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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLibrary Promo Cmte - 04/28/10 ��� � ' CITY OF PALM DESERT �,r-'� �--�, � ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE APROVED MINUTES Wednesday, Aprii 28, 2010 - 3:00 p.m. Administrative Conference Room I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Kermode called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. City Clerk Rachelle Klassen administered the Oath of Office to new Library Promotion Committee Member Lois Cardona. Chairman Kermode introduced the Library's new Special Events Coordinator (Jodi Elowitz) and new Volunteer Coordinator (Eileen Strain). She said she had recently heard from former Special EventsNolunteer Coordinator Mary Arnold, who was very happy and living in Pacific Grove. II. ROLL CALL Present: Absent: Member Joan Beasley Member Betty Carapellese , Member Lois Cardona � � � rn � � n � � Member Marilyn Hahn ,; y z � � .� n � '� Member Ella Manor � � y n � c � Vice Chair Bobbie Rosenberg c �, 1 Chairman Louise Kermode K � n t� � Also Present: � � 3 -. Jean M. Benson, Councilmember � , z Barbara Bowie, Desert Zone Manager, Riverside County Libraries � Jeannie Kays, City Librarian , O � Jodi Elowitz, Special Events Coordinator �, — � z Eileen Strain, Volunteer Coordinator G � � Rachelle D. Klassen, City Clerk � Mary P. LaCross, Recording Secretary g APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 I11. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES of the Palm Desert Library Promotion Committee Meeting of December 16, 2009 Rec: Approve as presented. Upon motion by Member Beasley, second by Member Hahn, the Minutes of the Library Promotion Committee meeting of December 16, 2009, were approved as presented by a 6-0 vote. V. NEW BUSINESS A. REQUEST FOR DISPLAY OF SISTER CITIES ART WORK Ms. Klassen noted that John Marman, President of the Palm Desert Sister Cities program, had approached her last week relative to displaying Sister Cities art at the Library. He had indicated he might be able to attend this meeting to explain his request if he could break away from another commitment he was involved with at College of the Desert. She said she had forewarned him that the Library facility is not really set up for a lot of display, but perhaps there might be some things that could be displayed or hung. She was not sure if everything he has is hangable art work, but she felt the Committee and Librarian Jeannie Kays might wish to think about it. Ms. Kays said the Library had done a Sister Cities display several years ago. Ms. Klassen added that it was her understanding there were items from both of Palm Desert's Sister Cities (Gisborne, New Zealand; Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico). She said she thought the Committee would be favorable to having such a display if something could be worked out by the Library and its staff. Upon question by Chairman Kermode, she said she believed it would be a temporary exhibit. 2 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 Ms. Kays said she felt it should be fine as long as it was a temporary exhibit, depending on the size, etc. Councilmember Benson noted that she was the City Council liaison to the Sister Cities Committee. She said the purpose of this request was to let the community know that Palm Desert has two Sister Cities. It was felt that by having the artwork out in the community, people would see it and ask about it, and the Library was a good place to start. She noted that signage would include contact information so that people would know who to call if they had any questions or wanted to get involved with the program. Mr. Marman arrived later in the meeting and noted that the Committee had gathered some really nice, good quality artwork from both Sister Cities, and it was currently being stored in a climate controlled facility. He said he hoped the Library would consider displaying this artwork in the near future. B. REPORT RELATIVE TO PROPOSED FY 2010/2011 LIBRARY BUDGET Mrs. Klassen reported that the City's proposed Fiscal Year 2010/2011 budget would be adopted by the City Council at its last meeting in June, which is the end of the current fiscal year, so that the City has an approved budget on July 1. She said staff was given direction to reduce the proposed 2010/2011 budget if possible or at least to maintain it at the same level, and she had submitted the proposed Library budget at the same amount as the current year. Since that time, she said it was her understanding that Ms. Kays might have some ideas for changes to individual line items, keeping the bottom line amount the same. Ms. Kays suggested that the $20,000 events budget be reduced by $8,000 (to $12,000) and that the materials/book budget be increased by that amount to $33,000. She said she did not anticipate having as many programs in the coming year because of the planned Library remodel, and they desperately needed those funds for additional books. 3 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 Member Rosenberg asked whether next year the Committee will be able to argue the bottom line and not line by line. In other words, once the remodel is complete, if the Committee wanted to move funds from the book budget back to the events budget, was that something that could be done with ease? Councilmember Benson responded that she felt this was something that could be done easily. Ms. Klassen added that the Committee and staff could revisit that matter. Member Beasley moved to, by Minute Motion, accept the proposed Library budget for fiscal year 2010/2011 as amended. Motion was seconded by Member Manor and carried by a 6-0 vote. C. PRESENTATION OF THE LIBRARY REFRESH PROJECT BY RIVERSIDE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY The following is a verbatim transcript of this portion of the meeting: � RDK Rachelle D. Klassen, City Clerk SP Sergio Pena, Riverside County Economic Development Agency LK Louise Kermode, Library Committee Chairman BR Bobbie Rosenberg, Library Committee Vice Chair JB Joan Beasley, Library Committee Member JK Jeannie Kays, City Librarian JMB Councilmember Jean M. Benson ES Eileen Strain, Library Volunteer Coordinator EM Ella Manor, Library Committee Member BB Barbara Bowie, Desert Zone Manager, Riverside County Libraries RDK I'm sure you all know, we've discussed it many times here, our Multi- Agency Library opened in April of 1996. As you can just see by these statistics, the way the growth has been and the usage and the number of people through the front door and the programs over the years, we've used it well, and it's time to re-carpet, repaint, and maybe do some other things. About a year ago, we met with...well, actually, longer than that ago...as you know, we were going to maybe move into the other half of the Library, buy out the College...that is still in the works but at some point 4 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 farther in the future than it was four years ago. Four years ago, we were thinking about moving in about now, 2010/2011, something like that. Well, now that's been extended out probably another (inaudible)...an�nnray, we need to re-carpet, we need to freshen the place up. We've worked with the County, and even before Nancy Johnson left and went to Azusa, she was on board with this and said okay, let's work on this. And there are monies, it's not General Fund money. It's money through the pass- through agreements that we have with the County. There's a certain percentage of the money that comes from property tax that gets put into this fund, and it's designated for use on our Library or to serve Palm Desert Library constituents. And so that's how we...we're fortunate enough to get Mr. Sergio Pena involved, Supervising Facilities Project Manager, at the Riverside County Economic Development Agency, which I understand the Library is under now... SP That is correct. RDK ...okay, so Library services will be managed by the Economic Development Agency. Here's Sergio. He is a godsend to me because I, you know...take minutes at a meeting, type notes, type tables...l'm there. I manage the records....but Sergio is Mr. Construction and Architecture. SP Thank you for that introduction. Actually, you kind of stole my thunder there a little bit. RDK Oh, shoot, well go ahead. SP That's okay. I was brought in late last year, and where I started was trying to dovetail into some of the conversations Rachelle had, Barbara Bowie, Barbara Howison, and with our County Librarian. I even saw some correspondence, I think, from this committee. Oh, I'm sorry...am I speaking loud enough? EM No SP No? Okay. I started late last year reading through some of the correspondences that we had between some of the players...Rachelle Klassen, Barbara Howison, and Barbara Bowie, and Nancy Johnson. Reading through that, I tried to organize the scope of...intent of the Library moving forward. One of the first things I was asked to do was generate a budget...hey, how much is this going to cost? So, knowing very specific 5 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 things about the Library that we wanted to do, and not knowing the extent of what it's going to do to the facility...does it have the infrastructure needed to do these things...l think...we opted to bring in a design professional earlier on to get a cost estimate together that we could present to both the County and the City and use that as the baseline, the framework for hey, how much is this going to cost, to make sure we don't have cost overruns in the future. And you guys, you know, the Committee, knowing....full aware, ahead of time, what are we getting ourselves into. So, what did we do? We advertised for an architect in mid-January. We received 46 statements of qualifications. It was a laborious effort befinreen the College of the Desert, the City, the County, and LSSI, who operates the facility. We short-listed five firms, which all were great...they interviewed very well. There was a pair of firms that collaborated...one is Group 4 out of San Francisco, and the second is Holt Architects out of Rancho Mirage. And they had some very interesting ideas... LK What is the name of the company? SP Holt Architects from Rancho Mirage and Group 4 out of San Francisco. Some of the ideas, I think, caught Jeannie's eye and Rachelle's and some of the people involved in those interviews, and I think the goal is to really capture this opportunity, you know, since we know we have to replace carpet, replace paint, to figure out if there's, you know, (inaudible) operational model that could extend library hours within the operational budgets that we have. So the design process that we're looking at now...we'll take a look at the Library statistics that Jeannie showed and see how we can use the funds that we have available to meet the needs. Maybe the facility changes a little bit and how it's organized, but really we're looking at servicing the needs with what we have to use. Where we're at now....we're negotiating the fee with the architect. We're probably at the tail end of that. We really can't encumber or obligate ourselves into that agreement until the County formally requests from the City Redevelopment area the "project" (quote, unquote). And so from that point on, I think the County, you'll see, will move forward much more quickly in the design process. And what I mean the design process is you'll start seeing some of the imagery about what we feel the Library could be. You know, you'll see a lot of conversations with yourself...hey, do you like this, do you like that, and Jeannie will be involved as will Barbara Bowie, Barbara House, and Rachelle, and then you guys are as 6 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 well. We've actually set up, or have an intent to set up, some workshops and surveys and things of that nature moving forward. One of your questions is probably well, when will it start and when will it finish? I have a schedule in here, and I just noticed there's an error at the end of this, but I'll pass it around anyways...then you can see...l apologize for the small print...there are just a lot of things I tried to fit in that one page. Really, for those that may not already be aware, the Library is actually governed by the State of California. It's built on College grounds, so we have to go through the State to make any modifications or any improvements. And so...we feel that's our biggest deterrent. We feel we can get to the State fairly quickly with the design that, you know, everyone's in consensus with and approves. So with that being said, we can probably see some work start at the end of the year or early next year. Now, the phasing of it will be a little more complicated because we do want to keep the Library open, and we haven't fully thought out how that's going to happen. That's what the design process will allow us to do is kind of figure out the nuts and bolts of which parts of the Library can we keep open to make sure we continue to service the needs of the public. Now, I've kind of been saying a lot of things about exactly what we're going to do. I think I'm really here to ask...is this a process, you know, the project itself...is this kind of what we're expecting out of the Library Committee. LK Why don't you give the people an idea of what you plan...what the changes would be... SP Okay LK ...something more specific SP Okay LK ...more carpeting BR Doesn't sound like carpeting and painting to me. SP It's a little bit more. If you've noticed a lot of....and this is, again, coming from the architect who presented to us, so (inaudible) regurgitating that idea...but you've seen a shift of people visiting different places other than the place they work or the place where they reside, their home. And so, 7 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 Barnes & Noble, Borders...you've seen them create an environment which is a little bit more pleasing and comfortable for people to visit...you see the cafes attached. Hey, it's kind of a connection with the kitchen, and so there's this idea of creating, at the front door, kind of a marketplace. Maybe it's not Starbuck's, but maybe it's an area where people can visit, and it has that appearance that...you know, displays change frequently, there's an ability to purchase things, books mainly, but there was an idea of, you know, a beverage counter or cafe...we don't know exactly how that fits into that marketplace idea, but a front door for the people to visit in addition to the Library services that we're giving. And I know there are some obstacles with that, but moving away from the reference desk, the checkout counter, making it self-serve, alleviating some of the staff time required to service those needs, allowing the public to come in and out, check out books...how do you let them do that? There is a technology called RFID, which you can track books, and if people leave without checking them out, it will sound an alarm. So that means we need to put a security system in, too, to make sure we can have that in place. The casework changes a little bit. Instead of being this impersonal thing where you have someone sitting across on the other side of the counter, they become smaller, and people can now walk through the Library a little bit less encumbered. There are still some security controls we have to set for that to happen. So I talked a little bit about being able to expand hours. How do we do that with the design of the facility? The architect presented another library where they actually sectioned off areas that weren't used as much, and they really focused on hours where, locations where they could literally close parts of the library so that you need less staff to operate. What that allows you to do is then...not cut staff, that wasn't the intent...is to allow the staff to work maybe later hours. You know, if you have finals week for College of the Desert, allow you to work Saturdays, maybe even Sundays, I don't know if that's ever been discussed. And I'm sorry if I'm speaking about things that are really...but these were some of the discussions being talked about during the interviews about well, what could we do...do we just want to replace the paint and carpet; or do we want to take a look at (inaudible). The types of displays that we have, or shelving for books and media, DVDs, CDs, needs to be a little bit more flexible than what we have now. It keeps changing. It seems like some things are overstocked, and some things are under. So we can look at furnishings that would accommodate the changing media (inaudible). 8 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 JK Computers... SP I'm sorry... JK Additional public computers. SP Yes, probably the biggest one. It's just...outfit the Library with more computers and computer labs, allowing....when you bring in a lot more computers into a facility, you increase the heat load, which means more cooling, so there's some ramifications to that. RDK So part of it includes an energy audit, a design...a survey of the flow in the Library. We're looking...it's sort of like your house...all I need is carpet...oh, well now the paint looks really bad...oh, the furniture looks really bad, so one thing led to another, and we said well, if we're doing this, let's look at everything, let's look at how people flow, how... SP The County of Riverside actually has a partnership with Southern California Edison to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, and they actually pay to do these audits. And once you have the audit, you have the option of going in either direction...well, maybe we replace the unit...and we go a little bit further...increase the energy efficiency of the glazing, add insulation....and knowing that we have a lot of (inaudible) in that Library...there's finro things happening — one, you are allowing a lot of heat to go in. Secondly, your books are receiving a lot of direct sunlight, and so that could add to the deterioration of the material in the room. So we're also, in conjunction with that energy audit, looking at protecting some of the material inside with shading devices that are...with coatings on the glazing. I'm glad you brought that up. Acoustics....there were some discussions about it being too loud when some programs are being held, so how can we create areas so that programs can function while we still hold normal library, you know, service of people just trying to read or check out books. Roofing material has, you know, a replacement of maybe after 10 years or 15 years, depending on the product and the warranty. We will take a look at the roof as well and upgrade the bathrooms to current ADA standards. There were actually a couple things in the Library that are fire, life, and safety hazards, and we will improve on those items as well. JMB Has there been any thought to...or do they even have them in any of the libraries...to a handicapped section. And the reason I mention that is the 9 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROM�TION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 two lower levels of books, you can't get at, and I noticed....not just myself but other people that are there...nobody can look at those two lower levels of books, and if there was some way that the books could be higher or movable in some way or that space used for something else....you know, we do everything we can to get the handicapped into the Library, but then once they get in there, they are still handicapped. (tape changed from side 1 to side 2) JK ...(inaudible) it's really hard...and maybe making some accommodations in certain areas where that would be of interest to people... JMB Right...instead of having so many, just if there's just a section that they knew they were (inaudible) and that even goes with the Hot Picks...you can't get down to the lower level. What's on the counter is great...you can't get to the lower level. SP Well, we'll add that to the scope that we currently (inaudible) I do think it creates an opportunity that...it's a great looking facility now...l just think (inaudible) make it look wonderful. ES The point here, which you made very well, is that we have a lot of volunteers, and they are not teens. They can't get down there. They actually say, "I don't do lower shelves," and the little ones don't do the top ones. BR Well, actually, we could put all the children's books on the lower shelves. EM Is there any idea of using wood flooring, or is that too far in the future? SP Well, they actually do make hard surFaces that have an acoustic quality to it, but...it sounds counter-intuitive...so it costs a little bit more. BR I'm sorry...l can't hear you. SP They actually do make a wood product, or hardwood products, that have an acoustic value to them. But just like it sounds counter-intuitive, it is, and it costs a little bit more than normal, so we could potentially go in that direction. I think that the decision whether we do or not, I think we could arrive at in the design process, evaluating the benefit of putting in wood versus all the other priorities that we've set for ourselves...the self- 10 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 checkout, the RFID, the glazing, the acoustics, the (inaudible), energy, and so we take a look at a comparison. We've established a budget. There are some long-term goals that I think, you know, the City and College of the Desert and the County and LSSI have, and so we've really backtracked from the funds available to what's available for this project. So those are really our limitations, but I can tell you from doing a similar library, that there is plenty for a lot of the things like the wood. We're actually taking a look at photovoltaics that we connected with some of the energy audit that we're going to do with Southern California Edison. College of the Desert is currently looking at putting in photovoltaics in their parking areas, so we're hoping to piggy-back that. (inaudible) SP Solar panels. Speaking in jargon, I'm sorry. RDK Maybe there's an opportunity to do maybe a combination of carpeting and wood flooring. SP Yeah RDK Were you thinking wood flooring for the look or the... EM No, more for the room, for the meeting room. RDK Oh, the Community Room. EM Because that is so (inaudible) RDK Okay (inaudible) JB The Palm Springs Art Museum put wood in when they redid their building, and it's much easier to keep clean. SP I'm partial to wood myself. JK I had mentioned that, especially in the lobby, we need some sort of moppable surface because we have a lot of spills, but also a surface that is smooth enough so that the book carts don't rattle...like a tile or stone. If 11 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 you've been to the La Quinta Library, it's like, I don't know, mountain bike sounding...it's really loud (inaudible) but something solid and smooth would be nice, but not slippery and not noisy. JB Mr. Pena... S P Yes JB ...you said (inaudible) survey and meetings and... SP Correct JB Does that mean iYs for the public? SP Well, it's really up for discussion, to be honest with you. The architect's proposal currently includes meetings for the public. I can tell you that sometimes it's a bit more difficult to consolidate a consensus when you have a lot of people (inaudible). In terms of delivering our project within certain timeframes, I like to have an idea of maybe who the stake holders are, you know, we like to have a representative from each stake holder...City, the County, LSSI, the Library Committee...whomever they may be...and so that we can (inaudible) to a point of contact what input is for the project because I've actually encountered in other projects where if we don't comply with requests, there's (inaudible) JB Is it possible to do something like email or write-in or suggestion box kind of thing so the public can, you know, kind of participate? Just suggestions. JK I think that would be a good thing. SP Yes, we actually have...we have a workshop right now planned. I'm questioning is that the right approach. You know, it's really for discussion. JB I think you're right. You get a group of people together, and they (inaudible) you know, they saw a beautiful library in Timbuktu, and why can't we have that...that becomes problematic, but if there's a way they can make a suggestion (inaudible)... SP Okay 12 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 JB It doesn't have to be in a formal meeting. SP And I agree. If everyone, you know, in the community can take ownership in the process of, hey, look, I've put in my two cents, and look, I see it, it really brings out the turnout opening day. And if people take a sense of ownership, they will take care of it a little bit better, so I think it's a benefit that we do something like what you were suggesting. JB And you're saying that College of the Desert is partnering with this, so they're going to be upgrading their side. (inaudible) JB I'm just wondering if the College students had any input because they're the people that walk into the lobby. SP Currently, we're looking at asking the architect (inaudible) on using the College of the Desert's side of the Library for use by us, long-term. It doesn't mean we're going to do the construction of it. There's a plan in place for what it would look like long term. The College of the Desert is interested in the project. I think...they're on the fence on whether or not they want to also participate in its financial cost and put in monies on that side. RDK They've committed to paint and carpet, so we will get an economy of scale, but I don't know that they are in a position to go much further like we would like to do, like maybe change the configuration of some of the aisles and that kind of thing. (inaudible) like Mr. Marman said, we've never had a very accessible place that could do art shows and things. Maybe we could make that a little more....there's no place to hang things currently. SP And that's really what we're, you know, I think everyone who has really talked about this is looking at it like, wow, we have an opportunity to really, I mean, without expending large amounts of cash, to really tweak this, so then you get, you know, integrate all these other things that you're hoping to do. JK And some of the things that you all might be interested in knowing would be that we are hoping to move the reference desk closer to the front because iYs way at the end, so it would be nice to bring the reference 13 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 desk closer, and eliminate the youth desk because we'd have a one reference desk unit where we could see the youth department and see the entire Library. And the first section of shelving where we have the large print books and the audio books...Sergio talked about that....but reconfigure that so there's a little bit more room to get between the aisles and just a more open feel to it and more pleasant. JB Were the architects asked to consider any modifications to that one patio area that is not being used? , SP Well, there is a component right now in their proposal to not only take a look at that, what they (inaudible) improvements, which could include that, but also parking...so really right now, it's more of a testing phase, you know, how much is it going to cost to do this, how much is it going to cost to do that, or what's the end cost of doing this, what happens....because there's a domino effect...as you change one thing, other things change with it. Instead of jumping into this without knowing all the impacts, we really wanted to test the design process with those types of questions...you know, can we modify this instead of directing them and then not liking the product at the end. JB What's your time line? You said that possible some activity would start January of 2011. SP Correct JB So you have to know the full plan before you can start any part of the plan (inaudible) SP We have...we actually have 90 days...hang on one second...l'm so sorry...60 days for the fact collection... JB 60 days from now? SP From the time we execute...we have an executed agreement. The clock will start, I believe, fairly soon. I think we are weeks away from having a formal request from the County to the City. I think...at the same time, I'm not going to wait until that formal request is made. At the same time, we're going to be talking to the architect and get him under an agreement. We're just not going to send it through to be executed. So I think we'll be maybe two weeks off from the time that formal request is made. From that 14 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 point on, we have 60 days to do all the fact finding, the energy audits, the acoustic audits...anything that we need to research, we have 60 days to do. JB So that will happen across the summer. SP Mmm-hmm. We have 30 days for the design process, the testing of...okay, we have all the data now...now what are the ideas to matching up with what we actually have in the facility to make a decision on what is the entire scope? And we do have, you know, I don't if you want me to share the price tag of this now or later... (inaudible) SP ...okay...on our project budget, we are looking at $3.5 million. Construction costs we're looking at $1.7 million; furnishings cost $500,000; computers $300,000; architect $360,000....1'm going through these real fast but, you know, these numbers change up or down.....$3.5 million for the entire project, okay. ?? And where is this money coming from? SP This is actually coming from the residents of the City of Palm Desert. There is a Redevelopment area created in 19... RDK We have four Redevelopment...four Project Areas in our Redevelopment Agency. I believe not all of them are part of what we collect or minimally...some contribute more than others, but that doesn't matter to you folks. But in taxes, to give you a brief RDA lesson, when project areas are established, there is what is called a base property tax line...correct me if I'm wrong, Jean...and then we establish a project area. The County continues to get that base with some slight over the years, you know, increases here or there. But then because the value of project areas, particularly in the City of Palm Desert, increases because we do building, we make improvements, the streets are better, that we get nice houses here, iYs called tax increment. And so here's the base line when the project area was established, and then building comes in and beautiful homes, think of BigHorn, and that assessed valuation...that increment in the difference between the base line project area and what's the difference, that gets shared with the City. That's how we are able to do a lot of things here in the City. But the County says, okay, that's fine, but 15 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 we'd like our little portion off of that, too. So we have cooperative agreements, pass-through agreements, with the County, with the School District, and they take a part of what we benefit from, that tax increment, they also get a portion of that. And wisely, in years past, when our agreements were established, they designated a certain portion for library services, library district funds, in the City. So this money has been collecting all this time, since 1975, '78, '80...it's been collecting to do things for the Library, and so that's where this money's coming from: It's money that's already there, it's been paid through your property taxes, through everybody's property taxes in the City, and so that's how we are able to... BR And how much in is that fund now? RDK Approximately $10 million. So by using this $3.5 million, we also need to set aside about $4.5 million, what we've set aside to buy out our lease on the other half of the Library when and if that happens. Can't promise anything there, but they have still intended to...they're going to move back into their...retrofit their old library building...if you're familiar with that, on the campus, and use that and then we would be able to assume the entire building. BR How does that money work? Is that...where is it sitting, how is that invested? RDK It sits in a trust at the City of Palm Desert. BR And it's invested? RDK Through our investment policy. So that's part of...not—in the past couple of years, it hasn't grown much, you know, with interest earnings and things like that. But over the years, it has increased with interest earnings. BR Okay, thank you. RDK So the City of Palm Desert has, you know, is able to sit it in trust and earn an amount of interest on it that's allowed and then now we say Okay, let's get into that nice fund and improve our Library. SP In answer to your question, that's why I believe we're at the end of this year we'll be finalizing some of the design documents. 16 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 BR You know what, we're older, and we don't hear you, and my hearing is really good. SP I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I've had this problem all my life, so I apologize. To answer her original question...when do we actually see construction...knowing, then, the 60 days fact finding, the 30 days for the design process, I think at that point all of the decisions will be made, and we're just working, we're creating those large sets of drawings, the blueprints, that allow a contractor to build....or modify, you know, we're not making a new library, we're just, you know... BR It sounds like the outside will be affected, too...is that not true? SP Well... BR I'm not objecting, I'm just asking the question. SP Well, I personally believe that library is very attractive from the exterior. BR Don't we all? SP And so some of the things we've talked about is really not modifying it, maybe painting it or...but there was talk about the entrance...there's that large part of concrete with...is it palm trees...there's some sort of trees. ?? (inaudible) SP Yes, going into that entrance. There were talks about, hey, is that inviting enough for people to come in? Are we allowing... JMB Well, just a canopy over that... SP Well... JMB ...at the entrance would make a big difference because now it looks bland. I just thought a canopy over it, you know, with "Palm Desert Library," people would know that's where to go, but now you look like you're going into a prison cell. 17 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 SP So those were some of the comments that we've been receiving. It starts getting really expensive when you start touching exteriors of buildings, and I'm mindful of the three and a half... JB That's inexpensive...l have another question...l seem to be dominating questions, I'm sorry. Anybody else can just jump right in here. Have we hired...has an architect been hired...you mentioned that there were two, that it was down to a choice of two... SP Actually, if I could clarify it a little bit. We interviewed five... JB Okay, I've got that. SP ...we are currently negotiating a fee with one. JB Which one is that? SP The one is actually a collaboration of two. JB There's nothing simple about this, is there? SP The reason for the collaboration...Holt Architects is a local architect from Rancho Mirage. Group 4 is a nationally recognized architecture, but they're based out of San Francisco. They have access to Linda Demmers and have been...they've probably built 300 libraries. They're front of the curve of what libraries are doing to service public needs. They have some great ideas, and so Holt Architects Group and Group 4, that's their name, are collaborating for our project. JB Thank you, sounds good. SP Any other questions? JB I'll think of something. So will you be coming back to this group with some more input or something? SP As much as you'd like me to, as much as you'd like me to. I really, you know... JB I know it isn't started yet, so it's hard to know. 18 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 SP Yeah....some of the first, well...however you want to run this. RDK Sure, perhaps when you get...we've been, you know, it's just been a work in progress. SP Yeah, yeah. RDK Maybe once they have some...once they've done their audits and their run-throughs, and like you said Linda Demmers...it didn't mean anything to me, but all the library people really lit up...that she's a nationally known and recognized consultant in architecture, and she will come and study, watch the people in the library, watch the staff in the library, what works, what doesn't work. So that will be part of what the architecture firm, the collaboration, what they bring back...and say, okay, this is what you need...if you want to do it right, this is what you need to do. But then they will have to negotiate a little bit...okay, can you do it within our budget. SP Yes. RDK So I would say maybe once they have something that we can show you, renderings, some plans, that will be...that we can put our fingers on and say, oh, this is nice or oh, this isn't going to work for us, you know, in the desert here in the City of Palm Desert, so I think that would be appropriate. Do you think perhaps...will you know more even in, say, like July? What will you know in July? SP Well, actually...July, that's 7/10, huh? RDK Okay, September'? SP No, that...we're going to be right in the middle of it in July. RDK Okay. Would that be appropriate, then? When will the... SP Let me explain, a little bit, the design process. It's iterative, it's not...here it is, take or leave if. What it is, is...they talk to you, get a sense of what you're looking for, come to the table, get some ideas, present a few options, and you mold the options that you like. And then, I think, what I'm hearing is, once we've polished that option that we like, we bring it to this group. 19 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 RDK And we'll certainly take into account all of your questions and your ideas through today, which are some of the things, yeah, that we've had...might have been thrown out before. SP And that doesn't mean you only get to see it once. If what I'm hearing is we'd like to be involved a little bit more, I think, you know, we can establish those lines of communication so that you keep seeing what is happening, and your comments are....am I speaking loud enough? Sorry. ?? Yes, now your(inaudible) is good....you voice is low. SP Yeah, I'm sorry. RDK His mother never yelled at him...keep it quiet... ?? He never yelled back. SP So, you know, we can do that. RDK Even if...what will you know in June? Any more....l mean... SP Well, in June we should have the executed agreement. We should know...between the architect...we already know what our budget is. We may...June...April, May, June...that's a month and a half. JMB If we could just, while you're deliberating, say in July, if we just had a memo that said we now have the architect and this and that. SP Okay JMB I know...and I don't know...were you involved with Roy's Desert Center? SP ThaYs actually my previous boss, he was actually... JMB Oh...after we did get the architect, because that was an existing building, and that's what we're dealing with here is an existing building. Once the schematic was done, and we're going to this and that and the other thing, then the Committee got involved in looking...now is everything on that list we want, and maybe that's some of the first steps you come in with after you get the architect, and he gets his rendering, and show then this is what we're proposing, and check and make sure these items are covered. 20 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 And then you can go into more detail later on down the line, but just a schematic to begin with, that would be helpful. I would say July or August...well, we don't meet in August...so September, even. SP I think what we'll have late June, early July, is definitely...our goal is to have that formal request, you know, by Board action to the City, so that basically formalizes the project and puts in place the funds for it. Without that, you know, I'm afraid there's not much... JMB Yeah, that's all we really need to know. We don't have to be on the ground floor, except when you start going forward to make sure everything is covered in that, and I think that would be...would suffice to say we're involved. SP Okay JMB I don't mean to speak for the rest of you, but it seems to me that that would be a good way to go. SP And I apologize if I rambled today. There are a lot of little pieces, and I didn't want to bring a big old packet of infarmation. I wanted it to be more conversational. JMB Well, you'll probably get more discussion on the color of the walls and the color of the carpet than you will anything else. SP That's okay. LK Barbara, since you're with the County, do you (inaudible) BB No, I'm really with LSSI. SP And LSSI has been part of the process all the way through. LK Do you have any comments or anything? BB No, we're excited. And, you know, I don't know if any of you have any more questions about RFID, the Radio Frequency tags on the books, but that's going to change the procedure for checking out a lot of the materials. 21 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 LK You'd better explain that. JK Sure. The Radio Frequency Identification tags are...they have a little sensor in it, and it knows what book it is. And when you place a stack of books on a mat, the sensor pad, it will go "bmmp", and they're all checked out at once. BB And there's a list right on the screen telling you so that you can make sure that every one is on there. JK And it's fascinating, it's really neat. BB And it prints out a receipt for you, so that you know what...and shows you when those books are due back at the Library. And you can do it yourself. JK But one of the other neat aspects of it is that when they check in, the machine will go "bloop" and check them all back in. Can you spell "bloop"� LK How do you identify yourself when you check a book out? JK Your Library card. Your Library card number is already in the computer. But we want to add a conveyor belt. We want to reconfigure the back workroom, add a conveyor belt with sorting bins, so that all of the children's books, for example, go into one bin, the DVD's go in another bin...so it does a little rough sorting. For us, the computer/conveyor belt system will check in the items for us, allowing our staff to get out on the floor, to talk to the people, to stand next to them as they're checking out, rather than, you know, being behind the big barrier of a desk. IYII be friendlier, and so we think that, you know, a lot of people are leery about self-check and things like that, but it's actually going to bring us out from behind the desk and so...take us away. So that's RFID. It's really cool, pretty cool stuff. ?? I suppose libraries of the future, we will all be carrying electronic devices that have all of our books in there that will be able to check in and out and not just buy on-line for $12.95 or....right? Is that where we're going, guys? JK We're already there. 22 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 ?? We're already there, but the Library is not already there, and that way, you definitely don't need the two bottom rows, so the next time we decide to move around with carpet and paint, we may just need an 8x10 room. RDK They'll just have syringes, and they'll just inject it into us (laughter). It's just like the microchips in dogs. JMB Well, I think what we need is when we put that stack of books on there is for it to say, oops, you read that one, you read that one... ?? But Jean, it doesn't matter because if you're like me, I forget about it (inaudible) may as well just read it over again. JMB Well, I've been reading a lot over again. LK Do we need any more of Mr. Pena's time? RDK I think we're good, if everybody (inaudible). SP Thank you, thank you for being patient. RDK He'll be back to give us more exciting updates. SP I sure will. JB And we'll have more questions. RDK Sure, absolutely. Even if you think of things, if you want to email me, I could forward them to Sergio. SP Yeah, this binder, by the time we're done with it, you'll see five more like it. We track all the information, all the comments...it's my job to make sure all comments are answered appropriately and resolved. LK Thank you. SP Thank you. VI. CONTINUED BUSINESS None 23 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 VII. OLD BUSINESS None VIII. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Councilmember Jean M. Benson Councilmember Benson noted that there had been some serious cuts in all City departments, with employees being laid off, but the City Council understood how much citizens depended on the Library for entertainment, especially in these difficult economic times. B. Librarian (Jeannie Kays) Ms. Kays stated that both Ms. Strain and Ms. Elowitz had jumped in, taken on their assignments, and done a great job, and she was very happy to have them both on staff. She provided updates on the following: Statistics Summary January 2009-December 2009 — Almost 400,000 items were circulated last year, and 537 people went to the Bookmobile at Palm Desert Country Club. Riverside Countv Library System: 13 Years of Progress — Statistics compiled by Library Administrator Mark Smith showed information for the entire Riverside County Library System from 1997 to 2010 in areas such as circulation, program attendance, etc. 2010 Census — Palm Desert Library was a Census Partner this year and provided training space for Census workers. IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Proqram — Palm Desert Library partnered with the IRS to help people prepare their taxes at no charge. 24 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 Children's Proarams — Approximately 350 children attended the 12t Annual "Libraries are Fun" festival sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Every child leaves with a free book, and the festival includes lots of prizes, refreshments, and entertainment. 7tn Annual Dia de los Ninos — This event will be held in May and is a literary festival celebrating children and books. The Riverside County Library System is well-recognized for its Dia de los Ninos (Day of the Children) and Dia de los Libros (Day of the Books) program. Summer Readina Program — This year's theme is "Make a Splash at Your Library," and the teen theme is "Make Waves at Your Library." In conjunction with this, the Friends of the Library are helping to coordinate a field trip to the Long Beach Aquarium for the teens. A grant was received from the California Council for the Humanities to help with programs that include civic reflection and civic dialog. Approximately 200 people attended the Victor Villasenor program, and there was also a separate discussion group (with high school students) about a chapter from his book. A Cesar Chavez themed event was held in March, including a small group discussion and a coordinating art exhibit. Next month the Library is doing a "Women in Flight" event in partnership with the La Quinta Museum, which has an exhibit right now on the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). The Manager of the Museum will give a lecture, and a discussion will also be held. She said this was part of the Library's "Making a Difference" project. New County Librarian — The new County Librarian is Tonya Kennon, who replaces Nancy Johnson. She formerly oversaw school libraries for the Tustin School district and will be starting her new position on May 6, 2010. Her office is in the Economic Development Agency office in Riverside. 25 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 New Website — Library's new website is www.rivlib.net. It is based on a website program called druple, which is basically an open source content format (also used by the White House). Ms. Bowie added that this website will be much more interactive than the previous webpage, and users will be able to put on questions or comments. C. Event Coordinator (Jodi Elowitz) Ms. Elowitz introduced herself and provided her background to the Committee, noting that she had been with the Palm Desert Library since February 2010. She reviewed recent events at the Library, including the music series, which was the most popular this year, followed by the Friends-sponsored chef series with approximately 700 attendees. Overall, more than 2,000 people came into the Library for the various programs. She distributed copies of the May 2010 programs and said she was also working on a newsletter, which she hoped to have out by June 1, 2010. She noted she was also working on marketing, branding, and press/media to build more awareness about all the great things the Palm Desert Library has to offer the community. In addition to the new website, the Library also has a Facebook page and a Twitter account, and she encouraged everyone to use those two resources. D. Volunteer Coordinator(Eileen Strain) Ms. Strain noted that while the statistics provided by Ms. Kays reflected over 8,200 volunteer hours in 2009 (January through December), the total so far this year (January through March) was over 1,800 hours. She said she was able to recruit nine new volunteers this month alone. Teen volunteers was slower, with only about 28 hours, and she was hoping to get more teens involved with the upcoming summer and teen programs. She reviewed the homebound delivery program, noting that in March there were only 3 visits and 13 books delivered. She said she had contacted five assisted living homes, and next Thursday she had an appointment with the Activities Director at Manor Care. She added that she would continue to work on that program. 26 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 E. Budget Review See discussion above under New Business Item B. F. Friends of the Palm Desert Library (Joan Beasley) Ms. Kays noted that the Friends had purchased a 42-inch flat- screen television and cart for the Library. She said the teens were loving it and were able to play the WII and Rock Band during teen time. Ms. Beasley distributed the "Friends of Palm Desert Library" financial report for the first quarter of 2010, noting that on-line book sales had been suspended because of the low sales and the fact that it takes a lot of hours to do; however, the bookstore continued to do well as far as funding various activities. Ms. Kays added that during the remodel, the Library hoped to improve the Friends book sale area. G. Committee Chair (Louise Kermode) None H. Committee Members Councilmember Benson noted that at the recent Senior Inspiration awards luncheon, where each Valley city selects a senior who is active in the community, Marge Healey of Indian Wells (who is 94 years old) was asked to what she attributed her selection, and she said playing bridge and reading. Then when asked what she was reading, she said James Patterson. 27 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED PALM DESERT LIBRARY PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 28, 2010 I. Staff None IX. ADJOURNMENT Vice Chair Rosenberg moved to adjourn the meeting at 4:30 p.m. Motion was seconded by Member Beasley and carried by a 6-0 vote of the Committee. ' � ��- Mary P. a ross, Recording Secretary 28