11.04.20 BLC Minutes
CITY OF BOULDER
BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
Name of Board/ Commission: Library Commission
Date of Meeting: November 4, 2020
Contact information preparing summary: Celia Seaton
Commission members present: Juana Gómez, Joel Koenig, Steven Frost, Scott Steinbrecher
Commission members not present: Jane Sykes Wilson
Library staff present:
David Farnan, Director of Library & Arts
Jennifer Phares, Deputy Library Director
Celia Seaton, Administrative Specialist
City staff present:
None
Members of the public present: Joni Teter, Library Champions Leadership Representative
Type of Meeting: Regular | Remote
Agenda Item 1: Review of Online Meeting Guidelines [0:00:02 Audio min.]
Agenda Item 2: Reminder: Commissioners please log monthly volunteer hours Count Me In Boulder [0:00:05 Audio min.]
The Commission logged their service.
Agenda Item 3: Approval of agenda [0:03:12 Audio min.]
The meeting was called to order and Gómez asked if there were any changes to the agenda. Being none, there was a nod of
approval from the commission for this agenda.
Agenda Item 4: Public comment [0:03:03 Audio min.]
None.
Agenda Item 5: Consent agenda [0:04:04 Audio min.]
a. Approval of October 2020 Meeting Minutes: Frost moved to approve these minutes. Koenig and Steinbrecher
seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
Agenda Item 6: Update from Library Champions – Joni Teter, Library Champions Leadership Representative
[0:05:17 Audio min.]
Teter, former Library Commission Chair and Library Champion spoke in advocacy of library district formation. The path to
the district with a City Council public hearing was halted back in March 2020 with the onset of the pandemic. After
meeting with City Manager Jane Brautigam, Teter learned that November would be an opportune time to reach out to
council members. She appreciates the efforts of commission and requested that conversation outcomes be shared with the
Library Champion to help inform ongoing strategy. City Council members will be encouraged to form a district by
resolution. She is “heartened” by last night’s election results in Boulder County concerning property tax increases.
Teter spoke on importance of outreach to City Council candidates before the 2021 election. Brautigam noted that library
funding was still on council’s workplan. Teter suggested regrouping on strategy in January 2021. She mentioned the
complicated logistics of running a campaign in the midst of the continuing pandemic. The Boulder Library Foundation will
support this campaign effort.
She welcomed any questions. Gómez asked her to address the tax implications of the Community Culture and Safety tax.
Teter noted that this is among a few taxes that are coming up for expiration/renewal. Community Culture and Safety tax is
partially funding the new north Boulder library building. City Council will have to decide on extensions for these taxes.
Frost wondered what framework of priorities Library Commission should present when providing feedback for a new City
Manager. Teter’s recommends finding a candidate who is able to empower and simultaneously provide structure for
council. She suggests a future City Manager who will support the social structures that bring a community together with an
eye on services for seniors, youth, and Latinx community members. Farnan, referring to previously budget discussions,
noted the central question: can the City afford to run the kind of library the community is asking for? Districting would
open up a new revenue source including patrons from outside the Boulder city limits.
Agenda Item 7: Review Library Commission application questions [0:40:04 Audio min.]
Commission provided their input to these interview questions for the 2021 Library Commission applicants. Seaton will
provide the revised draft to the City Clerk to relay to City Council.
Agenda Item 8: Library Commission Update [0:56:30 Audio min.]
a. Review and vote to approve a letter to City Council regarding the Library District to submit November. See
handouts for draft. Frost moved to approve this letter from commission to City Council. Steinbrecher seconded
and the motion passed unanimously.
b. Outline an annual letter to City Council about priorities to submit in December. Sykes Wilson was not present to
provide her draft, but the other commissioners discussed the prompts of “what makes you happy” and “what made
you sad.”
c. Items from Commission
i. Ongoing outreach efforts – Sykes Wilson spoke with City Council Members Wallach and
Brockett. Steinbrecher will be meeting next week with Council Member Weaver.
d. Updates from commissioners representing the Commission in other venues (verbal)
i. Boulder Library Foundation (BLF) update (Sykes Wilson/Koenig) – Koenig reported no
updates.
ii. Library Champions – joint efforts
e. Update on emails and phone calls to Library Commission
Agenda Item 8: Library and Arts Director’s Report [1:35:55 Audio min.]
a. 2021 Library Closure Information - 2021 library closures for holidays, furlough days, and staff training are listed
on the library website.
b. North Boulder Branch Library update
c. Update on Current Library Services – see relevant statistics in packet. Farnan noted that the Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment announced that Boulder County will move to a more restrictive level of
recovery called, “Level Orange: High Risk,” effective Friday, Nov. 6. This is a transition from the county’s current
status of “Level Yellow: Concern.” This will result in new capacity restrictions in Boulder County for offices,
retail, restaurants and a variety of other types of businesses and facilities. Library will limit capacity public (50)
and staff (25%). A reduction of computer stations will also ensure that the health and safety guidelines are
followed.
d. Update from Volunteer Services
e. City of Boulder 2021 Library Budget Update and Library’s 2020 Second Adjustment to Base Request – per the
Director’s memo, “The 2021 library operating budget was approved with an additional $100,000 restored by City
Council during Second Reading of the 2021 Recommended City of Boulder Budget on Oct. 20, 2020. The total
approved 2021 library budget is $7,886,202. $100,000 are one-time capital funds from the Library Fund to
reconfigure the public spaces at the George Reynolds Branch Library.
The additional $100,000 from City Council will be used to partially restore service levels for children and families
at the Main Library as pandemic health and safety restrictions permit. This includes reinstating some of the library
specialist FTE cut in Public Services and Youth Services workgroups.”
Agenda Item 9: Adjournment [1:51:02 Audio min.]
There being no further business to come before the commission at this time, the meeting was adjourned.
Date, time, and location of next meeting:
The next Library Commission meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, through a virtual setting.
APPROVED BY: ATTESTED:
_________________________________________ ________________________________________
Board Chair Board Secretary
_________________________________________ ________________________________________
Date Date
Dec. 5, 2020 12/5/2020