENT CHILDREN'S AREA IS TWO, 613 SQUARE FEET.
AND THE NEW CHILDREN'S AREA IS ALMOST 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO WE HAVE ALMOST DOUBLED THE AMOUNT OF SPACE DEDICATED TO THE CHILDREN AND WE'RE, AND, UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY INCREASED THE STAFF SUPPORT SPACE AS WELL, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NOT COUNTERED IN THAT BLUE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
I HOPE, I HOPE THEY WON'T NEED MORE BY THE TIME THIS IS FINISHED.
UH, TORRENT, WE SKIPPED OVER SLIDE TWO.
LET'S GO TO SLIDE TWO BECAUSE THAT'S A GREAT ILLUSTRATION FOR EVERYONE TO SEE, UM, UH, IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL VIEW, THE AMOUNT OF GLASS AND WHERE IT'S BEING ADDED.
UM, SO IN THE, UM, IN THE OFF THAT MAIN AREA, WHEN YOU WALK IN THE MAIN AREA OF THE LIBRARY, YOU CAN SEE THE, ALMOST THAT ENTIRE LEFT-HAND WALL THAT IS REALLY OPEN BETWEEN THE PEERS.
WE NOW HAVE ADDED GLASS WALLS.
SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE DOORS RIGHT THERE WHERE YOU'LL ENTER INTO THE CHILDREN'S AREA.
UM, AND THOSE DOORS CAN BE OPENED AND CLOSED PROPPED OPEN IF NECESSARY.
AND THAT GETS YOU INTO THE CHILDREN'S AREA PROPER.
SO YOU HAVE PICTURES OF BOOKS ON ONE SIDE, YOU'LL HAVE JUVENILE BOOKS ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO DIRECTLY INTO, UM, I THINK THE TEEN SPACE BEYOND, OR WHATEVER THAT MAKER-SPACE AREA IS GOING TO BE PURPOSED FOR.
IF YOU TURN IMMEDIATELY TO THE RIGHT, AS YOU'RE WALKING IN, UH, YOU'LL HAVE A GLASS WALL, UH, INTO ACTUALLY A LITTLE FURTHER BACK INTO THE CHILDREN'S PROGRAM ROOM.
[00:55:01]
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IN THAT SPACE, THAT SPACE WILL HAVE A, A MORE MOLINE TYPE FLOOR, WHICH WE EASY FOR CLEANING.AND, UM, AND THERE'LL BE SOME SUPPORT SPACE IN THERE FOR, UH, PROGRAMS, CRAFTS, AND THEN THERE'S DIRECT ACCESS FROM THAT ROOM INTO THAT STAFF WORK ROOM.
THERE'S THIS DOOR IN THAT BACK RIGHT HAND CORNER, WHICH YOU CAN SEE THERE.
AND SO THAT'S THE STAFF SPACE.
IT HAS DIRECT ACCESS TO THE PROGRAM ROOM AS I MENTIONED, BUT THERE'S ALSO GLASS THERE THAT ALLOWS THE STEPS TO SEE UP THROUGH THE JUVENILE STACKS AND GIVE YOU SOME VISUAL CONTROL, UM, OUT INTO THE SHELVING AREA FOR THE JUVENILE COLLECTION.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, THE ENTIRE CHILDREN'S AREAS, GLASS DAN, UH, ZOOM BACK OUT A LITTLE BIT, YOU'LL SEE THE STUDY ROOMS. WE'VE ACTUALLY ADDED GLASS TO THE FRONT OF THE GROUP STUDY WOUNDS AT THE VERY BACK OF THE LIBRARY.
SO THE ROOM THEY'RE ON THE RIGHT THAT YOU HAVE NOW, WE'VE ACTUALLY TAKEN THE DOOR AND REORIENTED IT TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM TOO.
SO AS YOU WALK IN AND FROM THAT CURRENT HELP DESK, THE STAFF CAN LOOK INTO THE ROOM AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO WE'VE ADDED GLASS THERE AS WELL AS ON THE FRONT OF THE OTHER ROOMS, UH, BACK THERE.
I THINK WE'VE ADDED A LITTLE BIT OF GLASS AT THE FRONT UP THERE IN, INTO THE ADULT AREA, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
AND THE CASA AT TORN HAS THE EXACT NUMBERS, THE COST ESTIMATE, UM, UH, THEIR ESTIMATOR BELIEVES THIS WILL COST IS, UM, I THINK, UM, IN THE UPPER FIVE HUNDREDS TORN, DO YOU HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER IF YOU'RE TALKING TORN AND YOU'RE MUTED, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
HOW HIGH WILL THAT GLASS, THE GLASS FILL THE OPENING? OKAY.
THERE'S THE NUMBER? THAT'S THE COST ESTIMATE FOR THE WORK AS IT STANDS NOW, NOW IT COULD VARY A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE BID THE PROJECT, BUT RIGHT NOW OUR ESTIMATE, UH, THERE YOU GO, THAT SHOWS YOU A VIEW.
SO IT GOES UP TO, UM, A HEIGHT OF ABOUT, UM, PROBABLY 10 FEET, NINE OR 10 FEET, AND IT FOLLOWS THAT SOFFIT LINE THERE.
AND, AND WE CAN SEE THAT WE'VE ALSO ENCLOSED, UH, OR, OR PANEL THE BOTTOM OF THAT WALL AND THOSE OPENINGS IN A B BOARD TO MATCH THE EXISTING FINISHES OF THE LIBRARY.
UH, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN IMPACT ON THE AIR CONDITIONING WHEN ALL OF THIS SEPARATION IS THERE, IS THIS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT? UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WE, WE HAVE, UH, AN ENGINEER WORKING WITH US AND SOME OF THE WORK INVOLVED WILL BE MODIFYING SOME OF THE DUCT WORK AND THE RETURN DIFFUSERS TO ALLOW THE EXISTING MECHANICAL UNITS TO ACCOMMODATE THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE.
AND, UM, AND, AND THAT WORK IS PART OF THAT ESTIMATE.
SO THAT ESTIMATE PRICE INCLUDES THE WORK NECESSARY FOR THE MECHANICAL SYSTEM.
MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT'S THE ESTIMATE, IN OTHER WORDS, HOW LONG WAS IT THE ESTIMATED TIME FOR THE WORK? I THINK TORN DID WE, DID WE PUT IN A TIME IN THE ESTIMATES? SO HE'S ZOOMING IN HERE NECESSARILY SAY ON THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR PROCESS, THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS INVOLVED, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT CONSERVATIVELY YOU'D BE ABLE TO OPEN IN LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.
I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT HIS LINE 32, HE CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATED STARTING AT THE END OF OCTOBER AND FINISHING ABOUT MID MARCH AND SOMEWHERE IN THERE, THERE'S GOING TO BE A PHASE FOR THE LIBRARY IS TO HAVE TO, BEFORE THEY START THE LIBRARY'S GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE SOME OF THE ADULT FICTION BOOKS OVER TO THE NON-FICTION AREA.
AND THEN SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO MOVE SOME CHILDREN'S MATERIALS OUT TO DO WHATEVER WORK WE'RE GOING TO DO.
SO THERE'LL BE A COUPLE PAUSES IN THE WORK TO ALLOW THE LIBRARY, TO BE ABLE TO MOVE SOME OF THE INTERNAL MATERIALS AND FURNITURE AND COLLECTIONS.
SO IT COULD BE FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS.
AND, UH, CONTRACTORS OFTEN WILL, UH, BE AGGRESSIVE IN THEIR SCHEDULES WHEN THEY PUT THEIR BIDS TOGETHER, BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOW THEM TO BE A LITTLE MORE COMPETITIVE BECAUSE THEIR OVERHEAD WILL BE LOWER, BUT OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO HAVE IT DONE, UH, IN, IN THE MARCH, APRIL TIMEFRAME SO THAT THE LIBRARY
[01:00:01]
WOULD BE READY FOR A, UH, POST COVID SUMMER CHILDREN'S READING PROGRAM USING THE NEW SPACE.ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A QUESTION? THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE DAVID IS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THIS, UM, THIS HAS NOT GONE OUT TO BID YET.
SO WHEN YOU SAY POSSIBLY OCTOBER 1ST START, THAT'S EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE.
DON'T YOU THINK IT PROBABLY IS.
IT PROBABLY FLY BACK TO NOVEMBER.
IT WILL DEPEND ON, IT WILL DEPEND ON THE COUNTY'S PROCUREMENT, BUT YOU'RE YOU'RE RIGHT ON THAT, THAT POINT.
I STILL THINK IT'S CAPABLE OF BEING DONE BY MARCH OR APRIL.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY FOR THE TRUSTEES, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THE LIBRARY IS CLOSED FOR ALL THAT TIME, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
BUT OUR INTENTION IS THAT THE LIBRARY WOULD, THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE ABLE TO REMAIN OPERATIONAL AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL STIPULATE IN THE DRAWING.
SO THE, THERE MAY BE SOME TEMPORARY WALLS.
THERE MAY BE SOME NOISE GOING ON, BUT, UH, DEPENDING ON HOW SOON THE CONTRACTOR GETTING STARTED, YOU, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT EVEN HAVE PATRONS IN THE LIBRARY FOR PART OF THE WORK.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DAVID OR TORIN OR RAY? OKAY.
UM, DO YOU HAVE THE SAMPLES OF THE FLOOR COLORS AND SO ON TO SHOW THE BOARD? I KNOW
THEN ONCE THEY, UH, TAKE THE SCREEN DOWN, I WILL ATTEMPT TO SHOW YOU THERE THE COLOR BOARD.
IT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO BE EXCITING TO SEE THIS HAPPEN.
IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY GREAT.
HERE'S THE COLOR BOARD I SAW IT YESTERDAY WAS SO RAY, YOU COULD EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THERE, BASICALLY, AS YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, THESE COLORS ARE DESIGNED AND WERE PICKED BY THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY STAFF.
AND THESE ARE ALL DESIGNED BY THE INTERIOR DESIGNER, WORKS WITH DAVID, UH, TO, UH, MATCH EXISTING COLORS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF GRAY IN THAT BUILDING.
UH, THIS WAS THE GRAY TILE THAT WOULD GO IN THE ENTRYWAY OF THE BIG ENTRY WAY, ALL WAY FROM THE CIRCULATION DESK IN FRONT OF THAT.
UH, THEN THIS IS THE KOREAN COLOR OF THE COUNTERS AND THE NEW STAFF WORK AREA, UH, UP HERE, UH, THE COVE BASE, UH, AND THEN THE CARPET AND THE MAIN AREA, UH, HAS SOME BRENE AND SOME BLUES TO MATCH.
THEN THIS, THEN ALL OF THESE COLORS, UH, THE GREENS, THE BLUES, UH, AND THE TILE THAT YOU SEE HERE, THE MATCH IS ALL IN THE NEW CHILDREN'S PROGRAM ROOM, UH, AND THE, AND THE NEW CHILDREN'S AREA TO BRING SOME ADDITIONAL COLOR, UH, UH, IN THAT CHILDREN'S AREA.
SO, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COLOR PALETTE YOU SEE HERE? ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM TRUSTEES? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, WHEN, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO, UM, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO SEND OUT FOR THE BEDS OR HOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE, WHEN DOES THAT HAPPEN? WELL, ONCE THE, UH, ONCE DAVID AND I ARE FINISHED, UH, AND THEY, UH, HAVE IT IN THE CORRECT COUNTY FORMAT, THE BID FORMAT THAT WILL GO TO THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT FOR REVIEW, UH, AND THEN, UH, UH, ONCE THAT'S BEEN REVIEWED AND APPROVED TO SEND OUT TO BITTERS AND IT WILL, IT WILL, IT WILL GO OUT.
THE BIDS WILL COME BACK AND THEN THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT WILL FORM THE COMMITTEE AND SOME, A MEMBER OR TWO FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, UH, WILL, UH, PROBABLY SIT ON THAT, UM, UH, COMMITTEE.
AND THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD WHO DOES THAT.
UH, AND THEN CHUCK WOULD, MAY BE ON THAT BOARD, CHUCK ATKINSON, UH, ON THAT, UH, REVIEW COMMITTEE TO SELECT THE BID.
UH, ALL THE BIDS ARE CONSIDERED APPLES TO APPLES AND THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT WILL SCHOOL.
UH, WHOEVER SITS ON THAT COMMITTEE ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND WHAT THE KIND OF THE COUNTY RULES FOR PROCUREMENT ARE.
UH, AND THEN THEY, EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER GETS A, A SCORE SHEET AND A VOTE, UH, FOR THE BID, UH, AND THEN, UH, UH, AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, UH, ALL THE APPLES BEING APPLES TO APPLES.
UH, THEN THE LOW BID WILL, UH, THEY GET THE BID.
THERE ARE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN THAT IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE, BUT GENERALLY TRUE.
UH, AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS.
I OUTLINED, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF, UH, MY PROGRAM OF, UH, UH, MY TALK THIS MORNING OR TONIGHT, UH, AS TO THAT PROCESS.
SO ONCE THE COMMITTEE SELECTS THE BID, THE WINNING BID, THEN
[01:05:01]
IT HAS TO GO TO COMMUNITY SERVICES, COMMITTEE, FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL BEFORE FULL COUNTY COUNCIL, UM, ACROSS STATE LAW SAYS THAT THE ONLY, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL MAY APPROVE EXPENDITURES OF LIBRARY IMPACT.UH, AND THEN ONCE A COUNCIL VOTES TO APPROVE THE BID, UH, THEN IT GOES BACK TO PROCUREMENT TO DO A PURCHASE ORDER.
SO THE WINNING CONTRACTOR WHO WILL THEN MARSHAL THE, UH, MATERIALS, UH, AND THE MARSHALING OF MATERIALS IS TAKEN LONGER NOWADAYS NOW BECAUSE OF COVID-19, UH, AND, UH, OTHER THINGS.
UM, SO THAT PROCESS CAN TAKE LONGER.
UH, SO ONCE ALL THE MATERIALS AND THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS ARE READY, THEN THE COUNTY WOULD AGREE TO THAT DATE FOR HIM TO START WORK AND THEY WOULD BEGIN THE CONSTRUCTION.
UH, AND, UH, YOU SAW DAVID'S TIMELINE.
THE CONTRACTOR WOULD GIVE US A SIMILAR TIMELINE AS TO WHEN THAT WOULD BE, UH, DONE.
UH, AND, UH, AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE A GRAND OPENING AT THE END OF THAT PROCESS, HOPEFULLY TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY, UH, UM, UH, WHAT, UH, WHAT'S BEEN DONE, UH, UH, TO THAT FACILITY AND GREATLY ENHANCING THE, UH, THE, UH, UH, THE SPACE FOR THE CHILDREN OF THAT COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CLOWN, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY WE HAVE TO GO.
TAM, I JUST WANT TO SAY, I THINK THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION, BUT THERE'S NO WAY THIS IS GOING TO BE DONE IN OCTOBER.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE REALLY REALISTIC WITH SHARING WITH THE PUBLIC.
UM, THE TIMELINE, I THINK THIS IS A TERRIFIC DEVELOPMENT AND WE'RE ALL VERY PROUD, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST HOPE WITH ALL OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS WERE NOT, UM, RE UH, RAISING EXPECTATIONS ABOUT HOW QUICKLY THIS WILL BE DONE, CAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA BE DONE BY MARCH.
WELL, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, NONE OF THIS HAS BEEN PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
THE TIMELINE IS JUST, JUST THAT IT'S A PROSPECTIVE TIMELINE.
SO, UH, UNTIL WE'RE SURE OF THE TIMELINE, IT WON'T BE PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, AND, UH, AND, UH, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE BID PROCESS BEFORE WE CAN EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT.
WELL, I THINK JANET'S REFERRING TO THE PA THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE DO ACTUALLY WATCH THESE MEETINGS.
I DO KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE WHERE I LIVE THAT WATCHES MEETINGS WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR INSOMNIA ATTACKS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, HE SHE'S RIGHT.
WE DON'T WANT TO MISLEAD THEM THAT WE'RE GOING TO KICK IT OFF IN OCTOBER.
IT'S GOING TO BE DONE BY MARCH, BECAUSE AS YOU JUST DESCRIBED THE PROCESS, I'M THINKING WE'RE GETTING OLDER BY THE MINUTE WHILE THEY HAD HAPPENED.
I ALSO THINK, I ALSO THINK PROBABLY MOST OF US ON THE CALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH OTHER BUILDING PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAD PROBLEMS. I THINK RAY'S COMMENT ABOUT, UH, PROCUREMENT OF, UH, THE NECESSARY SUPPLIES IS, IS CHALLENGING.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO REASONABLY, BUT WALK THE DATA BE MORE CHALLENGING.
SO I JUST THINK, UM, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK THAT PUBLIC WILL LOVE IT.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT A MUCH LONGER TIMEFRAME AT, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY IT WILL BE DONE IN 2021, AND THEN WE CAN CELEBRATE WHEN THAT, WHEN HIT THAT MILESTONE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.
I AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENT, UH, ANOTHER WAY THAT MIGHT SAFELY PUT IT WOULD BE TO SAY THAT WE, WE BELIEVE THAT THE CONSTRUCTION WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS FROM THE TIME BIDS ARE RECEIVED AND APPROVED, OR FROM THE TIMES OF LOW BITTERS IDENTIFIED.
AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THE UNKNOWN IS REALLY HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET IT THROUGH THE COUNTY PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND IDENTIFY LOW BETTER.
BUT ONCE WE HAVE THAT LOW BID OR UNDER CONTRACT, I THINK THAT WORKS THREE TO FOUR MONTHS.
ANY OTHER QUESTION ON THE BLUFFTON REMODEL? SO YOU HAVE TO UNMUTE YOURSELF, JACK.
AND THE COUNTY HAS NUMEROUS AGENCIES, CONFESSION BEGINS IS MONITORING OF THE ACTIVITY FROM THE DIFFERENT COUNTY SIDE, THEN BY SOMEONE FROM BUFORD COUNTY ADMINISTRATION OR LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION, OR FROM SOMEONE FROM BUFORD COUNTY ENGINEERING, WHO WOULD FOLLOW THIS, WHO WOULD MONITOR FOR STANDARDS FOR COMPLETION FOR ACCURACY? YES, JOE, YES, JOE.
UH, IT WOULD BE DONE BY COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, BY COUNTY FACILITIES ENGINEERING, UH, WHOEVER THE COUNTY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ON THE COUNTY SIDE.
THEY WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN THE PROGRESS AND THE PROCESS TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS DONE RIGHT.
UH, AND ON THE LIBRARY SIDE, WE WOULDN'T BE WATCHING, UH, JOSH GREER, OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR OPERATIONS MANAGER.
HE W HE WOULD BE THERE BASICALLY EVERY DAY, EVERY OTHER DAY, EVEN AN EYE ON THINGS TO MAKE SURE, UH, THE PROGRESS FROM THE LIBRARY'S PERSPECTIVE
[01:10:01]
IS, IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.SO YES, THROUGH, THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, THERE WERE NUMEROUS COUNTY AND LIBRARY ENTITIES INVOLVED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR ARCHITECTS ON THIS? I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GREAT.
IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT PROJECT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, DAVID AND TONY.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER OLD BUSINESS? ALL RIGHT.
[XI. New Business]
ANY NEW BUSINESS, BERNIE.UH, I WANTED TO ADDRESS CHUCK ATKINSON PERSONALLY.
UH, I THINK CHUCK REMEMBERS ME FROM THE OLD DAYS WHEN HE WAS A, I GUESS, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WORKING ON RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WITH HIS FATHER.
AND WE OFTEN BIKE IN THE TELFAIR OR REAL PINES HERE IS WE WOULD BE BUILDING RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER.
AND CHUCK WOULD BE DOING HIS THING GENERALLY AT THE DISCRETION OF HIS FATHER.
BUT IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, CHUCK, I KNEW YOU WERE STILL WITH THE COUNTY, BUT YOU KNOW, HOW IS YOUR DAD STILL AROUND? YES, SIR.
WELL, AND BY THE WAY, TRUMP'S A GOOD GUY TO BE DOING THIS KIND OF STUFF.
CAUSE HE'S HAD THE EXPERIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION.
ANY OTHER CARS? I DO HAVE ONE APP THAT THEY'LL DO NEW BUSINESS ON.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT GOES THROUGH OR NOT, BUT I, I WANT TO REITERATE TO THE PUBLIC THAT OUR ESTEEM DIRECTOR, RAYMOND BRIDE, WHO WILL BE LEAVING US OCTOBER 2ND, HE'S BEEN THERE, I THINK JUST OVER FIVE YEARS, CORRECT RATE FIVE YEARS.
AND IT'S BEEN A GREAT TRUSTEE.
IT'S BEEN A GREAT RIDE TO HAVE RAY WITH US.
HE'S EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT, ORGANIZED, PERSONABLE, AND I GIVE US A GOLD AWARD FOR NAVIGATING THE COUNTY AND ELLA TO THAT.
BUT WE ARE, WE HAVE TRIED TO CONVINCE RAY TO STAY AND SHORT OF BUYING HIM.
I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WE'RE LOSING REALLY AN EXCEPTION ON LIBRARY DIRECTOR.
AND I TOLD HIM, I TOLD RAY ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO THAT I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED.
I COULD UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I S I SAID THAT WHY MY FOUR YEARS, AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, HE MADE THE, ALL THE TRUSTEES AND HE MADE ME LOOK GOOD.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER HAD, UH, SUCH A GREAT, UH, UH, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, UH, AND YOU GUYS ARE ALL AMAZING.
UH, AND I CAN'T DO WHAT I DO WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE SPORTS YOU HAVE GIVEN ME OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
I THINK WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW SIX SIXES AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, COVID-19, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, I WISH IT WOULD GO AWAY SO WE CAN GET BACK TO DOING WHAT WE DO BEST AND THAT'S SERVING OUR PUBLIC.
UH, AND YOU GUYS ARE, UH, AMAZING REPRESENTATIVES OF YOUR DISTRICTS.
AND I, FOR ONE, I'M VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THEM TAB.
I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO THE MOST BENNY PUBLIC ART, HAVING A SLEEPLESS NIGHT AND WATCHING THIS FOR MOST PEOPLE, THEY WALK IN THE LIBRARY, THEY GET THE BOOK THEY WANT, OR THEY GET THE VIDEO, OR THEY DOWNLOAD SOMETHING AND IT NEVER CROSSES THEIR MIND.
AND HOW MUCH OF A IMPACT, UM, THE CULTURE OF THE LIBRARY, THE FRIENDLINESS OF THE STAFF, THE ARRAY OF SERVICES AND BOOKS IS DEPENDENT ON WHO IS RUNNING THE PLACE.
AND WE ARE VERY, FOR IT HAVE BEEN REALLY BLESSED TO SIGNIFICANTLY UPGRADE THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF OUR SERVICES UNDER RAY'S LEADERSHIP.
AND HE'S NOT, HE'S BEEN VERY VISIBLE, YOU KNOW, TO IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT STILL THAT MEANS MOST PEOPLE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO MEET HIM.
AND WE'RE SO PROUD THAT HE'S BEEN SUCH A GOOD REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT WE'RE ALL PASSIONATE ABOUT, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING OUR LIBRARY BE A TOP NOTCH LIBRARY THAT SERVES THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SERVES THE YOUTH, UH, SERVES THE COUNTY CITIZENS.
AND WE'RE ALSO LOSING ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE EXPERTS IN THE STATE.
MANY OF OUR STATE LIBRARIES LOOK TO RAY, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, HE'S, HE WAS A FOUNDER OF THINGS AND HE'S RECEIVED AWARDS.
[01:15:01]
SO WE'RE LOSING A REALLY PRIMARY DIRECTOR, BUT I HAVE OFFERED TO RAY WHEN HE'S BORED IN HIS NEW PLACE, HE CAN ABSOLUTELY COME BACK AND JUST JUMP RIGHT IN AGAIN, THAT'S ALWAYS, WE ARE.SO WE'RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE THIS LEADERSHIP, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S JUST, HE'S RECOGNIZED BY SO MANY OF HIS PEERS, WHICH SPEAKS TO HOW LUCKY WE WERE TO HAVE ON A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND REALLY TURNED AROUND AN ORGANIZATION, UM, SOME OF YOU KNOW, BETTER ABOUT THAT THAN I DO.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO, I SOMETIMES WONDER HOW WE GOT LUCKY TO FIND GRAY BECAUSE I WAS HERE BEFORE AND JOE IS HERE AND SOME OF BERNIE AND I JUST, I JUST THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY.
SO I WANTED THE PUBLIC TO KNOW HE WAS LEAVING US.
ANY OTHER COMMENT FROM A TRUST TEAM, FEEL FREE AT THIS MOMENT.
THERE'S A FEW OF US TO HAVE LYNN, BERNIE AND I WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND FROM THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION TO THIS ADMINISTRATION.
AND WE'VE SEEN A, JUST A GIGANTIC TITANIC CHANGE IN THE LIBRARY, UM, IN, IN THE STAFF AND THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.
AND IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL HAVING YOU WITH US FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
TAP SAID, YOU CAN COME BACK ANYTIME.
ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, THEN I, OH, LYNN, YOU WANT TO SPEAK? GO AHEAD.
I JUST WANT TO SAY QUICKLY THAT, UM, BEFORE RAY CAME, UH, THE LIBRARIES WERE, WERE BEING CALLED DINOSAURS AND GET RID OF THEM.
AND I, YOU HAVE MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE AND THE PUBLIC DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T EVEN ENTER THEIR MIND.
AND WHAT ENTERS YOUR MIND IS HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE AND HOW MUCH THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING USED.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.
UM, I'M GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO GO
[XII. Executive Session]
INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL.SO I'D LIKE A MOTION TO MEET, TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND JUST TO REMIND THE PUBLIC, WE WILL NOT BE VOTING THERE ANY VOTE.
SO WE WILL COME OUT AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ALL RIGHT, JOE AND BERNIE SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR OF MOVING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, SAY WAVE AT US.
FOR THE PUBLIC, WE'LL BE BACK OUT AFTER WE'RE DONE.
ALL OF US ARE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL BROADCASTING LETS US KNOW WE'RE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT TO RECOMMEND AMANDA DICKMAN, TO BE THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTY LIBRARY, UH, UNTIL A NEW DIRECTOR IS FOUND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE TOPIC? ALL RIGHT.
I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF KEVIN RECOMMENDING THAT AMANDA DICKMAN BECOME THE INTERIM LIBRARY DIRECTOR AS YOU KNOW, BECAUSE RAY'S GOING TO LEAVE, BUT IT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY WITH APPROPRIATE COMPENSATION.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY HI.
UM, AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO, UNLESS THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
BERNIE SAID WE ADJOURN SOMEONE SECOND, TERRY SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR, WAVE AT ME.