(Approved April 8, 2008)
03-20-2008
7:45 a.m.
Paseo Verde Library
Call to Order
Chair Colleen Bell called the meeting to order at 7:48 a.m.
Roll Call
Board Members Present:
Colleen Bell, Robyn Carr, Richard Derrick, Todd Hauge and John SimmonsBoard Members Absent:
Herb Hunter and Jacob SnowStaff Present:
MiNei Bingham, Debbie Englund, Tom Fay, Bryan Fearn, Orin Fielding, Mae Giaimo, George Greicar, Florica Hagendorn, Sean Hill, Gayle Hornaday, Matt Hortt, Betsy Johnson, and Michelle MazzantiOthers Present:
N/AApproval of Agenda
John Simmons made a motion to approve the agenda. Todd Hauge seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Approval of Minutes
John Simmons made a motion to approve the February 21, 2008 Board meeting minutes. Robyn Carr seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Review of Paid Invoices
The paid invoices were accepted without comment.
Director's Report
Possible Board discussion of the Director’s report or various staff reports highlighting various administrative and staff activities since the last meeting.
Tom Fay asked the Board to reserve the following dates: April 29, 2008 – Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon The Board was invited to attend the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Volunteer hours are expected to exceed 10,000 again this year. June 6, 2008 – A Night with the Classics The first Library Foundation Fund event will be hosted by Jim and Beverly Rogers at the Sunbelt Car Museum. The theme will be a carhop atmosphere and food. There is a party room where guests can enjoy food and drinks before browsing the 120 classic convertibles on display. December 5, 2008 – Library Tree Lane’s 5th Gala Friends of Henderson Libraries are already planning the 5th Library Tree Lane fundraiser and will be presenting information on this year’s event soon.
Circulation Report: Gayle Hornaday said circulation is up 12.5% over last year. Staff is continuing to watch effects of the Sunday closure. Circulation is still up 5% with the Sunday closures. Patrons are continuing to give comments and feedback, but there has been nothing critical of the library district. New Library card issuance is up 24% over last year. John Simmons commented that 24% increase sounds high. Gayle Hornaday agreed and said the increase is especially high at the Gibson Library, where patrons are rediscovering the library. Colleen Bell asked why the bookmobile shows a decreased usage. Gayle Hornaday said winter weather may be a factor.
Security: No major security breaches or issues in the past month.
Library 5K Fundraising Report: Bryan Fearn, project coordinator for the 5K Read & Run, said that nearly 400 people participated in the first-ever event on February 23rd. $7,960 was raised. The funds will be used to enhance the consumer health materials and programming. Race t-shirts were provided to the Board. Tom Fay commented that several people that intended to walk the “1 mile” actually ended up walking the whole “5K.” Many positive comments were received from people who are not normally library users. The event also enhanced the downtown area.
Marxen Family Bequest: Tom Fay said Henderson Libraries has received a bequest of $150,000 from the Marxen Family Trust. Mr. Marxen passed away in Louisiana last summer. Maurice and Mary Marxen were patrons at the Malcolm and Gibson Libraries. After all medical bills are paid, there will be a check for the remainder of the bequest; the total bequest is still unknown. When the full amount of the bequest is known the funds will be spent in an appropriate way. Hopefully the full amount will be known in time to tie into the Foundation Fund kick off.
Cox Communications: Tom Fay said City Public Information Officer, Cindy Herman, recently orchestrated a meeting with Tom Fay and Steve Schorr of Cox Communications. Cox Communications said they will step up as a community partner and Henderson Libraries will no longer pay for internet services received from Cox. This is a savings of about $10,000 a year for public internet service. A letter of appreciation has been sent to the Mayor acknowledging Cox Communications’ efforts as a community partner, all district staff and managers have been informed as well.
New Business
Discussion and possible board action regarding Purchase Letter of Intent with Lake Mead Crossing LLC regarding the sale of land for the new Gibson Library.
Tom Fay presented the Purchase Letter of Intent (LOI) with Lake Mead Crossing LLC for the purchase of the land at $1,405,500. The LOI has been reviewed and approved as to form by Henderson Libraries’ attorney R. L. Ashleman. Upon approval of the agreement, the due diligence period of 120 days begins. District staff will likely begin working with the developer’s architect to begin preliminary design work. Ultimately, the district was able to negotiate successfully and $150,000 was saved from the original asking price. The land value could have ranged as high as $2,000,000. The Common Area Maintenance (CAM) fee is still being negotiated. Lake Mead Crossing LLC will provide details as to what the CAM will cover. Todd Hauge made a motion to approve the Purchase Letter of Intent with Lake Mead Crossing LLC. Richard Derrick seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Discussion and possible board action regarding Purchase of Leasehold Improvements and Termination of Lease Agreement by the City of Henderson for the James I. Gibson Library.
Tom Fay said this contract, along with the previous item is critical in providing the City of Henderson a timeline. Unlike the Letter of Intent, the Agreement places specific obligations on both parties. The timeline designated for completion of the new Gibson Library is July to September 2009. If this deadline is not met Henderson Libraries would pay a penalty of $250 a day for the first 30 days and then $500.00 a day thereafter. There is a clause to allow for renegotiation if timelines can’t be met. John Simmons said the agreement seems very fair. Todd Hauge agreed. Tom Fay said payments have been stipulated as well as access of funds.
The Gibson Library building was built with local, state and federal money. The federal side has a 20-year interest in the project. This interest expires April 12, 2009, well within the designated timeline, and documentation has been received from the Nevada State Library and Archives to that effect. John Simmons made a motion to approve the Purchase of Leasehold Improvements and Termination of Lease Agreement with the City of Henderson for the James I. Gibson Library. Todd Hauge seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Discussion and possible board action regarding designation of Kafoury Armstrong as fiscal year 2008 auditor.
Debbie Englund said Henderson Libraries requested auditor bids five years ago. This is the last year of the contract that was awarded to Kafoury, Armstrong & Co. Next year the audit services will again be put out to bid. Kafoury, Armstrong & Co. raised the rate $500, in accordance with the contract. New auditing standards require a more in depth audit of internal controls which will result in a $4,000-8,000 increase. This new requirement is mandatory. The more input by staff, the more likely the fee will be $4,000; accounting staff will be working diligently to keep the fee on the low side. Colleen Bell asked about GASB 45. Does Henderson Libraries have to show liability for other post employee benefits (OPEB)? Debbie Englund replied yes, however Henderson Libraries elected not to go with a post-retirement plan for current employees other than PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) and therefore does not have any OPEB liabilities. Due to size, Henderson District Public Libraries is not required to implement GASB 45 this year. Debbie Englund will review the GASB 45 requirement again in 2009. Due to its size, Henderson Libraries will probably not be affected too much. John Simmons made a motion to approve the designation of Kafoury Armstrong as fiscal year 2008 auditor. Richard Derrick seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Old Business
Discussion regarding the continued negotiations and planning with Juliet Development on the new Gibson Library to possibly be located in the Lake Mead Crossing development.
Tom Fay said the first step, the approval of the Letter of Intent, was handled today. Building costs are roughly estimated at $3 million. Some costs will be negotiable; tenant improvement costs such as flooring, lighting and fixtures can be negotiated and kept as low as possible. The choice of a good grade of carpet is important because replacement involves moving thousands of books. Some costs are not going to be negotiable. The library needs to be maintained by Henderson Libraries standards; the developer may not be involved with the property in five years. There will be continued negotiations on multiple fronts once construction begins.
Discussion regarding the Green Valley Library.
A preliminary report from the architect will be available in April. The next step will be to go to a construction estimator. The architects didn’t see anything that looked impossible or impossibly expensive on the walk-through. Tom Fay pointed out that these type of construction projects can be more expensive than original construction due to the structural issues involved. John Simmons asked if RAFI was the architect that did the walk-through. Tom Fay replied yes and Bob Fielden of RAFI was one of the architects for the original Green Valley Library building.
Discussion and possible board action regarding Personnel Subcommittee minutes, Director’s Annual Evaluation, Salary Adjustment and contract amendment.
Colleen Bell said the personnel subcommittee met on March 12th to review the evaluation forms and evaluate the Executive Director. Four board members selected the outstanding category; one selected significantly exceeds expectations. One board member did not complete the evaluation. Based on the evaluations and the subsequent interview with the Executive Director, the subcommittee makes the following recommendations:
1. A 6.5% salary increase for the Executive Director effective April 1st.
2. The Director’s annual leave accrual be raised by 40 hours.
Debbie Englund said she understood that the accrual limit was to be raised 40 hours. Colleen Bell replied it was the intent of the committee to increase the accrual limit, as well as award 40 more hours of annual leave. It was the consensus of the personnel subcommittee that the evaluation process used for the past several years is working well and should be continued. Richard Derrick thanked the personnel subcommittee for the work involved in making this determination. John Simmons made a motion to approve both a 6.5% increase in the Director’s salary effective April 1st and to award 40 more hours of annual leave as well as raising the accrual limit by 40 hours. John Simmons further motioned to approve the March 12, 2008 personnel subcommittee minutes, amended to reflect that the Executive Director will receive an additional 40 hours of annual leave. Robyn Carr seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
Announcements
The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, NV.
Public Comment
Note: Pursuant to Nevada’s Open Meeting Law, action may not be taken on matters presented during this period until included on a future agenda as an action item.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 8:33 a.m.
Pursuant to NRS 241.020, written notice of the meeting of Henderson District Public Libraries’ Board of Trustees was posted by Friday, March 14, 2008 at least three (3) business days before the meeting, including in the notice the time, place, location and agenda of the meeting. Details of the agenda may be obtained by calling 492-6584.
Posted at Paseo Verde Library, James I. Gibson Library, Lydia Malcolm Library, Pittman Library, City of Henderson-City Clerk’s Office, and the HDPL website.