Madison Library District

Trustee Board Meeting

Annual Budget Hearing

Minutes

Wednesday, 18 August 2010

The meeting was called to order at 5:10pm by Blaine Robertson, chairman. Board members present were Blaine Robertson, Gordon Timothy, Henry Benavidez, Jeniel Facer, Pam Beard, Judy Dewey, secretary, and Valerie Vail, assistant director.

Remodel

Windows in Old Library

The first item of business was the condition of the window frames in the old library. While replacing the glazing was in the contract, the frames were expected to be reused; however, upon further investigation it was discovered some of them were beyond use and the others were not in good condition after thirty years. Judy showed the board two samples. One matched the frames in the new addition (6” x 2”) and the other was smaller (4” x 2”). The existing frames are 5 1/2” by 2”. Any savings incurred by using the smaller frame would be eaten up in labor costs to clean the bricks of excess sealant and other stains, so the board decided to go with the 6x2 frames. The 6x2 frame material would take longer to arrive, but the subcontractor had already ordered it for the clerestory windows. It was decided to use that material for the lower windows and wait to use the additional material in the clerestory windows. The contractor with make the clerestory openings as weather-tight as possible in the meantime.

Jeniel made the motion to use the 6x2 framing, Henry seconded the motion, and all but one board member voted to approve. Gordon was the dissenting board member. Judy was authorized to approve the change order request, assuming the final figure corresponded with those presented to the board.

Furniture - Inside Out

When the bid for the furniture was prepared by CRSA, they did not indicate to the bidders that the library project was in two parts; therefore, almost all the furniture was delivered and had to be put in storage. The vendor, Inside Out, needs to be paid because they have paid their vendors. All the furniture has been delivered. That meant for the community room and the remodel is in storage and the library now has the keys to the units. Judy will look at the furniture to make certain it is indeed there (although determining if every piece is there is not possible at this time). The board decided to go ahead and pay Inside Out the balance of the purchase price since the company has threatened to take it back and return it to their vendors. The library would then be out approximately $30,000 in deposit. Judy said the extra money they will charge for returning to Rexburg to install the rest of the furniture should be charged to CRSA since they prepared the bid incorrectly.

Schedule for Completion

The building project is now scheduled for completion the first week in October. Considering it was supposed to be completed by now, we are about six weeks behind schedule.

Current Issues: CRSA

CRSA has accepted responsibility for $12,322 of the $82,150 of omissions and errors so far in the construction project. Some monies have already been credited to the library. CRSA is owed $11,115.49 which is 7% of the total upgrades and unforeseen conditions so far. They will write us a check for the difference.

Pam made the motion to accept the credit and cash payment that acknowledges CRSA’s errors and their responsibility for those errors. Henry seconded the motion. All voted in favor.

During the meeting earlier in the afternoon with Wally and Kevin, they walked through the old library. Wally observed several issues and made some changes on the spot which should save the library money and solve some problems the contractor has faced. Blaine asked that Wally make two more site visits before we are through with the project as part of the settlement.

Addition

Forsgren Associates Invoices

Judy has been in communication with Forsgren Associates regarding their invoices which total more than the agreed amount of $16,000. Forsgren has written a letter outlining the issues. Some re-testing charges will be sent to the contractor for payment; some charges (e.g., for floor flatness) are in addition to the contract; some costs they will absorb as a donation to the library. However, the figures in the letter had discrepancies and at the time of the board meeting, a revised letter had not been received. Therefore, no decision by the board was possible.

Current Issues

Forbo Flooring

The welded seams in the Forbo linoleum flooring attract dirt and become unsightly. The janitors have not been able to clean them to the library’s satisfaction. This problem is being addressed by the architects and the custodians. It appears the proper cleaner has not been used, but that cleaner has now been procured. Judy will continue to monitor this situation.

Front Entry Doors

Despite multiple adjustments by the door subcontractor, the non-ADA front doors do not close properly. Judy is of the opinion the hardware needs to be changed to a type that does not allow the doors to remain open, and it appears the weather-stripping is also interfering with the outside door not closing properly, thus negating the weather-stripping function. This issue will continue to be pursued with the contractor.

Floor Problem in Childrens Programming Room

When the floor was poured for the Childrens Programming Room (CPR), it should have been poured so the east edge rested on the foundation of the adjoining structure. Such was not done. The architects observed the same problem when the foyer was poured but did not observe it at the entrance to the CPR. At this point, nothing can be done to change it. It appears the floor slab has settled because there is a ragged line where it meets the foundation and it shows through the linoleum.

A suggested solution is to replace the light colored linoleum with a dark charcoal linoleum, through which the discrepancy in floor surfaces won’t show as much, around three sides of the room so it looks like perhaps it was planned that way.

The problem at this point is we don’t know whether the slab will continue to move. The contractor’s supervisor suggested “repairing” a patch next to the door, which would involve taking up the old flooring, re-doing the floor prep, and putting down another piece of the light gray linoleum. This will allow us to observe whether the slab is still moving. Showcase Interiors agreed this is a good experiment and their installer will do this in the next couple of weeks. It may be that we need to wait a year to see what happens before we do the “fix” with the darker linoleum.

Executive Session

Pam made the motion, pursuant to Idaho Code §67-2345(b), to adjourn into executive session. Roll call vote was as follows: Jeniel, yes; Pam, yes; Blaine, yes; Gordon, yes; Henry, yes. The meeting was then adjourned to discuss personnel matters.

Budget Hearing

Judy had prepared a preliminary budget spreadsheet, listing incomes and expenses for the current fiscal year, projecting income and expense for the balance of this fiscal year, and proposing a budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Of concern were salaries, maintenance, and utilities, the latter two being somewhat unknowns because we have not physically occupied and operated in the new library as a whole. Bids for custodial services will be requested; Judy is working on the bid documents. Maintenance costs for the coming year were based somewhat on current costs, multiplied by the expanded square footage. Utility costs (gas, electricity, water, and telephone services) were estimated and then more allowance made.

As always, salaries are of concern. By state standards, our staff is paid less than their counterparts in other parts of the state. At the same time, income for our library is below state averages for libraries our size. This is due in part to the agricultural land in the district on which lower property taxes are paid. Additionally, there are substantial Bureau of Land Management and LDS church holdings on which no property taxes are paid. Last year about 59% of the total budget was spent on salaries. The proposed budget for this year showed 60% of the total being spent on salaries. The library is essentially a service organization; service organizations spend a disproportionate amount on salaries. Judy presented four scenarios for salaries: one based on a set dollar amount per month and the other three based on percentage increases (1%, 2%, and 3%). Ultimately the board decided on the set dollar amount increase.

After much discussion and analysis, it appearing that the budget as prepared would suffice, Gordon made the motion to accept the budget, Jeniel seconded the motion, and all voted in favor. As usual, no member of the public attended the meeting so there were no public comments.

Approval of Bills

The checks having been signed and reviewed by the board members, Gordon made the motion to approve the bills, Pam seconded the motion, and all voted in favor.

Personnel Policy: Powers and Duties of the Board of Trustees

Because so much time is being spent at board meetings on the building project, it was decided to table this discussion until the building is completed and issues relating thereto have been resolved.

Janitorial Contract Bid

As mentioned above, Judy is working on this bid and will advertise for it as soon as the documents are ready.

Gordon moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:38pm. The meeting was adjourned.

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Blaine Robertson, Chairman Judith M. Dewey, Secretary