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05.03.17 LC Minutes CITY OF BOULDER BOULDER, COLORADO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES Name of Board/Commission: Library Commission Date of Meeting:May 3,2017 at the Main Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. Contact information preparing summary:Maureen Malone,303-441-3106 Commission members present: Joni Teter,Juana Gomez,Joel Koenig,Tim O'Shea Commission members absent:Alicia Gibb Library staff present: David Faman,Director of Library&Arts Jennifer Phares,Deputy Library Director Maureen Malone,Administrative Specialist 11 Anna Lull,Programs,Events and Outreach Specialist Kathy Lane,Programs,Events and Outreach Coordinator Others Present: Aaron Schonhoff,Joining Vision and Action(JVA) Sylvia Solis,Joining Vision and Action(JVA) Members of the public present: None Type of Meeting: Regular Agenda Item 1: Call to order and approval of agenda [6:01 p.m.,0:00:00 Audio min.] The meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m. Teter announced the addition of a new agenda item to discuss homeless services following Agenda Item 7,as well as a discussion about the letter to commission from Boulder Center for the Performing Arts(BCPA)under the Director's Report. Agenda Item 2:Public comment [6:02 p.m.,0:01:09 Audio min.] None Agenda Item 3: Consent agenda [6:03 p.m.,0:02:14 Audio min.] Item 3A,Approval of March 21,2017 Community Thought Leaders Dialogue notes O'Shea moved to approve the notes,and Koenig seconded.Vote 4-0,unanimous. Item 3B,Approval of April 5,2017 Meeting Minutes O'Shea moved to approve the minutes,and Koenig seconded.Vote 4-0,unanimous. Agenda Item 4: Overview of Summer Reading Program—Kathy Lane and Anna Lull,program,events and outreach 16:04 p.m.,0:03:07 Audio min.] Commission discussion,questions,and comments included: • Koenig asked about outreach efforts to the Hispanic and other communities that might not normally participate. Lane explained that through the partnership with BVSD's summer school session,staff will reach at-risk students who don't have opportunities for cultural enrichment during the summer;staff is doing outreach with Boulder Housing Partners,BVSD and Head Start,there will be Summer Reading posters in English and Spanish on all the HOP buses,and the program will have a print and online presence through Daily Camera and Colorado Parent. Lull added that the Summer Reading information on social media will be posted in both English and Spanish. • Farnan shared that this is the 25"anniversary of the Summer Reading program,with the Foundation as a sponsor, and added that all of the design was done in-house this year by the staff graphic designer. Agenda Item 5: 2018 Library budget requests [6:19 p.m.,0:18:12 Audio min.] Commission discussion,questions,and comments included: • Farnan explained that the library is making a bigger ask than in the past,much of it associated with the one-time ask for gender neutral restrooms. • Teter asked whether the staffing requests were replacements or new positions.Phares explained that staff is requesting to expand the existing volunteer services and technology support positions and create a new program and outreach specialist position.Faman clarified that the library is asking for money for additional positions,not to repurpose existing positions;staff plans to increase the capacity of volunteer services in order to execute on elements of the Master Plan once it's approved by City Council,which will hopefully be in December 2018. • Koenig asked why the gender neutral restrooms is coming out of the library's budget as opposed to being a citywide expense.Faman explained that staff is taking multiple routes to secure financing,between the proposal for the capital improvement tax and the budget request.Teter added that it's a bookkeeping procedure,and putting the money for the restroom renovation in the library's budget allows library staff to manage the contractors. • O'Shea asked if staff is prepared to defend the request for BLDG 61 materials.Faman replied that the executive budget team did not even send the request to City Council last year,reasoning that the city does not fund special programs;they wanted staff to be able to show cost recovery.Faman stated that BLDG 61 is not a special program, but an essential service,and the library receives funding from the Foundation so long as the programs are free;as soon as the library begins to implement charges for consumables,the Foundation will withdraw their support. • Koenig asked about the program and outreach specialist position.Faman explained that outreach and community engagement was an unfulfilled goal from the 2007 Master Plan,and he anticipates that will resurface in the current Master Plan.Teter commented that both the commission and foundation have been asking for a marketing position for years.Faman replied that marketing is currently housed in the programs,events and outreach department;the library received marketing funding this year and has been working with outside marketing firms as opposed to bringing on a full-time marketing person on staff. Agenda Item 6: Library Master Plan update [6:33 p.m.,0:32:39 Audio min.] a. Commission input on draft focus group script from Joining Vision and Action—Aaron Schonhoff and Sylvia Solis, research and evaluation associates o Teter read aloud Gibb's comments(see handouts). o Solis asked whether there are any specific topics commission would like to get feedback on from the Spanish-speaking community focus group.Gomez replied that she is curious to know why people from that community do not use the library,and Phares added finding out what staff can do to help.Teter commented that it would be helpful to find out how that group prefers to be approached. o Faman stated that staff and commission will have to decide how to frame the homelessness conversation in the course of the Master Plan. o Gomez commented that the Latino population in the city and county of Boulder overlaps with the lower income range,and wondered whether the survey also showed low usage among non-Latino communities. Faman confmned that economic barriers are a huge barrier to using the library. o Schonhoff stated that around 670 survey participants indicated an interest in participating in a focus group,and Teter wondered how to get people who aren't selected for a focus group involved in the Master Plan process in some other way.Faman replied that staff is considering hosting community open houses. o Gomez asked how people will be divided into focus groups. Schonhoff explained that the only homogenous group will be the one with Spanish-speakers.Faman added that staff is looking for the greatest diversity of people—age,library usage and wealth—for each group to facilitate a better conversation.Once the focus groups are full,Teter suggested having a response to interested people informing them of other opportunities to stay involved.Phares stated that there are no other specific events planned at this time. o Phares shared that a different consultant will be conducting additional focus groups:two for teens,one at the NoBo Corner Library and one in Gunbarrel;staff will be going out to various community events with questionnaires for people to fill out regarding library usage and their dreams for the library.Farman stated that these events are projected to have a high percentage of people from the Latino community in attendance.Pharos added that staff is planning a week in September after the Jaipur Literature Festival to have a traditional open house event and another fun event;staff hopes to draft some goals at the July retreat to test with the community during these events. Agenda Item 7:Update on the Capital Improvement Tax renewal and capital improvement proposal for the Main Library North building [7:05 p.m., 1:04:35 Audio min.] Commission discussion,questions,and comments included: • Faman shared that he did a presentation to the citizen committee group,where the NoBo branch presentation scored highly and the bathroom renovation received a lukewarm response.The committee will review community proposals this week,City Council will weigh in next week and the ballot is scheduled to be finalized on July 25. • Teter commented that while it's wonderful that the committee is excited to put the NoBo branch on the ballot,it would not be great for the library to be on a losing measure.Koenig wondered what alternative funding the library would seek if the concept emerges as a high priority in the Master Plan,but staff decided not to include a NoBo branch on the ballot.Farnan explained that one option would be the capital improvement program,and another would be to propose to City Council the formation of a library district to execute the project more quickly. Discussion of letter to commission from Boulder Center for the Performing Arts(BCPA) (see handouts • Teter explained that the idea of having a large performing arts center in Boulder has been around for 30 years; BCPA has received feedback that their Capital Improvement Tax proposal underestimates the cost to build a facility and that they have not fully thought through the business plan aspects. Additionally,it's not clear that the size of the theater is supported by the arts community and the proposal is asking for an enormous public subsidy, between the$3.5M they're requesting from the tax and the donation of a prime piece of real estate. • Teter stated that commission already sent a letter to the Capital Improvements Tax Renewal Team last month, asking them not to put any projects implicating the Main Library north building on the ballot until the library's Master Plan process is complete,and wondered whether commission wanted to do anything further in direct response to the BCPA proposal. • Gomez commented that BCPA is proposing to use public property where a building already exists,and wondered whether City Council will take this proposal seriously. • Gomez wondered whether by not responding to the BCPA proposal,commission would be implying to the public at large that they are in favor of it.Teter responded that she is unsure how much play the proposal will get in the public;if the committee sends the BCPA proposal through to council,then commission may want to draft a letter at the June meeting.O'Shea indicated that he would like to gauge interest for the proposal from various other constituencies in town and also connect the dots between the library's Master Plan and due diligence around flood and historic register before proceeding. • Teter commented that the most troubling aspect of the BCPA proposal is that it does not mention the library programs and services that are housed in the north building. • Faman explained that various proposals are requesting the donation of land and not factoring that into the cost of their program;FAM is working to estimate the real cost associated with these projects.The BCPA proposal is one of several projects that propose using current city facilities,but does not include the cost of relocating staff.O'Shea asked who has say over the future of the Main Library north building.Faman responded that the Library Commission charter states that commission has some say in the disposition of library property and that any sale or disposal of library property goes into the library fund,but ultimately City Council has the final say. • Teter commented that the recent effort around the Civic Area has been focused on activation and wondered how the theater space would be activated outside of scheduled performances.O'Shea wondered if a proposal that was more closely aligned with the library and activation around programming would be more motivating or interesting and have more potential for collaboration.Faman explained that the BCPA proposal fits into the Civic Area master plan and the need for additional performance space that surfaced in the Cultural Plan;however,they reach an impasse with the proposal in terms of the number of seats and the configuration of fixed vs. flexible seating.A theater with fixed seating is less flexible for programming and more expensive to operate. • Teter read aloud Gibb's comments(see handouts . Agenda Item 8:Discussion of Homeless Services [7:40 p.m., 1:39:10 Audio min.] Farnan explained that the Daily Camera inaccurately reported that the library would become a case management center. Staff has met again with Human Services and the city manager has called a meeting with various departments about homelessness this coming Friday. Commission discussion,questions,and comments included: • O'Shea asked whether the closing of various homeless services came as a surprise.Faman explained that Boulder Outreach for Homeless Overflow(BOHO)has been in flux for quite some time,so staff anticipated some recommendations around that. Staff sent out an email to commission about how various services are shifting(see handouts);the faith community is no longer housing Bridge House's resource center,so they are looking for new locations. • O'Shea wondered whether the Daily Camera article has caused any complications or confusion.Faman responded that the library has not been impacted by the article thus far;council has received many emails from the public wondering where homeless people will go now. • Teter explained that library staff has been approached by Bridge House about partnering to provide services,and if this dialogue continues,staff will bring the item back to commission for further discussion.Faman stated that staff is looking for a solution which helps resolve the library's issues,as well as those the homeless population is experiencing. Staff needs more information on the proposal and its goals to determine the impact on library staff— if the proposal is to have a case manager here 4 hours a week,then what will the level of expectation be for the rest of the library's business hours? • Faman explained that as a component of a priority from the mayor's office,Denver Public Library has hired 2 full time social workers as well as 4 additional"navigators"to help with homeless issues in the library;there are opportunities to explore this route,but there is significant cost associated,and staff does not want this to supersede the operational goals of the library. • Gomez wondered about Human Services'plans for a new day shelter.Teter recalled from the discussion with Human Services that the department is working towards having a clear intake point,and commented that there are more logical options downtown besides the library that could function as such a service.Teter suggested that commission have a broader discussion about homelessness at the July retreat. • Faman stated that council will be getting results from the Community Safety Survey in the coming weeks,and the library was the only public building called out where people feel unsafe;from a perception point of view,it is clearly an issue in the community. Agenda Item 9: Library Commission Update [7:55 p.m., 1:53:57 Audio min.] a. Matters from the Commission b. Boulder Library Foundation update O'Shea shared that the foundation has retained an hourly social media manager and continues to grow their messaging and outreach.In terms of fundraising,there is a plan in the works for corporate Library League engagement and large donor gifts. Social Venture Partners has offered consulting services to help the foundation with its goals around developing a better structure for fundraising initiatives. c. City project representative update i. Central Broadway Corridor Design Framework ii. Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan iii. Boulder's Civic Area iv. Canyon Complete Streets v. EcoDistricts d. Responses to patron entails from the Library Commission Agenda Item 10: Library and Arts Director's Report [8:02 p.m., 2:01:24 Audio min.] a. Boulder Historic Society agreement with Carnegie Library b. Know Your Rights Class at BPL c. Update on 2016 Annual Report d. Ql 2017 Statistics Agenda Item 11: Adjournment [8:12 p.m.,2:12:00 Audio min.] There being no further business to come before the commission at this time,the meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m. Date,time,and location of next meeting: The next Library Commission meeting will be at 6 p.m.on Wednesday,June 7,2017,at the Carnegie Branch Library, 1125 Pine St.,Boulder,CO 80302. APPROVED BY: ATTESTED: BoaW Chair 6 Staff Secretary Date Date An audio recording of the full meeting for which these minutes are a summary,is available on the Library Commission web page at htto://boulderlibrary.orgJaboutJcommission.html