[00:00:01]
WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ONE'S WORKING.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY?
[A. Employee Service Awards]
WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH RECOGNIZING SOME OF OUR WONDERFUL STAFF AND, UM, FIRE AND RESCUE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE.SO THE SUPERVISORS ARE GONNA COME DOWN FRONT AND YOU'LL, WE'LL LET KAYLA TAKE THAT OVER AND HER STAFF TO, UM, CALL YOU UP AND GIVE YOUR AWARDS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT AND THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING US THE TIME TO DO THIS.
UM, SO TONIGHT WE HAVE THE EMPLOYEE SERVICE AWARDS.
SO STAFF, IF I CALL YOUR NAME, YOU'LL PLEASE COME UP TO THE FRONT AND RECEIVE YOUR AWARDS AND THEN REMAIN UP HERE UNTIL THE END OF YOUR CATEGORIES.
SO WE CAN GET A GROUP PICTURE AND JENNIFER'S UP FRONT.
SHE'LL POP UP, TAKE A PICTURE, AND THEN POP BACK DOWN.
IF THE REST OF THE BOARD WANTS TO STEP DOWN TO SHAKE HANDS, TAKE PICTURES.
SO OUR FIRST CATEGORY IS OUR FIVE YEAR AWARDS, AND OUR FIRST EMPLOYEE IS JACKIE MCINNIS.
OUR NEXT EMPLOYEE IS JOE PETTY.
OUR NEXT EMPLOYEE IS RYAN BALDWIN.
JAKE SNYDER, ARTHUR GARBER, SEAN GAG, LIAO, CHARLES RUCKMAN.
[00:05:02]
AND NICOLE LEE JOHNS.AND THAT COMPLETES THE FIVE YEAR.
IF Y'ALL WANNA SQUEEZE IN HERE TO GET A PICTURE.
IF Y'ALL WANNA COME DOWN TWO ROWS.
AND THEN WE HAD THREE EMPLOYEES IN OUR FIVE YEAR CATEGORY THAT COULD NOT MAKE IT TONIGHT.
AND THAT WAS JACKIE LONGMEYER, NICK BAILEY AND ANTHONY KERNS.
SO OUR NEXT CATEGORY IS GONNA BE THE 10 YEARS OF SERVICE, AND OUR FIRST EMPLOYEE IS TIMMY LINZ.
MICHAEL ROBINSON NOT HERE EITHER.
AND THEN I DON'T BELIEVE OUR LAST TWO RECIPIENTS ARE HERE EITHER.
UM, AMY LICKLIDER AND THEN JOANNE SEAL.
SO THIS COMPLETES OUR 10 YEAR AWARD IF WE WANNA GET A PICTURE AND THEN WE'LL THANK YOU.
SO OUR NEXT CATEGORY IS THE 15 YEARS OF SERVICE.
AND OUR FIRST EMPLOYEE IS GARY PHILLIPS.
THE NEXT EMPLOYEE IS ROBERT MARTIN.
AND ZACH BURROWS US AND THIS COMPLETES OUR 15 YEAR AWARD.
SO WE'LL GET A GROUP PICTURE BY SQUEEZE IN.
OUR NEXT CATEGORY IS 25 YEARS OF SERVICE, AND WE HAVE ONE PERSON IN THIS CATEGORY, AND THAT IS PAULA FRISTO.
ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GET A PICTURE.
UM, THE NEXT CATEGORY IS OUR 35 YEARS OF SERVICE.
WE HAD ONE PERSON IN THIS ONE AS WELL, AND I KNOW HE COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT IT WAS LEE COCKRELL.
WE'LL GIVE HIM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
[00:10:04]
THE NEXT CATEGORY IS OUR 45 YEARS OF SERVICE, AND THAT IS OUR ONE AND ONLY SHERRY SOS.UM, OUR LAST CATEGORY TONIGHT IS OUR RETIREES
WE HAD ONE PERSON THAT RETIRED IN 2023.
UM, THE NEXT CATEGORY IS RETIREES.
WE HAD ONE RETIREMENT IN 2023, AND THAT WAS CAROL TOBIN.
SO CAROL WAS WITH THE COUNTY FROM APRIL, 1999 TO AUGUST OF 2023.
AND WE HOPE SHE'S ENJOYING HER RETIREMENT SMILE.
SO THAT COMPLETES THEIR SERVICE AWARDS.
UM, IF WE HAVE ANY DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT WANT US TO COME UP AND TAKE A GROUP PICTURE, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME.
BACK TO THE JANUARY 30TH WORK SESSION.
[B. Public Works - Roads & 6-Year Comprehensive Plan Update ]
OFF OUR AGENDA WITH VDOT AND MR. BARRY.UH, MADAM CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS, UM, HAS EVERYBODY BEEN INTRODUCED TO THE VDOT REPRESENTATIVES? I'M NOT SURE, SIR.
I HAD MR. CARTER AND MR. SMITH.
I WASN'T SURE IF EVERYONE HAD, BUT I SAW THEM AT THE PARDON DESK.
SO I SAW HIM AT THE MEETING BY CHANCE.
SO, UM, AND I GAVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA STUFF AND I PULLED BACK SOME 'CAUSE THEY BROUGHT SOME WITH THEM.
UM, I, BUT I WANTED YOU TO HAVE A COPY AND IT'S OF OUR, OUR, UM, OUR ROAD RATING SYSTEM THAT THE PREVIOUS BOARD CAME UP WITH.
I THINK THAT JUST GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THAT BIG GIANT SHEET THAT I HANDED OUT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO ANNUALLY IS, UH, WE, WE, WE GIVE A PRIORITIZATION OF THE HARD SURFACE IMPROVEMENTS IN WARREN COUNTY.
UM, WE WORK WITH VDOT, UM, TO, TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT'S PROVIDED TO YOU IN THAT SHEET.
UM, AND, AND WHEN WE, I GUESS IT WAS 22 THAT WE ACTUALLY ADOPTED THE, THE ROAD RANKING SYSTEM.
UM, SO FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, THE BOARD HAD, UM, THEMSELVES, UM, UH, MADE, UH, ACTUALLY A MOTION AND TO DECIDE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ROADS WE WOULD DO.
SO WE HAD THOSE ALREADY PROVIDED.
UM, AND WE HAD SOME THAT WERE CURRENTLY ON THE SIX YEAR PLAN.
SO YOU'LL SEE SOMETIMES, UH, SSYP SIX YEAR SECONDARY PLAN.
SO TODAY THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IN THIS LISTING, UM, ARE ROADS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE VDOT SYSTEM.
AND, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NON HARD SURFACE.
SO THEY'RE DIRT ROADS, THEY'RE STATE ROADS.
AND THESE ROADS, UM, CAN BE BROUGHT INTO THE STATE SYSTEM WITH, WITH STATE DOLLARS.
AND, AND THE COUNTY GETS TO HAVE, UM, UH, UH, BE A PART OF THAT.
AND, UM, WE, UM, WE GET TO, UH, LOOK AT THE, THE PRIORITIZATIONS AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE CONSTRUCTION BUDGET.
AND THEN WE WILL ACTUALLY V AUTO, UM, AFTER WE MAKE OUR DECISIONS, OR THE BOARD DOES WHAT WE WANT TO DO, THEN YOU'LL ACTUALLY HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, WE WON'T HAVE, WE WON'T KNOW THE EXACT DOLLARS TODAY.
VDOT WON'T BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THAT, AND I'M SURE THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT PROBABLY A COUPLE TIMES.
UM, BUT I THINK YOU DO HAVE A COPY OF WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR, OUR, OUR SECONDARY PLAN.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS IN OUR FIRST ROUND AS WE WORKED THROUGH LAST YEAR, WAS THE FIRST TIME WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH AND WE, WE, WE DID RIDE THROUGHS ON THE ROADS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CURRENT PLAN.
AND WE USED OUR, OUR RATING SYSTEM.
AND I THINK THE ONLY, ONLY REAL QUESTION WE HAD, 'CAUSE AGAIN, WE ALREADY, THE BOARD HAD ALREADY DETERMINED WHAT ROADS THAT WE WOULD PUT ON THE PLAN, BUT WE HAD, I THINK MS. COLORS HAD A QUESTION ON THE CONNECTORS AND HOW THAT FLOWED IN THOSE, IN THOSE CONNECTING ROADS.
SO IN, IN, IN THE NEW, IN THE NEW, UH,
[00:15:01]
UH, LISTING AND SCORING SHEET, I'D ASK GIS TO, UM, GET THE CONNECTORS FOR US.UM, IN, IN REGARDS TO SCHOOL BUS POTENTIAL.
WE GO TO OUR BUS OR OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT WITH THE SCHOOLS, UM, FOR THE ACCIDENT DATA, UM, AVERAGE, AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC COUNT.
WE GET THAT INFORMATION FROM VOT.
UM, AND, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, AS YOU'LL NOTE ON THE BIG SHEET, YOU'LL SEE IF IT'S CURRENTLY RANKED, THAT'S, THAT'S LETTING YOU KNOW THAT WE HAD ALREADY RANKED IT.
AND THEN THERE WERE, DURING THE LAST YEAR, WE HAD THREE ROADS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, NOT ON LAST YEAR'S REVIEW THAT WERE BROUGHT FORTH BY SUPERVISORS, UM, MITCHELL ROAD, STEVE LANE, AND THEORE ROAD.
UM, SO AT THE END OF, AT THE END OF, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR DECISION, UM, AND DISCUSSION, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, AND, AND I THINK, UM, WE HAD SOME EXTRA SHEETS THAT I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT IN THE BOARD PACKAGE WHEN I SENT ZACH THE SHEET.
BUT, UM, WE HAD, I HAD SET UP KIND OF A GENERIC, HEY, THIS IS SCHEDULED AND THIS IS UNSCHEDULED.
SO WE'LL TAKE AND LIST ALL THE SCHEDULED ONES ON ONE SHEET AND THEN THE UNSCHEDULED ROADS ON THE OTHER SO THAT WE KNOW, OKAY, THESE ARE ALREADY HERE.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE YOUR VDOT PLAN AND, AND THOSE NUMBERS MATCH UP AS YOU SEE ON YOUR SHEET.
I ALSO PUT THE VDOT UPCS, UM, ON YOUR BIG SPREADSHEET SO THAT YOU COULD SEE, HEY, VDOT HAS ASSIGNED A NUMBER TO THIS ALREADY.
SO THAT MEANS THAT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA GET IT DONE, BUT THAT MEANS THAT WE, WE HAVE IT ON THAT PLAN, UM, FROM LAST YEAR.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN CONTINUE WITH OUR PRIORITIES AND, AND IF OTHER ROADS COME UP, WE CAN REVIEW THOSE.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE DETERMINE THERE IS A SAFETY CONCERN OR NEED OR SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE, THEN YOU KNOW, THIS BOARD WOULD ANNUALLY GET TO REVIEW THOSE PRIORITIES AND, AND SEE IF THERE'S AN ISSUE OR PROBLEM CONCERN.
UM, AND OF COURSE, VDOT EACH YEAR IS GONNA LET US KNOW HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH FUNDING'S ANTICIPATED, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'LL GO TO THE CTB.
UM, I THINK WE HAD A COUPLE BOARD MEMBERS LAST YEAR THAT WENT TO THE CTB, UM, FOR SOME OF THE PROJECTS AND, AND, AND DISCUSS THOSE.
UM, BUT, UH, I, I'M GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT THE, THE RANKINGS AND, AND THE REVIEW AND, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO TODAY.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, I'VE GOT, UH, A QUESTION.
IT MAY BE, UH, AND THIS JUST CAME TO ME, BUT, UM, IS THERE ANY REQUIREMENT THAT THESE ROADS, UH, UH, EITHER START, UH, ON ONE END OR BOTH ENDS ON, ON A HARDBALL SURFACE SO THAT, UH, SO, SO SAY LIKE IF YOU'VE GOT A, IF, IF YOU'VE GOT A, AN INSTANCE WHERE YOU'VE GOT, UH, A DIRT ROAD AND IT CONNECTS INTO DIRT ROAD HERE AND CONNECTS INTO A DIRT ROAD HERE, BUT YOU PAVED THIS ONE, I MEAN, DOES, DOES THAT EVER HAPPEN? OR DO Y'ALL LOOK FOR THAT AND SAY, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA, OKAY.
YEAH, SO THE ONLY TIME THAT, THAT WE'VE DONE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ALREADY A STATE ROAD OKAY.
IS THE REVENUE SHARING PROGRAM, WHICH WE'VE DONE THE RURAL EDITION PROGRAM REVENUE SHARING.
BUT THAT HAS TO, IN THAT IT HAS TO MEET A CURRENT STATEMENT ALSO.
SO IT, SO IT HAS TO, THE REASON WE DON'T DO THAT IS YOU MAY HAVE TO COME UP SO YOU I GOT IN EARLY.
THE REASON WE DON'T DO THAT IS BECAUSE THE DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING THE GRAVEL SECTIONS ON EACH END.
WELL, THAT, THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE.
I, I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS IF, IF THAT WAS TO HAPPEN.
WE HAVE DONE IT IN THE PAST AND WE REGRETTED IT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I'VE JUST GOT A FEW.
DON'T, UH, I LIKE SCORING SYSTEMS. OKAY.
BUT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS ONE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, IS THIS A, A COUNTY DEVELOPED SCORING SYSTEM OR IS IT FROM VDOT? YES.
UM, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UM, I THINK WE BEAT THIS THING UP PROBABLY A GOOD YEAR.
AND I'LL MOVE THAT MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S OKAY.
ARE THE, THE ACCIDENT NUMBERS, ARE THOSE IN A YEAR OR ARE THEY FROM ALL TIME OR FROM A CERTAIN TIME POINT THAT, WELL, THAT I GET FROM VDOT, SO MATT CAN TELL ME THAT ONE.
THAT'S, THAT'S HIS ANALYTICS THERE.
SO I DO GET THAT FROM VDOT USUALLY THE LAST THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS THE SCHOOL BUS POTENTIAL.
DOES THAT FACTOR IN THE ENROLLMENT IN THE HOUSEHOLDS ON THAT ROAD? WELL, I GUESS THAT'S, YES.
IF, IF YOU WERE, IF THERE WAS POTENTIAL, SO WE'D GO TO THE SCHOOL BUS, TO THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S THIS ROAD.
[00:20:01]
PICK ON ONE, BUT I'D SAY JENNINGS LANE, IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THE SCHOOL BUS IS GOING TO GO DOWN JENNINGS LANE BECAUSE IT'S NARROW.THE BUS IS GONNA HAVE A ROUGH TIME TURNING AROUND.
LIKE IN, UP ON THE MOUNTAIN OF CHIN FARMS, THEY HAVE KIND OF A CENTRALIZED POINT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF ROADS THAT, YOU KNOW, KNOW.
BUT THE, THE SCHOOL BUS POTENTIAL, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THE BOARD CAME UP WITH.
HEY, IF THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT THIS IS, IS GONNA BE AN IMPROVEMENT, WHERE SOMETIMES THE SCHOOL BUSES DON'T TRAVEL OR JUST BECAUSE IT'S DIRT.
SO IF, IF IT WOULD, IF, IF THERE WAS POTENTIAL FOR THAT, THEN LET'S GIVE THEM SOME POINTS.
CAN YOU SEND THAT SCORING SHEET OUT TO EVERYONE ELECTRONIC? I THINK I HANDED IT TO YOU, BUT UM, IF YOU DIDN'T GET IT, I, I CAN SEND IT ELECTRONIC TOO.
IT'S IN THIS OLD MEMO FROM EMILY.
DID YOU GET IT? TWO YEARS AGO? I GOT THAT.
SO I HAD SHELLY PULL THAT FOR ME THIS AFTERNOON.
IT GIVES YOU THE RANKINGS OF EACH CATEGORY, HOW THEY, OKAY.
SO, YEAH, SO IT REAL, IT WAS INPUT, UM, AGAIN, THE, THE AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC COUNT THAT CAME FROM BEING LIKE THE ACCIDENT DATA, THE CONNECTORS.
AND AGAIN, THAT WAS LAST YEAR.
THAT WAS THE QUESTION THAT WE RECEIVED AFTER WE WENT THROUGH AND RANKED.
UM, SO I ASKED GPS OR UH, GIS IF THEY COULD GO AHEAD AND, AND IF THEY WOULD PUT IN THE G THE, THE CONNECTOR INFORMATION SURE.
AND THEN I WENT AHEAD AND, AND TOOK THE, THE SIX YEAR PLAN CURRENTLY SO THAT YOU COULD SEE, OKAY, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THE V DOT SHEET.
UM, AND IT'S NOT A, USUALLY A GREAT BIG POT OF MONEY.
SO LIKE THE FIRST PROJECT WE HAVE UP HERE IS A, A BIG PROJECT, UH, THAT 4.5 MILES A ROW.
THAT'S, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, MR. CARTER, I'LL SPEAK TO INFLATION, BUT I'M SURE THAT THE COST OF THE ROADS ARE GONNA GO WAY UP, I'M SURE IN THE NEXT YEAR.
NOW, THE IMPORTANCE TO ME TO GET THE CONNECTOR ROADS IS WHEN THEY, WITHOUT THE CONNECTOR ROADS, THEY WERE JUST LOOKING AT THE HOUSES THAT RAN YEAH.
THEY DIDN'T COUNT IN ALL THE HOUSES ON THE ROADS.
SO THAT IMPACTED TRAFFIC COUNTS QUITE A BIT.
AND SO WITH THE, WITH THE WAY YOU'VE GOT THIS, IS THIS, UM, THIS IS THE WAY IT'S LAID OUT FOR US TO DECIDE IF THIS IS THE WAY WE WANT IT, OR, WELL, THE WAY I HAVE IT IS I HAVE ALL THE PROJECTS FROM LAST YEAR AND, AND, AND THEY DIDN'T REALLY CHANGE IN REGARDS TO THEIR NUMERIC SYSTEM.
OF COURSE THE FIRST ONE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IT WOULD TAKE IS NOT THE TOP PRIORITY 'CAUSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING FOR IT.
UM, SO YOU BASICALLY WENT BY THE RATING OF, RIGHT.
SO THOSE RATINGS, NOW THE NEXT THREE ROADS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY.
WELL, AND THEN WE HAD ONE, I THINK JENNINGS LANE DIDN'T MAKE IT ONTO THE JENNINGS LANE THAT WASN'T SCHEDULED EITHER.
SO, I MEAN, I, WE CAN DO IT, WE CAN LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS ON THE VDOT PLAN FOR THIS YEAR.
AND, AND AGAIN, LIST ALL THE, AND WHAT I WAS THINKING IS, I MEAN, IF THE BOARD DECIDES THEY WANNA CHANGE SOMETHING, THEN WE NOTATE THAT, BUT WE LIST THESE ARE THE SCHEDULED ROADS AND THIS, AND THEN I'LL TAKE THIS LIST AND, AND OVER HERE I'LL PUT, THESE ARE THE UNSCHEDULED ROADS THAT WE HAVE RANKED.
AND THEN EACH YEAR I CAN BRING THE SHEET AND SAY, HERE THIS IS HOW WE'VE RANKED THEM.
AND THEN NEXT YEAR WE'LL HAVE THE, THE RANKED LIST AND, AND UM, AND THEN OF COURSE I THINK THE PLAN, UM, NOTATES AS VDOT COMPLETES, THEN WE WILL REMOVE IT FROM OUR LIST.
SO MR. CARTER, I KNOW SIX 13 SCORED HIGH.
UM, AND THAT ENCOMPASSES PART OF MY AREA AND PART OF FORK DISTRICT.
AND IT'S LIKE, TO YOUR QUESTION, THEY, WE HAVE DONE PART OF SIX 13 UP TO THIS AREA, AND THEN WE'VE GOT A GAP, AND THEN IT PICKS UP AND GOES ON FOR THE OTHER SECTION.
UM, BUT IF I UNDERSTOOD RIGHT, IF WE PUT THIS AS A PRIORITY, THEN WE, WE WOULD EAT UP MONEY FOR HOW MANY YEARS TO COME.
WELL, RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR, UH, AND WE'RE STILL MIS NUMBERS RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR RULE ROBUST COST FOUR AS MUCH MILE.
SO YOU'VE GOT FOUR AND HALF MILES OF SIX, YOU'RE TALKING 1.8 TO 2 MILLION.
[00:25:01]
THE MONEY BECOMES AVAILABLE, INFLATION IS GONNA CONTINUE TO RAISE THAT UP.AND THAT'S TAR AND SHIP, CORRECT.
IT'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT TO, TO, UH, TO DO, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
YOU KNOW, WE FULLY SUPPORT WHAT, LIKE HIS TEAM DONE HERE.
BECAUSE WHAT THAT DOES IS THE LIMITED DOLLARS YOU GET, IT ASSURES YOU THAT YOU'RE GETTING THE BIGGEST BUYING FOR YOUR BUCK.
BUT YEAH, YOU, YOU KNOW, $1.82 MILLION AND YOU WANT TO GET A TOTAL OF, UH, HOW MUCH A YEAR MONEY CAN WE GET? UH, I'M SORRY, UH, BALLPARK, IT'S ABOUT, UH, 275,075.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE ON YOUR, YOUR SIX YEAR PLAN THAT YOU HAD ALREADY APPROVED, YOU SEE THOSE THINGS SPREAD OUT.
IF YOU COME UP IN THAT WAY BACK OUT HERE, YEAH.
IN THE FIFTH, THE CURRENT SIX YEAR PLAN IN THE FY 24, THAT BY 29 THERE'S ONLY, I THINK 1.7 MILLION IN THE ENTIRE SIX YEAR PLAN.
THAT'S WHAT WE GET FROM THE STATE TO HELP FUND THESE.
SO 1.8 MILLION FOR THAT ROAD, IF WE ONLY DID THAT ROAD, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THE COUNTY PAY FOR, THEN WE'D BE EVEN NO OTHER ROAD.
IS THAT THE BALANCING ACT WE'VE BEEN YEAH.
WHICH STILL OCCUR OVER THE, UM, THE PERIOD OF THE SIX YEARS.
I THINK HE WAS ASKING IF, BECAUSE THE COUNTY, THIS PORTION, WE DON'T PUT ANY MONEY OUT.
THIS IS ALL, THIS IS ALL STATE.
SO THIS, THIS IS ALL STATE MONEY.
WHAT ARE WE, WHAT DECISIONS ARE WE MAKING THEN? WELL, WE TELL THEM WHICH ROADS WE WANT THEM TO PUT UP NEXT TO BE DONE.
AND THEN THEY PUT IN X NUMBER OF DOLLARS A YEAR UNTIL THEY GET TO WHAT THE TOTAL COST IS.
SO WE, THAT'S WHY IT'S A SIX YEAR PLAN.
SO OVER SIX YEARS, IT'S 1.7 AND WE'VE GOT ALL THESE ROADS OF WHAT WE MAYBE WANT DONE.
SO, SO, OKAY,
IT SAYS WARREN COUNTY SAYS, OKAY, SO THAT'S ALL WARREN COUNTY DOLLARS.
NOW WE DON'T KNOW, UH, AGAIN, FOR THE, I KNOW I'VE BEEN OVER THIS WITH THE EXISTING BOARD MEMBERS, BUT NEW BOARD MEMBERS, OUR PROCESS WORKS BASED ON PROJECTED BENEFITS.
AND FOR THE FIRST YEAR, WE WERE VERY COMFORTABLE IN WHAT BEING PROJECTED THE SECOND YEAR, UH, PRETTY GOOD.
YOU GET OUT THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, AND SIX YEARS.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT THE NATIONAL ECONOMY DOES.
'CAUSE WE CAN SEE IT'S ALL THE SAME NUMBER ALL THE WAY OUT.
YOU GOT US AT 300,000 3 0 1, IT, UH, WE'LL TAKE IT
IF THEY COME DOWN, THEN THE AMOUNTS COME DOWN.
SO, AND I THINK THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND, JUST 'CAUSE IT SAYS SIX YEAR PLAN DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN IT GETS DONE IN SIX YEARS EITHER.
DEPENDING ON REVENUES, IT CAN STRETCH OUT FURTHER.
ESSENTIALLY THE STATE PUTS UP THE MONEY, THE COUNTY CHOOSES HOW THEY WANT SPEND IT, AND THEN THE STATE ADMINIS GETTING IT DONE.
SO YOU CHANGE, ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT DOING THE RANKING AND HAVING DISCUSSION ON ROADS IS YOU, YOU DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH IT.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION WITH WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE IT ALL LISTED OUT FOR US.
THAT'S EXPLAINING IT TO US AND EXPLAINING IT TO US, AND HEY, WE WANNA CHANGE THE LAST MINUTE.
BUT, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY LIKES TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE AND BOARD DECIDES TO MOVE ON THE PROJECT, THEN THE PROJECT, WELL, THE OTHER THING IT DOES IS IT GIVES THE, I'M SURE THAT IT'S LIKE MOST COUNTIES, CITIZENS COME AND SAY HIGHER.
THERE'S BUSES, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE TRIBAL, AND IT MAKES MORE,
[00:30:01]
IT JUST, IT'S MORE PALATABLE FOR THE CITIZENS.ONE COUNTY WAS THE LAST COUNTY THAT WE HAD THAT DID NOT HAVE SYSTEM AND EXCEPTION.
THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT A BIG FAN OF.
BUT, UH, MIKE TOGETHER A LITTLE LESS 40 OF UNPAVED.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD POINT OUT IS THAT IN THE LATTER YEARS OF YOUR PLAN, OKAY, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE CHANGES, THAT'S THE TIME TO MAKE IT.
ONCE IT GETS UP INTO THE FIRST THREE YEARS, IT'S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT A PROCESS BECAUSE MONEY'S ALREADY BEEN ALLOTTED TO IT.
NOW YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE, UH, FIFTH YEAR ON YOUR CURRENT PLAN, THE ONE OF THE PROJECTS HAS IT ALLOTTED IN THE LAST YEAR, THE LA VERY LAST PROJECT ON YOUR PLAN HAS ZERO ALLOTTED TO IT.
SO THAT ONE'S A VERY EASY ONE TO CHANGE.
BUT THE FARTHER BACK, IF YOU START MAKING CHANGES AS YOU COME BACK, IT BECOMES MORE DIFFICULT.
SO IS IT POSSIBLE, YOU SAID THAT THERE'S ABOUT FOUR 50,000, UH, OR RATHER 75,000 IT'S ALLOTTED, UH, UH, PER A YEAR.
SO IS IT POSSIBLE THAT, UH, THAT YOU COME IN AND YOU SAY, WELL, I'VE GOT FOUR AND HALF MILES HERE, 2 75, 5 6 OF A MILE.
YOU JUST DO THAT SIX TENTHS OF A MILE, THEN THE NEXT YEAR YOU DO ANOTHER SIX 10? OR DO YOU TAKE ALL THAT MONEY AND JUST KIND OF LIKE ESCROW IT? NO, WE, WE, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU BREAK IT UP INTO PIECES.
FOUR MILES IS A HUGE PROJECT AND WHAT IT DOES, IT TAKES THE RESOURCES SO YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING ELSE DONE.
SO WE WOULD, WE LIKE TO KEEP 'EM IN A MILE OR UNDER.
AND THEN WHEN YOU SAID WE HAVE LESS THAN 40 MILES NOW, DO, NOW THAT'S STATE ROADS, CORRECT? YES.
STATE, STATE ROADS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR SYSTEM THAT WE CURRENTLY MAINTAIN.
THAT IS NOT YOUR, UH, SANITARY DISTRICT ROADS THAT ARE NOT IN OUR SYSTEM.
NOW, CAN, CAN THOSE, WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR PUTTING THOSE ROADS IN THE SYSTEM? THEY HAVE TO BE BOUGHT UP TO OUR STANDARD, HAVE TO BE REQUESTED BY THE BOARD AND BOUGHT UP TO OUR STANDARD.
AND THEN ONCE, ONCE IT'S UP TO THAT STANDARD.
SO THAT MEANS THAT THE SANITARY DISTRICT WOULD HAVE TO COME IN AND PUT SOME RESOURCES DOWN IN ORDER TO GET THAT UP TO, TO THAT.
HISTORICALLY, YOUR THE, THE, THE WAY IT WAS HAS BEEN DONE OKAY.
IS THAT, UH, UH, THE ROADS WERE SELECTED, YOU KNOW, THAT WANTED TO COME IN, THAT HAD THE, THE, UH, AMOUNTS OF TRAFFIC THAT MADE IT WORTHWHILE.
THE SANITARY DISTRICT MIGHT CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HERE, PUT UP 25%, THE BOARD PUT UP 25% AND THEN YOU APPLIED FOR REVENUE SHARING IN WHICH THE, WITH APPROVED THE STATE PUTS UP THE OTHER 50%.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, UH, THAT DO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FARM THAT YOU GO BACK IN INTO AND GO, OH MY GOODNESS, I'D HAVE THE JEEP TO, TO GET AROUND IN THAT.
THAT, WELL, THEY, WHATEVER, WHATEVER GETS BOUGHT IN HAS TO BE BOUGHT UP TO OUR STANDARDS.
AND THAT, AS MIKE CAN TELL YOU, ON SOME ROADS, THAT CAN BE PRETTY EXPENSIVE.
WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE, MIKE? FIVE? UH, IT VARIES IF IT'S CONSIDERED MOUNTAINOUS, BUT YEAH, PROBABLY LIKE 12 IS WHERE UNDER WE WANNA BE 12%, 12%.
BUT YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOME, I'M SURE THEY'RE A LOT STEEPER THAN THAT.
SOME STEEP, YOU GOTTA NEED A STATE ROAD.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT, THAT IMPACTS IT, UH, SINCE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A TIMES PROCESS OVER THE YEARS, OUR STANDARDS CHANGE OVER THE YEARS.
SO THE ONES THAT ARE IN THE LATTER YEARS COULD, I WON'T SAY WILL, BUT COULD COST YOU MORE THAN THE ONES IN THE EARLIER YEARS.
MOST RECENTLY THE BOARD HAS SAID WE'RE NOT PUTTING ANY MONEY INTO THAT PROGRAM.
BUT, UM, I'LL LET COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SPEAK ON THAT.
[00:35:01]
UH, IF I MAY, THE, UH, BOARD EARMARK, UH, 500, $4,000 TO GET REVENUE SHARING MONEY FOR S IN PARK.AND THEY APPLY 20 MIKE ABOUT THAT.
AND WHEN THEY CAME BACK IN, THE MONEY WAS AWARDED IN 2020, BUT ESSENTIALLY WAS 900,000 AND GOT SIX 50 CULVER OUT THERE.
SO THE BOARD SAID IN 2021 THAT THEY, THESE THREE PROJECTS OVER THE FOUR, FIVE AND YOUNGEST DRIVE WITH THE 504 THAT THEY HAD, THEY WOULD NOT COMMIT MORE MONEY TO THE REVENUE SHARING PROJECT FROM THE COUNTY.
WE ARE REQUIRED TO BE THE AGENT FOR A REVENUE SHARING PROJECT.
SANITARY DISTRICTS ARE NOT, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING.
SO WE APPLY ON THEIR BEHALF, SAN DISTRICT.
UM, ONE OF YOUR SECONDARY SHEET WHERE IT GETS DOWN TO THE CTV FORMULA AND SO FORTH.
THE TELE FEE IN THERE IS THAT THE FEE THAT WE PAY ON OUR CELL PHONES, UH, LANDLINES.
IT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR SECONDARY ROADS.
THAT'S THE WAY THE CODE'S WRITTEN.
AND SO IS THAT, AGAIN, ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE THEY TAKE ALL THE COUNTY'S MONEY, THROW IT IN THE POT, AND THEN DIVVY IT OUT TO US BECAUSE IT, YES, 51,000 SEEMS AWFUL.
AND WHEN YOU THINK HOW MANY PEOPLE WE GOT HERE, CELL PHONES AND, AND I, I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE AND I DON'T THINK MATT DOES AS TO HOW THEY DO THAT FORMULA.
'CAUSE THAT'S DONE AT CENTRAL OFFICE.
LOOKS LIKE THEY JUST FIGURE IT UP AND GIVE US BACK WHAT WE PAID IN.
DOESN'T IT?
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. BARRY OR MR. SMITH AND MR. CARTER? WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS HERE.
WE'RE JUST BEING, JUST GIVEN INFORMATION RANKINGS ARE AND ASKED IF WE STILL LIKE THOSE RANKINGS.
I, I, WE SHOULD KNOW GENERALLY ABOUT THE 1ST OF MARCH, SOMETIME BETWEEN THE END OF FEBRUARY AND THE FIRST HALF OF MARCH, THEY OPEN UP WHAT THEY CALL THE GEN MOD, WHICH WE CAN GO IN AND SEE WHAT DOLLARS ARE ALLOTTED THEN, THEN YOU CAN APPLY FIGURES TO THESE THINGS AND SEE HOW FAR YOU CAN GO.
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO WORK WITH.
SO RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE A LIST OF ROADS THAT WAS RANKED LAST YEAR.
YOU ALREADY HAVE A, A PLAN THAT'S FILLED OUT AND NOW YOU HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL ONES SCHEDULED.
IF YOU DON'T FORESEE THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE, THEN VO WHEN THEY GET THEIR DOLLARS CAN SAY, HEY, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE FOR THE YEAR.
UM, AND NOW WE CAN SET UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THEN YOUR CONSTITUENTS GET TO COME IN AND, AND FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING AND GIVE THEIR OPINIONS, FEELINGS, ET CETERA.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD FOR WORKING ON THIS, THIS EARLY.
USUALLY WE'RE CRAMMED UP, YOU KNOW, AT THE END.
AND BY YOU ALL BEING PROACTIVE LIKE THIS, IT REALLY HELPS US.
NO, WE'RE GLAD TO QUESTION MIKE.
WHAT'S THE, TO BE FRANK, WHAT'S THE POINT OF THEM COMING IN? I MEAN, IT'S, IF IT'S FIVE YEARS AND MATT, IT'S A FIVE YEAR PLAN AND ALL THE, ALL FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED.
AND WHAT WAS THE POINT OF TODAY? NO, I MEAN YOU WERE DESCRIBING THE PROCESS.
AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS LAST THINGS YOU SAID WAS THEN THAT WE CAN SET UP THE HEARINGS AND THE PUBLIC CAN COME IN AND IF STATE CODE REQUIRES IT, OKAY.
WE HAVE A, SO THEY CAN SAY THEIR OPINION, BUT IT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR SIX YEARS AND THE MONEY THE STATE'S ALREADY ALLOCATED AND EVERYTHING'S ROLLING.
AFTER THERE THEY HAVE THE ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING.
IF THEY WANT TO READJUST THEIR FIVE YEAR PLAN, THEY CAN DO IT.
THEY, YES, THEY CAN DO THAT AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT
[00:40:01]
WE PLANNED FOR ALL THAT TIME.YOU ALLOCATED THE MONEY, YOU GOT EVERYTHING READY AND WE PULLED THE PLUG ON IT.
AND SOMETHING GOES TO THE BACK OF THE LINE.
NOT SPECIFICALLY, NOT WITH THIS BOARD.
SO THAT'S WHY RIGHT NOW WE WANT TO BE REAFFIRMING.
AND THERE ARE OTHER PROCESSES AND, AND AGAIN, LIKE MR. BUTLER I THINK WAS ADVOCATING FOR, FOR HIGH KNOB, WHICH IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PROGRAM AND I DON'T REALLY CONFUSE THINGS.
UM, MS. COLORS WAS ADVOCATING FOR A THREE 40 PROJECT.
AND, AND YOU GO TO THE COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION BOARD AND, AND IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN, IN YOUR COUNTY OR YOUR CONSTITUENCY, YOU CAN GO AND ADVOCATE FOR ALL THOSE THINGS WHEN THEY MEET.
THEY, THE, THEY WILL HAVE A DISTRICT-WIDE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
AND IT'S GENERALLY HELD AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WHERE THE SECRETARY AND THE COMMISSIONER AND ALL THE FINANCE PEOPLE AND CTB MEMBERS COME OUT AND LISTEN TO PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM LOCALITIES.
I I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT YOUR VOICE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
'CAUSE WE DID GET SOME PROJECTS THAT WEREN'T ON THE, THE METRIC SCALE.
UM, AND I, AND I THINK BDO FOR BEING SUPPORTIVE OF US AS WELL.
THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT POTS OF MONEY AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS ONE POT OF MONEY.
AND WHAT WE WENT FOR WAS A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET OF POTS OF MONEY.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT I HAD THE, AN OLDER VERSION AND I THINK THAT'LL HELP, UM, MAKE US ALL A LITTLE MORE AWARE AND UNDERSTAND SOME OF THAT.
WELL, YOU'RE QUITE WELCOME MATT.
MATT THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA.
ANYTHING ELSE? WE'RE GOOD? NOPE.
I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE AHEAD OF THE SCHEDULE AGAIN, SO WE'LL TAKE A FEW MINUTES BREAK UNTIL THE, UM, NEXT PRESENTER ON OUR AGENDA COMES, WHICH IS WHAT TIME DO YOU, DID YOU HAVE A TIME SLOT MR. HENDERSON FOR THEM? I, ITEM D FRIENDS OF THE CHAND RIVER WILL NOT BE HERE, SO WE CAN MARK THAT OFF.
SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA PRESENT IT ALL.
'CAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HERE.
UM, THEY WERE SICK, SO THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO COME TONIGHT.
WELL, WE'LL TAKE A FEW MINUTES BREAK UNTIL THEY GET BACK.
MINIMAL NEW REVENUE IN THE SYSTEM FROM THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
[F. Blue Ridge Arts Council - Budget Presentation]
CRUMP IS HERE FOR THE BLUE RIDGE ARTS COUNCIL.HI, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? THANK YOU.
HOW ARE YOU? WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING TONIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS.
AND I'M SORRY I MISSED, UH, DUE TO SOME ILLNESS EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT I'M WITH BLUE ARTS COUNSEL.
I'VE BEEN WITH BLUE ARTS COUNSEL FOR 22 YEARS NOW, AND WE ARE A 37-YEAR-OLD ORGANIZATION, UH, DEDICATED TO, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE COMMUNITY, HIGHLIGHTING ARTS AND CULTURE THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS.
UM, WE ASK FOR $5,000 EVERY YEAR FROM YOU GUYS.
IT'S A LEVEL FUNDING REQUEST SINCE 2000.
AND WE ALSO ASK THAT THE COUNTY APPLY FOR A MATCHING GRANT FROM THE VIRGINIA COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS.
AND IT'S CALLED THE, UM, CREATIVE COMMUNITIES PARTNERSHIP GRANT.
AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN RECEIVING THAT GRANT FUNDING, UH, SINCE 1988 IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BCA AND THE COUNTY.
UM, SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE MOST NOTED FOR IS OUR SUMMER CONCERT SERIES, GAZEBO GATHERINGS.
UH, ATTEND TO 12 WEEK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES NOW ON THURSDAY EVENINGS.
UH, HIGHLIGHTING DIFFERENT MUSICAL GROUPS, UM, AROUND THE REGION.
A LOT OF VERY, UH, LOCAL BANDS ALSO PLAY FOR US.
[00:45:01]
GALLERY SPACE AND, UH, WE HOST ABOUT SIX ART SHOWS A YEAR THERE.RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A SHOW CALLED, UH, FROM BROWNTOWN AND BEYOND, UH, THAT KEVIN SEABROOK HAS DONE ABOUT 40 PIECES IN THE SHOW.
UM, NEXT MONTH WE WILL HOST OUR VERY POPULAR YOUTH ARTS SHOW, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE WORK OF K THROUGH 12 WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS.
SO IT'S ALSO A VERY POPULAR SHOW FOR KIDS AND STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS, BUT ALSO, UH, REALLY INSPIRING TO, UM, OLDER ARTISTS BECAUSE, UM, AS WE GET OLDER, WE DON'T GET FREER.
WE GET MORE
SO HOW MUCH IS THAT MATCHING GRANT? THE MATCHING GRANT? YEAH.
IT'S, UH, THROUGH THE VIRGINIA COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS AND IT'S CALLED THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP GRANT.
UM, AND SO, UH, THEY MATCHED, YOU KNOW, YOUR MONEY WELL.
ACTUALLY, UH, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THEY CUT BACK, UM, IN ONE OF OUR BUDGET THINGS WITH THE STATE, THEY CUT THAT BACK $500.
THAT MAKES, SO THE COUNTY'S BEEN GREAT TO STILL DO THE 5,000 OKAY.
AND THEN RECEIVE THE $4,500 MATCH.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A WONDERFUL WAY TO BRING MONEY BACK THAT OUR TAXPAYERS HAVE ALREADY PAID INTO MM-HMM.
SO IT'S A GREAT WAY TO BRING MONEY BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT EXPLAINS WHAT I SEE HERE.
WHAT HOURS IS THE GALLERY OPEN? I, I'M ASHAMED TO SAY I DON'T GO AS OFTEN WHEN I, SINCE THE BANK PARK CLOSED, BUT I ALWAYS ENJOYED, I KNOW WE MISS THE BANK SO MUCH.
UM, WE ARE OPEN ABOUT 25 HOURS A WEEK AND WE TRY TO BE OPEN WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY FROM ABOUT 11 TO FIVE.
WE DO COME IN, SEE THE BROWN BY APPOINTMENT AND DEPENDING UPON WHAT SHOWS WE HAVE.
WHAT KIND OF FUNDRAISING DO YOU DO? UH, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST FUNDRAISERS IS AN EVENT CALLED DECK THE HALLS.
AND WE, UM, HAVE, UH, BUSINESSES, UM, INDIVIDUALS, ARTISTS IN THE COMMUNITY DECORATE, UH, CHRISTMAS TREES AND WREATHS.
WE GIVE THEM THE TREE OR THE WREATH AND THEY BRING IT BACK TO US DECORATED AND WE PRICE THEM TO SELL.
AND WE HAVE A BIG EVENT IN NOVEMBER, AND THAT SETS VERY, UH, 20 YEAR PROGRAM NOW.
UM, BUT IT'S A NICE KICKOFF TO THE HOLIDAY SEASON IN THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, PRETTY WELL RECEIVED.
WE ALSO DO, UM, AN ANNUAL DINNER FOR A FUNDRAISER, UM, WHERE WE HONOR, UH, ART CITIZEN OF THE YEAR.
WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY DONE THAT SINCE COVID, SO WE'RE HOPING THIS YEAR THAT WE GET TO, WE HAVE OUR HONOREES LINED UP, BUT HOPING WE GET TO DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
AND THEN WE DO, UM, MEMBERSHIP FUNDRAISING.
UH, WE ALSO DO, UM, WE DO SOME, UM, FUNDRAISING AT THE GAZEBO GATHERINGS.
I WAS JUST LOSING YOUR FUNDRAISING IS, IS ACTUALLY MORE THAN YOUR ASK.
WE TRY, WE APPRECIATE THE COUNTY, UH, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH FOR, FOR WHAT YOU DO PROVIDE FOR US AND BEING A PARTNER WITH THAT GRANT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TOO.
YOU, YOU ALSO, UH, UH, RAISED SOME REVENUE BY THE, UM, UH, THE, I GUESS RENTING OUT YOUR, YOUR SPACE THERE, DON'T YOU? WE DO.
WE, UM, WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, UTILIZE OUR SPACE FOR SOME, SOME EVENTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PIANO RECITALS.
I KNOW MY, MY SON PLAYS THE, THE, THE VIOLIN.
WE DO THAT ABOUT, UH, THREE OR FOUR TIMES A YEAR FOR THAT INSTRUCTOR.
OTHER QUESTIONS? I ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THAT PIANO.
SO THAT PIANO WAS GIFTED TO THE ARTS COUNCIL LIKE IN THE NINETIES FROM A MUSIC STUDY CLUB.
AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE A, A BABY GRAND PIANO, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU OWN, BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF, UM, KIND OF DAUNTING IF YOU EVER HAVE TO MOVE IT.
I DON'T MEAN AROUND THE GALLERY.
WE HAVE IT ON ROLLERS, SO WE HAVE TO MOVE IT ALL AROUND.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE HAD TO LEAVE OUR FACILITY OR, AND WE HAVE MOVED ON OCCASION, SO HAVING TO MOVE IT AND, UH, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL INSTRUMENT.
IT'S FROM THE 1920S AND WE WERE ABLE A COUPLE YEARS AGO THROUGH A FUNDRAISING THAT, UH, A PIANIST IN THE COMMUNITY WANTED TO DO, REPLACE THE KEY ACTION, WHICH IS IT WAS ABOUT $3,500.
SO WE TRY TO TAKE CARE OF THAT TOO.
I MIGHT MENTION, MA'AM, THAT WE ARE THE RECIPIENT FOR THE STATE FUNDS.
WE'RE REQUIRED TO MAKE THAT APPLICATION ON BEHALF OF THE ARTS COUNCIL.
THEY, THEY CANNOT APPLY TO THE 4,500 WITHOUT A MATCH.
UM, I KNOW I SAW SOME PEOPLE COME IN.
ANYONE HERE FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY? NOT YET.
[00:50:01]
OKAY.DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF COMING UP, DR.
DALEY? NO, EXCEPT FOR THE WRONG AGENDA NEXT TUESDAY.
LOTS OF PUBLIC HEARINGS? YES, SIR.
OKAY, WELL, WE'LL GIVE THEM A FEW MORE MINUTES AND WE'LL TAKE ANOTHER SHORT BREAK HERE.
[E. Humane Society - Budget Presentation]
SOCIETY, WOULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YES.I AM THE NEW DIRECTOR FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF WARREN COUNTY.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR INVITING ME OUT HERE TODAY, UM, TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE SHELTER.
UM, WE ARE REQUESTING AN INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 DUE TO THE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE FROM 12 TO 1350.
THAT WILL BE GOING INTO EFFECT JANUARY ONE OF 25.
UM, WE ARE REQUESTING A 37,000 TOTAL INCREASE FOR FISCAL YEARS 24, 25 AND 25 26.
IN ADDITION TO THE ANNUAL 2% INCREASE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED IN PAST YEARS, UH, DUE TO THE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE, WE ARE REQUESTING THAT 37,000 BE SPLIT INTO TWO PAYMENTS, UM, 18,500 FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, 25, AND 18,500 FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 AND 26.
UM, THE WAY I CALCULATED THIS INCREASE IS WE HAVE 15 PART-TIME EMPLOYEES AT THE SHELTER WHO EACH WORK AN AVERAGE OF FOUR DAYS A WEEK, OR 32 HOURS A WEEK.
UM, THAT IS EQUAL TO A HUNDRED AND DAY, 104 DAYS PER FISCAL YEAR PER PERSON, OR 200 AND DAY, 200 DAYS, UH, PER CALENDAR YEAR PER PERSON WITH EACH PART-TIMER WORKING AN AVERAGE OF 200 AND DAYS PER YEAR.
THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 37,440 FOR ONE CALENDAR YEAR.
AND DUE TO THE COUNTY'S BUDGET BEING PREPARED FISCALLY, UH, THE REQUEST OF AN ADDITIONAL 37,000 WOULD BE SPLIT INTO TWO PAYMENTS OVER THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEARS.
UH, OUR 2023 AND 24 APPROVED BUDGET FROM THE COUNTY IS $400,008, WITH A 2% INCREASE PER FISCAL YEAR THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED HISTORICALLY.
PLUS THE 18,500, UH, AMOUNTS TOTAL TO 426,508 FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, 25, AND 453,538 FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 26.
UM, FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2023, THE SHELTER SPENT A TOTAL OF $473,293 ON PAYROLL.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL 52,000 THAT'S TACKED ON FOR TAXES, HEALTH INSURANCE, DIRECT DEPOSIT FEES, AND SO ON.
UM, THE $400,008 THAT WE CURRENTLY RECEIVE DOES NOT COVER OUR PAYROLL COSTS.
UM, TOTAL EXPENSES FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2023 WERE $748,215.
UH, AND OBVIOUSLY WE ALL KNOW THAT EXPENSES INCREASE EACH YEAR, AND THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE CHANGING.
UM, BASIC CARE ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO OPERATE THE SHELTER AND CARE FOR THE ANIMALS, SUCH AS CLEANING PRODUCTS AND SUPPLIES, VACCINES, PREVENTATIVES, MEDICATIONS AND SO ON, HAVE ALL INCREASED.
UM, WITH THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY CURRENTLY, WE ANTICIPATE INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS DECREASING OVER THE NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
UH, AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, THE HUMANE SOCIETY IS A PRIVATE SHELTER AND WE HOLD A CONTRACT WITH THE COUNTY TO OPERATE AS THE POUND FOR STRAY, SICK, INJURED, AND ABANDONED ANIMALS.
AND THERE WAS, AGAIN, AN INCREASE IN ANIMAL CONTROL INTAKES IN 2023.
UM, IN FACT, THE NUMBER OF DOGS WE TAKE IN FROM ANIMAL CONTROL HAS STEADILY INCREASED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
79% OF ALL DOG INTAKES IN 2022 WERE FROM ANIMAL CONTROL, AND 81% OF OUR DOG INTAKES WERE FROM ANIMAL CONTROL IN 2023.
UM, WE'RE HAVING TO WORK HARDER FOR FUNDING AND TO OFFER RESOURCES TO OWN PETS THAT NEED RE-HOME BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE SPACE TO TAKE THEM IN.
UH, JUST LAST NIGHT WE HAD SHELTER STAFF ASSISTING LOCAL ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS WITH A SEIZURE.
UM, MY GIRLS WORKED THREE HOURS PAST CLOSING TIME, ASSISTED ON SCENE TO LOCATE AND LEASH DOGS ON THE PROPERTY, LOAD THEM INTO OUR TRANSPORT VAN, DO QUICK EXAMS, SEX THEM ALL, AND ENTER INTAKES FOR ALL 10 DOGS, TWO CATS AND A PONY.
UM, THEY THEN DROVE THEM ALL BACK TO THE SHELTER, SET UP THEIR KENNELS CRATES WITH BEDDING, WATER, FOOD, GOT THE PONIES SITUATED OUTSIDE IN OUR PADDOCK.
UM, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CURRENT ACOS, AND WHILE I ABSOLUTELY WANT TO ASSIST IN CASES LIKE THIS, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IT, WE'RE NOT BEING REIMBURSED FOR OUR TIME OR RESOURCES IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
UM, I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT WE'RE BEING REASONABLE IN OUR REQUESTS AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL CAN SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF IT AND AGREE AS WELL.
[00:55:01]
QUESTIONS.HOW, HOW DO YOU GET A PONY? UM,
UM, AND JUST ABANDONED VERY, NO, NOT ABANDONED.
THEY WERE SEIZED, UM, FOR NOT GREAT LIVING CONDITIONS.
REAL QUICK, WHAT WAS THE NUMBER FOR THE SECOND YEAR YOU HAD THERE? 53, UH, 4 53, 5 38.
I HAVE A COUPLE THINGS I WANTED TO ASK.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT, WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR HOW YOU CALLED OUT, UH, DOWN TO THE PENNY, THE, UH, MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE AND HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT YOU.
UM, I DID NOTICE HOWEVER, UM, THAT YOU HAVE A LOT OF, UH, REVENUE SOURCES OTHER THAN THE COUNTY, INCLUDING FUNDRAISING AND, AND PROGRAM REVENUE.
AND I JUST WANTED YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT.
UM, SO WHILE I AM PASSING ON THE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE TO THE COUNTY AND ASKING FOR HELP WITH THAT, UM, EVEN IF WE DO GET THE INCREASES, IT'S STILL NOT GONNA COVER OUR PAYROLL.
UM, I JUST, I FEEL LIKE WITH THE MAJORITY OF OUR INTAKES THAT ARE COMING IN FROM ANIMAL CONTROL AND WE CAN'T ACTUALLY OPERATE AS A PRIVATE SHELTER LIKE WE ARE.
UM, WE SHOULD BE DESERVING OF A LITTLE BIT OF AN INCREASE.
UM, AND I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS ACTUALLY ABOUT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WAS, UH, INTERESTED TO LEARN 81% OF THE DOG INTAKES ARE COMING FROM ANIMAL CONTROL.
UM, I, I WAS WONDERING, OUT OF THE 1,143 PETS, UH, FOR THE YEAR, HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE DOGS VERSUS CATS? UM, WE HAD 487 DOGS, I DO BELIEVE.
UM, 512 CATS AND THE REST WERE OTHER PONIES SPECIES.
UM, THIS LINE OF QUESTIONING, IT'S GONNA GET ME IN TROUBLE WITH SOMEONE, BUT I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, OF THE DOGS THAT YOU HAVE KENNELED THERE UNTIL THEY'RE ADOPTED OVER THE YEAR, WHAT PERCENT ROUGHLY, OR WHAT SHARE ARE PIT BULLS? OH, UH, IT'S A HIGH PERCENTAGE.
I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER, BUT WE SEE, UM, IN THIS AREA WE SEE A MAJORITY OF PIT BULLS AND HOUND TYPE DOGS.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT IT'S PROBABLY HUSKIES.
AND YOU'RE A NO KILL SHELTER, CORRECT? RIGHT.
DO THE PIT BULLS STAY THERE LONGER TYPICALLY, OR DO THEY GET ADOPTED JUST AS, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY STAY THERE ANY LONGER THAN ANY OTHER ANIMAL.
AND WE HAVE CHANGED OUR POLICY, UM, THE BE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR.
UM, WE'RE NO LONGER LETTING PEOPLE WALK THROUGH THE KENNELS BECAUSE THEY GET THEM ALL ROUTE UP AND IT'S LOUD.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES A DAY PEOPLE COME OUT AND SAY, OH, YOUR DOGS ARE MEAN.
THEY'RE JUST STUCK IN A KENNEL.
AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS POLICY WILL HELP DOGS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY BEING OVERLOOKED.
AND, UM, I NOTICED THAT YOU HAVE, UM, ABOUT 713,000 IN LIQUID CASH SAVINGS AND INVESTMENTS, BUT ABOUT 34,000 OR SO WAS EARMARKED OR RESTRICTED.
AND I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT IF THOSE ARE RESTRICTED FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE? YEAH, SO WE HAVE A FEW COMMUNITY PROGRAMS THAT WE FUNDRAISE SEPARATELY FOR.
UM, WE WRITE GRANTS FOR THOSE, THOSE ARE INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS, BUSINESS DONATIONS, THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT THEY'RE EARMARKED FOR SPECIFIC PROGRAMS LIKE OUR TNR PROGRAM.
WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO SPAY A NEUTER 368 COMMUNITY AND FERAL CATS LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT THAT TAKES A LOT OF FUNDING.
UM, I JUST DID A PRESENTATION WITH THE ROTARY OF, UH, FRONT ROYAL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO ABOUT TNR SPECIFICALLY.
UM, WE SPENT 26,000 LAST YEAR IN TNR MM-HMM.
WE HAD A VERY GENEROUS DONATION FROM A GENTLEMAN.
UM, SO HE PUT A PORTION OF, OF HIS DONATION TOWARDS THAT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, 26,000 IS REALLY NOTHING COMPARED TO BRINGING IN 368 ANIMALS INTO THE SHELTER.
AND, YOU KNOW, TWO FERAL CATS AND THEIR OFFSPRING CAN TURN INTO 440,000 AND LESS THAN SEVEN YEARS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, THE, THE, UM, THE BUDGET FORM THAT I HAVE DOESN'T LIST YOUR EXPENSES.
SO I DID THE, UM, QUESTIONS AND I HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME HERE.
I BROKE DOWN ALL OF OUR, UH, EXPENSES.
UM, I CAN GO OVER THEM QUICKLY IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO.
NO, IF YOU CAN JUST FILL OUT THE FORM AND SUBMIT IT TO OUR FINANCIAL PEOPLE.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
'CAUSE I'M LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW AND I JUST SEE YOUR REQUEST, BUT I DON'T SEE ANYTHING BROKEN UP AND EXPENDITURES.
I'M IS REFERRING TO THE TABLE.
YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE TABLE, RIGHT.
[01:00:04]
DOES THIS LOOK FAMILIAR? THIS TABLE? OH, THAT'S WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT.OH, NO, I, THAT DOES NOT LOOK FAMILIAR TO ME, BUT I I GOT THE QUESTIONS OKAY.
THAT YOU ALL MIGHT BE ASKING AND I WORK EVERYTHING DOWN THERE.
WELL, IN THAT CASE HE DOESN'T NEED TO COPY IT 'CAUSE YOU'VE GOT IT.
SHE'S, SHE'S GOT IT ALL IN THE, IN THE TEXT UP HERE.
THAT JUST KIND OF CONFUSED ME THE WAY YOU PHRASED IT THAT, UM, YOU WANT AN INCREASE BECAUSE YOU'RE A PRIVATE, UM, ENTITY AND YOU'RE TAKING IN WHAT ANIMAL CONTROL BRINGS IN.
BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAD, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FUNDING THAT WE GIVE YOU THAT YOU WOULD WORK WITH ANIMAL CONTROL TO TAKE IN OTHERWISE, I MEAN, I KNOW THEY'RE BRINGING IN A LARGE PORTION, BUT WHERE WOULD YOU, IF IF ANIMAL CONTROL DIDN'T BRING ANYTHING IN, WHAT IS IT PEOPLE THAT JUST COME IN AND SAY, I CAN NO LONGER TAKE CARE OF THIS ANIMAL? MM-HMM.
WE, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TAKE IN OWNER SURRENDERS, UM, ANIMAL CONTROL HAS BEEN BETTER OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, UM, WITH NOT BRINGING THOSE INTO THE SHELTER.
THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THAT.
UM, PART OF OUR INTAKE DIVERSION PROJECT IS TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THESE OWNERS AND SEE IF WE CAN OFFER RESOURCES ASIDE FROM, TO PREVENT INTAKE INTO AN OVERCROWDED SHELTER SYSTEM.
BUT WHEN WE HAVE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS GOING OUT AND PICKING UP DOGS THAT WE HAVE ON OUR WAITING LIST AT CURRENTLY AS OWNER SURRENDERS, AND THEN THE OWNERS MAKE UP SOME KIND OF STORY LIKE, OH, I FOUND IT AS A STRAY.
THEY HAVE TO BRING THAT TO US.
UM, BUT IT DOESN'T GIVE US A CHANCE TO WORK WITH THESE PEOPLE AND TRY TO FIND SOLUTIONS.
SO, SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE A NO KILL SHELTER MM-HMM.
UM, TO BE NO KILL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A 90% OR MORE LIVE RELEASE RATE FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW.
UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN NO EUTHANASIA.
UM, WE, WE DO STILL EUTHANIZE IF IT'S NECESSARY FOR MEDICAL ISSUES OR DANGEROUS ANIMALS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I ABSOLUTELY CONSIDER THE PUBLIC SAFETY, MY STAFF SAFETY.
IF WE CAN'T HANDLE AN ANIMAL, I'M NOT GONNA ADOPT THAT OUT.
UM, IT'S A HUGE LIABILITY AND I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH MYSELF IF AN ANIMAL MAULED SOMEBODY, UM, KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE AN AGGRESSIVE BACKGROUND.
UM, BUT WE HAVE HAD DOGS THERE FOR YEARS.
WE DON'T PUT TIME LIMITS ON ANY OF THE ANIMALS.
WELL THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.
I KNOW THAT, UH, WE, WE GOT OUR, NOT OUR CURRENT DOG, BUT OUR LAST DOG FROM, FROM Y'ALL.
AND, UH, WE HAD 'EM FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS HAD HE HAD CUSHING'S DISEASE AND OH YEAH.
UH, ALL OF MY ANIMALS HAVE COME FROM THE SHELTER.
UM, I LAST YEAR ADOPTED, UM, THREE NEW SEMI FERAL KITTENS BECAUSE I KNEW NOBODY ELSE WOULD TAKE THEM ON.
UM, AND, UH, WE JUST ADOPTED A PUPPY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH NICO OR FOLLOW US AT ALL.
NICO WAS A LONG-TERM PIT BULL RESIDENT.
UM, HE WAS WITH US FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS AND HE FINALLY GOT ADOPTED RIGHT AT CHRISTMAS.
SO IT WAS LIKE, HE HAS A HUGE FOLLOWING THROUGHOUT WARREN COUNTY.
WE DIDN'T THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HE WAS THAT POPULAR AND HE WAS THAT WELL KNOWN, BUT EVERYBODY HAS HAS BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
SO I THINK I SAW THAT ON FACEBOOK.
SO I'M GLAD HE GOT A GOOD HOME.
SHE SENDS UPDATES ALL THE TIME.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AFTER GETTING THAT SHEET? NO.
WELL, WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
[G. Samuel's Public Library FY 24 Mid-Year Performance Measures]
LIBRARY.GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? IS THAT BETTER? UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.
IT'S A TWO PART, UM, PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS FIRST PART THAT I'M GONNA BE DOING IS PART OF OUR LIBRARY FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR THE SIX MONTH REVIEW KIND OF PROGRESS REPORT.
UM, FOR THOSE THAT I DON'T KNOW, MY NAME'S MELODY HOEK AND I AM THE, UM, CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
[01:05:02]
AND WELCOME TO THE NEW FACES THAT ARE HERE ON THE BOARD TONIGHT.UM, WE'RE GONNA START WITH JULY.
AM I DRIVING THE ARROW? I'M NOT.
UM, AND YOU HAVE ALL THIS IN CASE YOU CAN'T READ IT ON THE SCREEN.
UM, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT GOES ON AT THE LIBRARY IN ANY GIVEN DAY, WEEK, MONTH,
SO I'VE PUT A FEW HIGHLIGHTS, UM, ON THIS, ON THE SCREEN FOR YOU.
UH, WE KICKED OFF JULY WITH THIS WONDERFUL PROGRAM CALLED FINDING GOBI.
AND THE GENTLEMAN IN THE PICTURE, DIONNE LEONARD, WAS RUNNING 155 MILE MARATHON WHEN THIS LITTLE DOG GOBY ATTACHED HIMSELF TO HIM AND WENT WITH HIM FOR THE WHOLE RIDE.
UM, HE LATER, UH, WAS ABLE TO, UH, GET THE DOG AND BRING HIM BACK TO THE STATES.
UM, HE CAME AND DID TWO PRESENTATIONS AT THE LIBRARY, WHICH WAS WELL RECEIVED AND WAS A WONDERFUL WAY TO KICK OFF THE SUMMER.
UM, EVERY YEAR WE DO THE WARREN COUNTY NEW TEACHER RECEPTION WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE STAFF GOES OVER AND BRINGS WELCOME BAGS, UH, GETS A CHANCE FOR THAT ONE-ON-ONE FACE-TO-FACE, CONTACT WITH THE NEW TEACHERS COMING IN AND TELL THEM ABOUT LIBRARY SERVICES.
UH, WE HAD, UH, WE ONES WE HAD IN THE GARDEN WITH THE MASTER GARDENERS.
THE MICROCOPY PROGRAM IS A MICROSCOPE PROGRAM THAT WAS OFFERED FOR THE KIDS TO INTRODUCE 'EM TO A MICROSCOPE WITH A LOCAL SCIENTIST.
AND THEN SUMMER READING WAS IN FULL SWING.
AND SUMMER READING IS EXTREMELY POPULAR AND THE KIDS GET A PRIZE EVERY WEEK WHEN THEY COME BACK AND SAY WHAT, UM, WHAT THEY'VE READ.
AND IT EVEN IS AN ONGOING PROGRAM FOR ADULTS OVER THE SUMMER.
UM, SOME OF OUR ONGOING PROGRAMS THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO FIT ON THE, ON THE SLIDE ARE THINGS LIKE WHAT THE TECH, UH, EXPLAINS TO PATRONS WHO COME IN, KIND OF ONE-ON-ONE PROBLEMS THAT THEY'RE HAVING WITH THEIR PHONE, WITH THEIR COMPUTER.
AND THE STAFF IS GREAT ABOUT HELPING THEM, UM, ESPECIALLY SENIORS LIKE ME THAT AREN'T TECHIE
UM, GENEALOGY BOOK CLUBS, STORY TIMES, MUSIC AND MOVEMENT, SCIENCE SCOUTS, HOMESCHOOL HUBS, GED, THINGS LIKE THAT ARE ONGOING.
THE, UH, ADMINISTRATION SIDE OF THINGS.
UH, AS FAR AS THE BOOK CHALLENGES WENT.
UH, JULY 10TH, WE, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE OUR BIMONTHLY BOARD MEETING WHERE WE, UH, BEGIN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, SAY GOODBYE TO ANY OUTGOING TRUSTEES.
LAST YEAR THERE WERE FOUR AND WE ELECTED FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, WE ADOPTED NEW POLICIES WITH THE POLICY AND BYLAW COMMITTEE THAT BOOSTED PARENTAL CONTROLS.
AND THEN THERE WAS AN AWFUL LOT OF EDUCATING THE PUBLIC.
UM, THERE SEEMED TO BE A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS AND SOMETIMES OUTRIGHT LIES THAT HAPPENED.
AND WE HAD PEOPLE WHO CAME INTO THE LIBRARY AND TALKED TO US AND A LOT OF WRITING AND, UM, TALKING TO THE PRESS AND TRYING TO GET THINGS SQUARED AWAY.
UH, JULY ALSO BROUGHT ANOTHER 200 REQUESTS THAT WERE DELIVERED TO OUR DOOR, UM, THAT PUT A REAL BURDEN ON STAFF.
IN AUGUST, UH, WE STARTED THE MONTH OFF WITH NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, UM, WORKING WITH THE POLICE AT, AT THE GAZEBO.
WE DID PAINTING WITH THE KIDS FACE PAINTING, AND DID A ONE-ON-ONE WITH 591 PEOPLE.
IN AUGUST, WE BEGAN A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PHOENIX PROJECT TO HELP PROMOTE THEIR SERVICES AND NICE PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
THEY'RE COMING IN FOR MONTHLY CONSULTS AT THE LIBRARY SO THAT THEIR, THEIR CONSTITUENTS CAN HAVE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
SUMMER READING PROGRAMS CONCLUDED WITH 248 ADULTS READING 1,136 BOOKS AND 725 CHILDREN READING 24,000 BOOKS.
DURING THAT, APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS OF
[01:10:01]
SUMMER READING, WE HAD A FUN PROGRAM WITH THE WARREN COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE CALLED ODD HOURS NO PAY, COOL HAT BOWMAN, TEENS PUT ON A PUPPET SHOW.AND WE HAD A RETIRED TEACHER WHO CAME AND BROUGHT NATURE AND SCIENCE, UH, VIA ART PROGRAMS TO THE KIDS.
PART OF WHAT I LOVE ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
THE FRONT ROYAL CARDINALS CAME AND DID STORY TIME OUT STORY TIMES WITH THE KIDS, THE HANDS-ON REPTILE PROGRAM, AND AGAIN, ONGOING PROGRAMS. IN AUGUST, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HELD AN EMERGENCY MEETING TO ACCEPT THE RESIGNATION OF LIBRARY DIRECTOR MICHELLE ROSS.
THAT WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF HARASSMENT RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING BOOK CHALLENGES.
WE THEN APPOINTED EILEEN GRADY AS OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR, THE POSITION SHE'S HELD BEFORE.
AND WITH THE FULL CONFIDENCE OF THE BOARD, THE THE COMMITTEES CONTINUED THEIR WORK.
IN THE OFF MONTH, WE HAD A NUMBER OF SUPERVISORS MEETINGS THAT WE CAME TO, AND THEN THE EMERGENCY MEETING REGARDING THEIR, THEIR OUR FIRST NEGOTIATED, UH, RECEIPT FOR THE MOA.
IN SEPTEMBER, WE HAD NATIONAL SEPTEMBER'S, ALWAYS NATIONAL LIBRARY SIGNUP MONTH, AND WE DO A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES AROUND THAT, GIVEAWAY PRIZES AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME AND GET THEIR LIBRARY CARD OR RENEW IT.
UM, THE, THE LARGEST PROGRAM THAT YEAR, OR THIS PAST SEPTEMBER WAS FOR SAM E KHAN, WHERE WE HAD MORE THAN 1800 CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND FAMILIES COME THROUGH THE DOOR.
UH, SAMMY KHAN, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT I DON'T KNOW, ON THIS NEXT SLIDE, I'LL JUST GO BACK, UM, IS, IS A, A VARIETY OF REALLY WONDERFUL EVENTS FOR FAMILIES.
IT'S KIND OF, UH, FRONT ROYAL'S VERSION OF COMIC-CON, WHICH TAKES PLACE OUT IN CALIFORNIA, AND THERE'S ESCAPE ROOMS AND LIVE ACTION ROLE PLAY ADE GAMES.
UM, AGAIN, WITH A PARTNERSHIP WITH PLAY FAVORITES IN TOWN VENDORS, MAGIC SHOWS, AND THEN AN AUTHOR PRESENTATION BY BEN HOTKEY.
SO IT'S A REAL FUN MIX OF ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES, AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY WELL RECEIVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, A LOT OF PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES, UM, BY A REALLY RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER.
WE'RE VERY LUCKY THAT SHE'S IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AGAIN, WE WORKED WITH THE SHENANDOAH, NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY MASTER GARDENERS, ALL ABOUT HOUSE PLANTS, AND THEY DID AN INTERESTING THING.
THEY PUT QRC CODES IN ALL THE PLANTS IN THE LIBRARY.
SO YOU CAN GO AROUND AND CLICK ON THE QRC CODE AND FIND OUT WHAT THAT PLANT IS, HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO IT'S A ONGOING PUBLIC SERVICE IN THE LIBRARY THAT'S ALSO BEEN WELL RECEIVED.
UH, WE DEVELOPED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WARREN HERITAGE SOCIETY.
UM, THE, IT TURNS OUT THAT, UH, THE LIBRARY IS A REPOSITORY FOR THE ALL THE AAV TECH INFORMATION AND PAPERS HISTORICALLY, AND THE WARREN, HER, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE WARREN HERITAGE SOCIETY, SO THAT IF THE LONG-TERM GOAL WILL BE THAT WE CAN DIGITIZE THAT INFORMATION AND THEN IT'LL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THEY HAVE HISTORY DOCUMENTS THAT THE LIBRARY'S INTERESTED IN BECAUSE THERE'S A, UH, AN ACTIVE VIRGINIA HISTORY, UH, ROOM IN THE LIBRARY WITH A LOT OF HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AND YEARBOOKS, OLD YEARBOOKS FROM THE COUNTY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, PART OF THE, PART OF THE GOAL FOR THAT IS THAT AARON, UH, ROONEY, OUR, UM, UH, ADULT REFERENCE MANAGER, UH, MADE A MEMORY LAB, UH, THAT'S WITH LIMITED FUNDS THAT WAS VERY WELL RECOGNIZED, AND THAT HAS NOW, BECAUSE OF THE MEMORY LAB, IT, WE'VE BEEN OFFERED A CHANCE FOR A GRANT WITH THE MELLON FOUNDATION, AND THAT'LL BE A $500,000 GRANT OVER FIVE YEARS.
UM, AND IT'S ALL RELATED TO ARCHIVING, DIGITIZING DOCUMENTS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO IT'S GONNA BE A REALLY WELL, UM, RECEIVED AND KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED.
HOPEFULLY WE GET THAT IN MARCH.
[01:15:02]
WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT AARON ROONEY, I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, ERIN ROONEY WILL BE OUR NEXT LIBRARY DIRECTOR, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, HAD A MEETING, UH, DID AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH AND INTERVIEWED CANDIDATES, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'VE PROMOTED FROM WITHIN.SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED AND EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, SHE'S GOT THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE BOARD AND THE STAFF AND, UH, HER MLS DEGREE.
UH, AND SO SHE'LL, SHE'LL BE OFF AND RUNNING THIS STARTING FEBRUARY 1ST.
UM, WE ALSO MADE A PARTNERSHIP WITH ARC AND DID PROGRAMS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY.
SEPTEMBER SAW A LOT OF ACTIVITY AROUND OUR NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE LIBRARY FUNDING AGREEMENT.
UM, WE HAD A LOT OF DONATIONS COME IN.
WE TALKED TO PRESS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
UM, UH, WE HAD PRESS REQUESTS THAT CAME IN FROM LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS THAT PUT WARREN COUNTY ON THE MAP AND RESULTED IN, UH, DONATIONS THAT CAME ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FAR AS AWAY AS ALASKA, EVEN SPAIN AND TORONTO, CANADA.
IN THE MEANTIME, ALL THROUGH THE SUMMER, WE WERE PROCESSING THOSE BOOK CHALLENGES.
OCTOBER, WE SIGNED THE AGREEMENT.
UM, PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS MORE PHOTOGRAPHY PROGRAMS. THE STORY WALK IN EASTERN PARK WAS UPDATED WITH A NEW STORY.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, THAT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM THAT THANKS TO ROTARY, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE STORIES THAT ARE, AS YOU WALK ALONG EASTERN PARK TRAIL, YOU CAN READ A STORY WITH YOUR KIDS.
IT'S A, IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL THING.
AND THE PARKS AND REC HAS BEEN TERRIFIC ABOUT HELPING WITH ALL OF THAT.
DIFFERENT PEOPLE HELP DIFFERENT PEOPLE COME FOR DIFFERENT STORIES.
AND, UM, WE DID HAVE THE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT COME WITH A FIREMAN AND A TRUCK.
AND THE STORY THAT WENT ALONG WITH IT.
OCTOBER BEGAN THE HOLIDAY RIDING CONTEST, WHICH IS HUGE EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND THEN CONTINUED WITH ONGOING PROGRAMS AND CIRCULATION AND THINGS FI THINGS FINALLY GOT TO GET SETTLED DOWN.
UM, STILL THOUGH PRESS WAS CALLING AND WANTING TO TALK, AND THE WHOLE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION GROUP AS A WHOLE WAS INTERESTED IN WHAT WAS GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO EILEEN AND I WENT AND AS SPEAKERS TO THE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, AND TALKED TO THE OTHER LIBRARIANS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE FACING AND WHAT WE FACED HERE IN NOVEMBER.
UM, ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WAS, UH, JASPER RIDGE.
UM, UH, ARCHEOLOGISTS CAME AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SITE HERE IN FRONT ROYAL, DOCUMENTING THIS 13,000 YEAR OLD SITE.
AND WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO CAME TO FOR THAT, UM, PROGRAM.
AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO LANCE MILLS, WHICH IS A DEAF COMMUNITY IN SHENANDOAH.
UM, NOT FAR FROM HERE, AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US EVEN KNEW THAT IT WAS THERE.
BUT IT'S A, UH, UNIQUE DEAF COMMUNITY WHERE ALL THE RESIDENTS, UM, WERE DEAF AND THEY DEVELOPED THEIR OWN FORM OF SIGN LANGUAGE.
AND SO WE DID A PRESENTATION ON THIS BANNER.
UH, IT WAS A ROTATING BANNER THAT'S BEEN ROTATING AROUND THE WHOLE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
IT'S KIND OF, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD OF THE ONE IN, UM, MARTHA'S VINEYARD, BUT THERE THEY DEVELOPED.
SO THESE, APPARENTLY THE NATURAL OCCURRING DEAF COMMUNITIES WILL DEVELOP THEIR OWN FORM OF SIGN LANGUAGE, AND IT'S JUST SORT OF A POPS UP, UM, IN DIFFERENT PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND THEN WE ATTENDED THE, THE NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY, UH, FAIR,
[01:20:01]
WHICH WAS TO TRY AND RECRUIT NEW VOLUNTEERS.I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARY IS, HAS A VERY LARGE VOLUNTEER, UM, TURNOUT.
A LOT OF, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE VOLUNTEERING AT THE LIBRARY AND BIG NUMBERS.
UM, AND THEN WE HAD, WE, WE CONTINUED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE, TO PROVIDE FREE COVID TESTS FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, AND AS LONG AS THEY'RE NEEDED.
APPARENTLY THE COVID HAS NOT GONE AWAY.
AND THEN WE HELD OUR BIMONTHLY MEETING.
SO THE LIBRARY BOARD MEETINGS ARE EVERY OTHER MONTH.
AND THEN ON THE OFF MONTHS, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
SO NOVEMBER 13TH WAS A BIMONTHLY MEETING.
UH, AT THAT MEETING, THE AUDIT WAS PRESENTED BY Y HEIGHT AND BARBER, AND THE LIBRARY RECEIVED EXCEPTIONAL NOTE THAT, UH, THAT IT WAS A VERY EXCEPTIONAL AUDIT.
AND THE AUDIT HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL KINDS OF CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES.
DECEMBER KICKED OFF WITH A CHRISTMAS PARADE, AND THE STAFF, UH, DECORATED A FLOAT AND DRESSED UP.
AND THIS WAS THE WHOVILLE GRINCH THEME.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU FELT IT, BUT I WAS THERE.
AND WHAT A CROWD THAT WAS A HUGE CROWD.
I THINK IT WAS THE BIGGEST CROWD THAT WAS, THAT I'VE EVER SEEN THERE.
UM, THE 45TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY WRITING CONTEST PRESENTATION AND RECEPTION OCCURRED.
SO THIS IS THE HOLIDAY WRITING CONTEST.
THIS IS THE 45TH YEAR THAT WE'VE HELD A HOLIDAY WRITING CONTEST.
AND THIS PART OF THE, UH, FUNDS FOR THIS ONE CAME FROM, UH, RAPPAHANNOCK CO-OP.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL EVENT.
THE KIDS DO AMAZING, AMAZING STORIES AND DRAWINGS AND POEMS, AND THEN WE PUT THEM IN A BOOK.
SO WE HAVE A, UM, A RECORD OF ALL THE YEARS WITH THE, ALL THE HOLIDAY WRITING OF ALL THE KIDS.
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, WE HELD A HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE, UM, WITH FREE PHOTOGRAPHS FOR FAMILIES.
THERE WAS A, UH, THERE WERE CRAFTS AND MUSIC FROM LOCAL ART MUSICIANS.
STORY TIME WITH SANTA THANKS TO THE VOLUNTEERS FROM THE WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN, UH, LOCAL CRAFTERS CAME AND, UM, HELPED THE KIDS MAKE, UM, ALL KINDS OF SPECIAL DECORATIONS AND ORNAMENTS.
THE, UM, VOLUNTEER DONOR APPRECIATION PARTY WAS IN DECEMBER WHERE WE GET TO THANK ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AND OFFSITE, ANOTHER OFFSITE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS, AND OF COURSE, THE ONGOING MONTHLY PROGRAMS. UM, WE'VE, WE'VE FINISHED OFF WITH THE, UH, UM, UH, THIS COMMITTEE ON TRUSTEES WRAPPED UP THEIR, UH, APPLICATION, WHICH ARE NOW OPEN FOR NEW BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
SO IF YOU HEAR OF PEOPLE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND OR YOU'D LIKE THEM TO APPLY, THE, THE APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN BETWEEN NOW AND MARCH 15TH.
AND THEN MARCH 15TH, WE'LL BEGIN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
AND WITH OUR EYES TOWARD, UM, HIRING NEW, OR NOT HIRING, BUT APPROVING, ELECTING NEW BOARD MEMBERS, UH, COME JULY ONE, I WISH I COULD SAY THE PRESS WENT AWAY, BUT THEY WANTED TO, UM, WRAP UP THE YEAR AND SEE HOW THINGS WERE GOING.
AND OF COURSE, THE BOARD BOOKS ARE STILL BEING HANDLED.
THE BOARD CHALLENGES I TECHNOLOGY, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW THINGS THAT HAPPEN AT THE LIBRARY SURROUNDED BY TECHNOLOGY, BECAUSE IT'S IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES WITH YOUR LIBRARY CARD, THE LIBRARY LOANS, LAPTOPS, AND OR HOTSPOTS IF YOU DON'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESS.
THIS STARTED DURING COVID AND HAS BEEN A VERY POPULAR SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE TO COMMUNITY.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT A BOOK, MOVIE, OR AUDIO BOOK WITHOUT EVER STEPPING FOOT INTO THE LIBRARY USING ANY OF THE RE E-RESOURCES WITH AVAILABLE ONLINE DATABASES, YOU CAN LEARN A LANGUAGE.
CHOOSE FROM OVER 500 COURSES, CLASSES TO LEARN, RESEARCH YOUR FAMILY'S GENEALOGY, FIND
[01:25:01]
MEDICAL INFORMATION OR ENHANCE YOUR CHILD'S EDUCATION WITH PROGRAMS FOR KIDS AND TEENS AVAILABLE FREE TO THE PUBLIC.THE LIBRARY HAS 46 COMPUTERS AVAILABLE ON SITE.
THE LIBRARY HAS A FREE MEMORY LAB WHERE YOU CAN TAKE YOUR OLD DVDS, MOVIES, SLIDES AND CONVERT THEM TO A DIGITAL FORMAT.
THE LIBRARY HAS A FAX MACHINE AND PRINTERS.
YOU CAN ALSO PRINT, COPY OR FAX FOR A NOMINAL FEE OF ONLY 20 TO 50 CENTS, AND YOU CAN SCAN FOR FREE STRAIGHT TO YOUR THUMB DRIVE IF YOU WANT TO.
YOU CAN BUY A THUMB DRIVE FOR ONLY $8.
AND THERE ARE FREE NOTARY AND PROCTOR SERVICES.
IT'S REALLY KEY TO SEE THAT THE WEBSITE USAGE WAS 74,122 UP 14% WIRELESS USAGE, 6,032, UP 12%, AND INTERNET USAGE 6,714, UP 13%.
AND THAT'S ONLY IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
I LOVE THAT THE LIBRARY HAS SO MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND SUPPORT.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA NAME ALL OF THEM.
I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO ALL THE BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS THAT HELP BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
UM, WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME, THEIR DONATIONS, THEIR SUPPORT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THIS WONDERFUL LIST OF PEOPLE THAT, UM, THAT WE WORK WITH.
CHRISTOPHE, WHO PASSED AWAY LAST YEAR, HIS WIFE, WE'VE JUST DEVELOPED A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS WIFE, AND SHE BROUGHT A BENCH AND A PLAQUE HONORING DR.
CHRISTOPHE, WHO IS A LOCAL PEDIATRICIAN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS HERE IN FRONT ROYAL.
CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARY WITHOUT MENTIONING ALL THE WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS WE HAVE.
UM, IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WE'VE HAD 4,480 HOURS, WHICH AT THE VIRGINIA RATE OF 32 59 EQU EQUATES TO $146,003.
FOSSIL, THE FRIENDS OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY IS, UM, A WONDERFUL GROUP THAT, UH, THAT RAISES FUNDS THROUGH MEMBERSHIP, UM, WORKING AT THE BOOKSTORE AND THE ANNUAL BOOK SALE.
UM, THEY ARE AMAZING, AND THEY CONTRIBUTE BETWEEN 18 TO $20,000 EVERY YEAR.
AND THE MONEY THAT THEY CONTRIBUTE ALL GOES TO ANY KIND OF OPERATING, ANY KIND OF, UM, EXPENSES THAT WE INCUR THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE OPERATING BUDGET.
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE VOLUNTEERS.
SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER, JUST SEND THEM OUR WAY.
COME TO THE SIX MONTH STATISTICS.
THIS IS HOW WE, UM, THIS IS HOW WE MEASURE OUR GROWTH AND MEASURE OUR, UM, VIABILITY HERE IN THE COUNTY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE NUMBERS ARE QUITE STAGGERING FOR SIX MONTHS.
ON THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE, UM, WHERE WE ARE AT THE SIX MONTH POINT, TOTAL INCOME AND TOTAL EXPENSES.
AND WE'RE RIGHT ON TARGET AT, UM, ABOUT 50%.
THE EILEEN WILL GO OVER ALL THE NUMBERS.
SO I DIDN'T REALLY GO INTO NUMBERS TOO MUCH HERE.
YOU DON'T NEED TO HEAR THAT FROM BOTH OF US.
I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, THE NUMBER AT THE BOTTOM, THE 974, UH, TIMES THAT THE PUBLIC MEETING ROOMS WERE BOOKED, IF YOU EVER LOOK, TAKE A MINUTE AND LOOK AT OUR CALENDAR, YOU'LL JUST BE ASTOUNDED.
UH, THE MEETING ROOMS ARE BOOKED BY LOCAL CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, THE SCOUTS, HOAS, POLITICIANS, BEN KLEIN COMES ABOUT ONCE A MONTH.
UM, HEALTH GROUPS, TUTORING GROUPS, SPORTS HOMESCHOOL GROUPS, MOMS GROUPS, ARTS CRAFTS, SEWING, PTOS, TECHNOLOGY, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OF ALL KINDS.
AND THEY ALL GET TO USE THE ROOM FOR FREE, UM, GAMING, RELIGIOUS GROUPS.
THERE'S JUST TOO MANY TO MENTION.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH THAT GOES ON AT THE LIBRARY.
IT'S HARD TO GET IT ALL INTO, UM, ONE SLIDESHOW.
AND LASTLY, UM, ANYTHING THAT YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE LIBRARY CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE, WW SAMUELS LIBRARY.NET.
UM, ALL OF OUR FINANCES ARE THERE.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, HOW TO GET A LIBRARY CARD, SEARCH THE CATALOG.
[01:30:01]
JUST GOES ON AND ON.BUT ANYTHING YOU WANNA KNOW, IS THERE, OR WE CAN GET IT THERE IN A, IN A HEARTBEAT.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM ABOUT, I'VE BEEN BRAGGING ABOUT ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPEN AT THE LIBRARY.
DO YOU WANNA ASK QUESTIONS NOW OR WAIT UNTIL, UH, MS. GRADY DOES HER PRESENTATION.
I'LL LET EILEEN TALK TO YOU ABOUT FINANCES THEN.
UM, SO WHAT IS YOUR LAPTOP INVENTORY? LIKE? THE AMOUNT OF LAPTOPS, RIGHT.
HOW MANY LAPTOPS DO WE HAVE? 14.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOME THAT DON'T EVER COME BACK.
YEAH, THAT DOES HAPPEN, UNFORTUNATELY.
SO THE INVENTORY THAT YOU HAVE, WE'RE SWITCHING OVER RIGHT NOW? YEAH.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN WITH T-MOBILE, AND THERE'S A COMPANY CALLED
AND THEY USE, UH, MOBILE, EXCUSE ME, MOBILE BEACON.
AND WHEN WE TESTED YEARS AGO, THE COVERAGE WAS TERRIBLE.
IT'S NOW PRETTY MUCH COMPARABLE TO T-MOBILE, AND IT WILL SAVE.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO A LITTLE BIT.
YOU'D HAVE THE ABILITY TO CUT THEM OFF.
WE CUT THEM OFF THE DAY THERE TOO.
WE CUT THEM OFF AND THEN WE CAN CUT THEM BACK ON.
YEAH, NO, THEY DON'T GET, KEEP USING THEM.
YOU WOULD THINK THEY'D BRING THEM BACK THEN, WOULDN'T YOU? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? SO, I'M HERE.
I'M, UH, RIGHT NOW I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR AND I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT.
UM, IN UNDER 48 HOURS, I'LL BE BACK TO MY REGULAR JOB,
UM, AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER TO HAVE AARON COMING ON BOARD AS THE DIRECTOR, I KNOW IT'S GONNA BRING US A LOT OF NEW ENERGY AND EXCITING IDEAS.
UM, IN MY PRESENTATION, I'M GONNA BE BRIEF, AND THEN WE'LL LEAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
UM, I PROVIDED A BRIEF HISTORY BECAUSE THERE ARE NEW PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY.
YOU CAN READ IT AT YOUR LEISURE.
UM, BUT IT SHOWS THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS HAD A LIBRARY SINCE, UH, 1799.
AND THEN SAMUEL'S LIBRARY ORIGINATED IN 52, 19 52.
AND WE INCORPORATED IN THE LATE SEVENTIES, BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, THE LIBRARY WAS GROWING.
IT WAS TIME TO HAVE BYLAWS AND DO ALL EVERYTHING AND DOT YOUR I'S AND CROSS YOUR T'S.
AND WE WANTED NONPROFIT STATUS.
AND THESE ARE THE THREE BUILDINGS, PERMANENT HOMES THE LIBRARY HAS HAD OVER THE YEARS.
AND CIRCULATION, I TOOK IT FROM 1954 TO 2023.
YOU CAN SEE IN 2021 THE EFFECTS OF COVID.
UM, BUT WE'VE BOUNCED BACK AND WE'RE BACK ABOVE WHERE WE WERE PRIOR TO COVID ACCOUNT INFORMATION.
WE MAINTAIN TWO BANK ACCOUNTS.
ONE IS OUR OPERATING ACCOUNT, WHICH IS WHERE THE MONEY FROM THE STATE GOES, THE MONEY FROM YOU ALL GOES, UM, ANY, ANY OTHER FUNDS THAT, UH, ARE EARMARKED FOR OPERATING EXPENSES.
THEN WE HAVE A RESERVE ACCOUNT, WHICH IS FUNDRAISED MONEY OR RESTRICTED MONIES FOR SPECIFIC THINGS.
AND WE PUT IT, PUT THOSE THINGS INTO THE RESERVE ACCOUNT.
AND THEN WE HAVE AN INVESTMENT ACCOUNT.
AND THE INVESTMENT ACCOUNT HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS.
UM, I'M GONNA ASK MY TREASURER, PETE WALKER, WHERE ARE WE AT, PETE NOW? ABOUT NINE 30.
[01:35:02]
YEAH.IT, IT HAS BEEN PRETTY VOLATILE, BUT WE'RE AT ABOUT $930,000 IN THAT.
AND WE DO PULL OFF EVERY YEAR, 3% FOR THE OPERATING BUDGET TO HELP BRIDGE THE GAP THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UM, WE TRY NOT TO HIT THAT ACCOUNT IF WE DON'T HAVE TO BECAUSE IT'S OUR EMERGENCY FUND.
UH, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE NORTHERN CHIN AND DOA VALLEY, WE HAVE TWO VERY SMALL ACCOUNTS THERE, BUT THEY HAVE YIELDED GOOD BENEFITS THROUGH DONATIONS BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT PUT THEIR MONEY IN THERE THEN WILL SEE THAT YOU CAN ACCEPT THROUGH THEM.
I HAVE INCLUDED SEVERAL SLIDES ON STATE AID TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES, BECAUSE THAT SEEMED TO BE A POINT OF CONFUSION OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
UM, BUT IT EXPLAINS WHAT, WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO, WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE, WHAT, YOU KNOW.
UM, WE WERE FORTUNATE THIS YEAR, THIS IS A REVISED STATE AID BUDGET.
UH, THEY INCREASED STATE AID IN OCTOBER FOR 2024, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS VERY OFTEN.
AND SO WE HAD TO REVISE OUR BUDGET.
AND THEN THE SECOND PAGE IS THE DETAIL THAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM.
THESE ARE THE CATEGORIES THEY ALLOW YOU TO SPEND YOUR MONEY IN.
STATE AID HAS GONE UP OVER THE YEARS.
UM, IT'S, WE ARE SHOWING A DIP IN 2025, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA IS PREDICTING.
NOW, HOPEFULLY THEY'RE WRONG AND THAT WON'T BE THE CASE, BUT WE GO WITH WHAT THEY PUT UP ON THEIR SITE.
UTILITY COSTS ARE RISING EVERY YEAR.
CONTRACTUAL COSTS ARE RISING EVERY YEAR.
WE PAY FOR THE HVAC AND THAT KIND OF THING.
BASE SALARIES NEED TO RISE EVERY YEAR.
AND WE HAVE DONE THAT THIS YEAR, AND WE PUT IT IN AS A RAISE, AND WE'RE PREPARED IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS, TO PULL IT OUTTA RESERVE FUNDS TO KEEP IT GOING, BECAUSE WE CAN'T COMPETE UNLESS WE DO THAT.
UNLESS WE GET OUR PEOPLE UP TO A LIVING WAGE.
WE'RE NEVER GONNA HAVE THE STAFF WE NEED.
HOW MANY STAFF DO YOU HAVE? WE HAVE 10 FULL, 10 PART-TIME.
AND WE'RE OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK, FOUR NIGHTS A WEEK.
HEALTHCARE COSTS, WE ALL KNOW THEY KEEP GOING UP.
THIS IS BUDGET FUNDING FROM THE LIBRARY, ACTUAL AND PROPOSED.
AND THAT INCLUDES FOSSIL DONATIONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, 25 AND SIX ARE PREDICTIONS.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE WE'RE EASILY PUTTING IN EXCESS OF $80,000 INTO THE POOL EVERY YEAR.
AND THAT DOESN'T COUNT OTHER DONATIONS WE RECEIVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT WE'RE SPENDING.
SOMEONE MAY HAVE EARMARKED IT FOR A COLLECTION OR, YOU KNOW, THE CHRISTOPH GAVE MONEY FOR THE WONDER BOOKS.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? SURE.
I'M NOT QUITE UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT MEANS.
THE, THE, HOW DO I GO BACK? THAT DIDN'T WORK.
YES, THE BUDGET FUNDING, UH, FROM LIBRARY.
WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT'S HOW MUCH WE PUT IN TO THE POT TO FUND THE LIBRARY.
SO IS THAT, DOES THAT COME FROM THAT THAT ACCOUNT COMES FROM RESERVE MONEY AND IT COMES FROM THE FRIENDS AND IT COMES FROM FUNDRAISED MONEY.
SO THEN THE, SO THEN ANYTHING THAT, THAT WOULD BE FUNDRAISING.
HOW ABOUT DONATIONS? DO THEY, DOES THAT COUNT ALSO? YEAH, I WOULD CALL THAT FUNDRAISE MONEY.
UM, WE DO HAVE MAJOR FUNDRAISERS EVERY YEAR.
WE HAVE, UM, TASTE FOR BOOKS IN APRIL.
THEN WE DO AN ANNUAL APPEAL IN, IT STARTS IN NOVEMBER AND RUNS THROUGH DECEMBER.
AND THEN THIS YEAR WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO, UM, DAY OF GIVING.
FEBRUARY IS LOVE YOUR LIBRARY MONTH.
[01:40:01]
BIGGEST TWO ARE, UH, THE ANNUAL APPEAL AND TASTE FOR BOOKS.AND SO WE USED THAT AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE THE BIG SPIKE IN 23.
THAT'S WHEN WE GOT THE, THE COUNTY, UH, HAD THE MONEY SET ASIDE TO DO THE CHILDREN'S AREA CARPET.
SO WE DECIDED, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA SPEND SOME MONEY AND WE'RE GONNA FIX THIS DEPARTMENT UP.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN THERE 14, 15 YEARS NOW.
SO, SO THAT'S THE MONEY THAT THE LIBRARY PUTS ON THE TABLE.
THIS IS THE WARREN COUNTY FUNDING BROKEN INTO PIE WEDGES.
UM, SINCE THE FIRST MOA WAS NEGOTIATED IN 2017, INFLATION RATES HAVE REACHED A SEVEN YEAR TOTAL OF 24.3%.
DURING THIS TIME, WARREN COUNTY FUNDING HAS INCREASED BY A TOTAL OF 5.16%.
SO, UM, THIS IS WHAT THE, AGAIN, ANOTHER VIEW OF THE LIBRARY'S FUNDING.
THIS IS OUR BUDGET PREPARATION DOCUMENT.
UM, THE MOA THAT WAS SIGNED ON OCTOBER 3RD, CALLS FOR NO INCREASE IN 2025.
AND SO THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH TO TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF, OF 2025.
AND WE'RE PROPOSING FOR 2026, A 5% INCREASE.
BUT I GUESS WE'LL HIT THAT TABLE A LITTLE HARDER NEXT YEAR.
UM, THESE WERE YOUR QUESTIONS, UM, YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES.
AND SO I INCLUDED, THIS IS THE REPORT THAT OUR BOARD GETS AT EVERY, IN EVERY BOARD PACKET.
SO THIS IS JULY THROUGH DECEMBER.
WHAT WE'VE TAKEN IN AND WHAT WE'VE SPENT, AND I BELIEVE WE'VE TAKEN IN 54% OF BUDGET AND SPENT 50, JUST A LITTLE OVER 51.
SO WE'RE IN IN GOOD SHAPE THERE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS WE HAVE A VERY, UH, STRICT TECHNOLOGY REPLACEMENT BUDGET THAT IS NOT IN THE OPERATING BUDGET.
THE COUNTY SAID LONG TIME AGO, WE CAN'T FUND THAT
SO WE SAID, OKAY, SO WE PAY FOR THAT AND THIS YEAR WE ARE GONNA REPLACE TWO SELF-CHECK MACHINES BECAUSE THEY'RE DUE.
AND I WANNA SAY IT'S 20, UH, PCS HAVE TO BE REPLACED SO IT GETS INTO REAL MONEY AND THAT THAT NUMBER OF EXPENSE WILL GO UP.
BUT WE ACCEPT THAT WE'RE PREPARED FOR THAT.
SO THE, ARE THE 20 PCS, IS THAT JUST BECAUSE THE OPERATING SYSTEMS ARE OLD? IT'S BECAUSE THE OPERATING SYSTEM, WE KEEP THOSE UP TO DATE, BUT THE PC ITSELF IS GETTING OLD AND YOU START TO HAVE CRASHES AND FAILURES AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE A MAJOR DISASTER.
I DON'T THINK YOU, YOU WERE IN OFFICE YET WHEN THAT WENT ON.
BUT THEY WERE OUT OF A LONG, WAS THAT OUT OF A COUPLE MONTHS AT LEAST? YOU ALL WERE DOWN ON DIFFERENT, UM, DIFFERENT SECTIONS, MAN, WE HAD SOME OF IT BACK UP IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
YEAH, IT WAS, BUT IT WAS INTENSE AND A LOT OF EFFORT HAD TO BE INVOLVED.
SO WE WANNA TRY TO AVOID THAT IF WE CAN.
UM, AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS, I SIMPLY ATTACHED A COPY OF THE INFOGRAPHIC THAT MELODY HOEK SHOWED YOU AT THE END OF HERS, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE MEASURE OUR SUCCESS, IS BY OUR STATISTICS.
DO WE HAVE A MANAGEMENT RESERVE OR SURPLUS FUND FROM PRIOR YEAR FUNDING NEW? WE SPEND
[01:45:01]
OUR MONEY EVERY YEAR.AND THEN SOME IF THERE IS AN INCREASE IN YOUR REQUEST, PLEASE EXPLAIN IN DETAIL WHY AND HOW YOUR AGENCY CALCULATED THE INCREASE.
THERE'S NO INCREASE REFLECTED FOR FY 25 PER THE MOA.
SO, SO I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
SO, SO IT SAYS HERE, YOU HAVE A MANAGEMENT RESERVE.
NOW THAT THE 970,000, THAT'S NOT CONSIDERED A MANAGEMENT RESERVE.
I TOOK THAT TO MEAN IT CAME FROM PRIOR YEAR FUNDING FROM FUNDING SOMETHING ROLL OVER.
WE'VE RAISED THE MONEY THAT SITS IN THAT ACCOUNT.
SO THEN WHAT YOU TRY AND DO WITH THAT, WITH THAT, THE NINE 70 IS JUST, IS, UH, JUST USE THE INTEREST COMES OFF THAT WE CAN PULL 3% ANYTHING AUTOMATICALLY TO HELP FUND THE, THE OPERATING ACCOUNT, UM, AND THE BUDGET.
ANYTHING BEYOND THAT, THE BOARD HAS TO WEIGH IN AND VOTE ON.
UM, WE HAVE WITHIN THAT NINE 30, THERE IS AN ENDOWMENT FUND THAT'S 52 50 $3,000.
AND THEN THERE'S A SMALL ENDOWMENT FUND, I THINK IT'S 51 OR $5,200.
SO WHAT YOU TRY AND DO IS NOT TOUCH THE PRINCIPLE.
SO THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING TO KEEP US GOING, YOU KNOW, AND WE WE'RE STILL TRYING TO BUILD ON THAT.
SO, SO THE ENDOWMENTS THAT YOU CAN'T TOUCH ARE, EXCUSE ME, ARE THEY EARMARKED FOR SPECIFIC THINGS? BECAUSE I'M WONDERING HOW, IF THEY CAN'T TOUCH IT, WHAT, WELL, WE CAN'T, YOU CAN'T TOUCH THE, THE PRINCIPLE.
I THOUGHT MAYBE THAT WHOEVER IN ENDOWED IT SAID, I WANT IT TO GO FOR THIS.
IT'S, IT'S IN MEMORY OF DR. HUBER.
SO, UM, AND HIS FAMILY'S BEEN INCREDIBLY GRACIOUS AND SAID WHATEVER YOU NEED.
SO WE DON'T FEEL COMPELLED TO USE IT TOWARD ANYTHING SPECIFIC.
UM, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO GROW IT.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS THAT ONE.
UH, MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE BIT FORWARD, BUT IT, IT HAD, UH, UH, IT WAS PERCENT OF, OF BUDGET THAT, UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHICH, UH, YES.
AND SO YOU'VE GOT, UH, UH, AND I'LL JUST TAKE THE, THE, THE FIRST LINE, IT SAYS INVESTMENT ACCOUNT FUNDING, AND IT SAYS, UH, 26,000 BUDGETED 29,000.
IT SAYS PERCENT, WHAT DOES A PERCENT OF BUDGET MEAN? WELL, WE HAD BUDGETED $29,000.
BUT BECAUSE ACCOUNTS AREN'T PERFORMING AS WELL AS YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO.
WHEN WE TOOK 3% OFF, IT ONLY TOTALED 26 5.
SO THEN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT, UH, WE CAME UP A LITTLE SHORT ON THAT BUDGET LINE, THAT THE, THAT THE, THAT THE BUDGET NUMBER AND THEN THE, THE, THE COLUMN THAT'S JUST TO THE LEFT OF IT, IT'S ONLY 80, 89%.
I, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THERE.
BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT, I WAS GONNA PRESENT A BUDGET THAT, THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO YOU NOW.
SO WHEN I LOOK AT TOTAL INCOME, I WANNA BE ON THE INCOME SIDE AT 50 OR BETTER ON THE INCOME SIDE.
AND I WANNA BE RIGHT AROUND 50 ON THE EXPENSE SIDE.
AND WE ARE, SO OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I HAVE ONE.
UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET MY, UH SURE.
HEAD AROUND DONATIONS AND, AND HOW YOU PLAN FOR DONATIONS AND HOW YOU TRACK THEM.
[01:50:01]
DOCUMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN, UM, I'VE SEEN DIFFERENT SETS OF NUMBERS THAT, THAT DON'T TIE TOO WELL.UM, AND, AND FOR EXAMPLE, ON, UH, IN THIS DECK, I THINK ON PAGE, UH, 21, UM, THERE WERE FUNDRAISING, UM, BUDGETED FUNDRAISING FOR 12,500 FOR THE YEAR.
UM, LET'S SEE IF THAT'S, THAT'S THE BUDGET NUMBER.
UM, BUT EL ELSEWHERE, UH, DEPENDING WHAT FISCAL YEAR YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, 23 OR 24, UM, WE HAD FUNDRAISING BUDGETED NUMBERS OF, UH, EITHER 21,000 OR, UH, 27,500.
UM, AND STILL ELSEWHERE, UH, THERE WAS A FUNDRAISING TRACKING REPORT WHICH HAD TARGETED FUNDRAISING.
UM, AND THAT HAD A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR FY 23 AND 112,000, UM, UH, EXPECTED FOR FY 24.
UM, AND THEN, THEN YOU HAVE REALITY, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, IT LOOKS LIKE FY 23, UH, THE ACTUAL DONATIONS WERE 127,000 AND FY 24 WERE ALREADY AT 143,000 AT THE HALFWAY MARK, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THESE NUMBERS.
AND, AND SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHY THE BUDGETED AMOUNTS THAT ARE USED AS PART OF YOUR FUNDING REQUESTS DON'T TIE, UH, A TO THE FUNDRAISING TRACKING REPORT GOAL.
UH, AND THEN WHEN YOU BLOW THROUGH THE GOAL AND, AND DO EVEN BETTER, IT'S STILL THE BUDGETED NUMBER SEEMS TO GO BACK DOWN TO THE BASELINE THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND UH, SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BETTER BECAUSE THE DONATION PATTERNS, AND I KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE CONTROVERSY INCREASED DONATIONS, BUT, BUT STILL, I'M JUST EXPECTING THE NUMBERS TO SORT OF, UH, AT LEAST FOR BUDGETED AND UH, THE FUNDRAISING TRACKER THAT HAS A GOAL ON IT TO BE IN THE SAME BALLPARK.
UM, IT COMES OUT OF TWO DIFFERENT COMMITTEES.
AND THEY ARE AGGRESSIVE AND OPTIMISTIC.
THE BUDGET COMMITTEE IS VERY CAUTIOUS.
UM, BECAUSE IF YOU PUT IT IN THE OPERATING BUDGET AND YOU DON'T ACHIEVE IT, YOU HAVE A SHORTFALL.
AND I DON'T EVER WANT TO BE THERE.
YOU KNOW? NOW HAVE WE BEEN ENORMOUSLY SUCCESSFUL THIS YEAR? YES.
BUT HAVE WE HAD TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY? YES.
SO, YOU KNOW, UM, OVER $50,000 JUST IN PROFESSIONAL FEES.
UM, ACTUALLY, CAN I ASK YOU ABOUT THAT THEN? 'CAUSE I, I SAW THAT, UM, IT LOOKED LIKE ACCOUNT 6 6 3 9, UM, FOR JULY TO DECEMBER HAD, UH, 46,000 AND CHANGE.
AND THERE, THERE WAS SOME OTHER, THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE OTHER INVOICE THAT HAPPENED IN JUNE.
SO THE TOTAL COST EFFECT WAS OKAY.
THAT WAS ABOUT 7,500 ISH, IF I RECALL.
UM, BECAUSE, UH, THE REASON I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THAT IS ON THE, UH, ON THE FIRST SLIDE DECK THAT YOUR COLLEAGUE PRESENTED ON THE OCTOBER MONTH, IT SAID THAT THERE WERE OVER, UM, OR ROUGHLY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, IN, IN COSTS, UH, INCURRED DUE TO THE CONTROVERSY.
ALL OF THE TIME THAT'S INVOLVED IN GOING THROUGH 800 REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION.
SO, UM, I SAW THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND NUMBERED IN THE MEDIA, UH, MULTIPLE TIMES.
UM, AND, UH, NOTING THAT THE, THE ACTUAL COSTS THAT WERE APPARENTLY BILL OR BILLED OR PAID OUT TO LEGAL AND MARKETING WAS 46,000 IN, IN CHANGE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE OTHER 54,000 WAS EITHER EXISTING STAFF OR WAS VOLUNTEERS.
BUT NO HIRING COSTS WERE INCURRED TO BRING ON ADDITIONAL STAFF.
WE HAVE USED SOME EXTRA HOURS FOR SOME OF OUR PART-TIME PEOPLE.
UM, 'CAUSE EVERY BOOK HAS TO BE READ.
AND SO THEY'LL GO HOME AND THEY'LL READ A BOOK AND THEY'LL ADD THAT TO THEIR TIME SHEET.
AND HOW MANY BOOKS DID YOU SAY IT WAS AGAIN? UH, IT'S JUST SHY OF 800 I BELIEVE.
SO EVERY BOOK, WHETHER IT WAS A REQUEST FOR REMOVAL OR REQUEST FOR A, UH, UH, MOVING IT TO THE ADULT SECTION, UH, GOES THROUGH THAT SAME PROCESS? UH, YES.
NOW, THE ONES THAT WE MOVED TO THE NEW ADULT SECTION,
[01:55:01]
WE DID SEND OUT LETTERS AND I THINK MELODY COULD ANSWER THE QUESTION BETTER THAN I CAN.HOW MANY, HOW MANY LETTERS, HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED IN THE TITLE I? SO THE, THE 50,000 NUMBER THAT CAME UP, THAT WAS FOR, FOR THE PROFESSIONAL EXPENSES.
UM, WE HAD 850 41 BOOKS THAT WERE FOR THE 2 MILLION BOOKS TO THE NEW ADULT SECTION, 8 41 BOOKS, UH, AND CALCULATION AND HAVE THIS HERE FOR HOURLY OF 21 36 17, HALF REVIEW OF THE BOOK.
SO THE TOTAL ESTIMATED STAFF TIME.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS STAFF TIME THAT WAS USED, VOLUNTEERS FOR THAT.
'CAUSE NOT ONLY DID FOLKS HAVE TO BE REVIEWED, THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH TECHNICAL SERVICES WHEREBY THEY HAD TO TAKE OFF OLD COVERS TAKE OFF.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A COST INVOLVED, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT HAVE HAD STAFF READ THEM.
UM, AND A LETTER WENT OUT INVOLVING THOSE BOOKS THAT SAID, WE'VE MOVED THOSE TO THE NEW ADULT COLLECTION.
IF THAT DOESN'T SATISFY YOU, LET US KNOW.
AND IT WAS MORE THAN JUST THE BOOKS THAT WERE HAD REQUEST CONSIDERATION, IT WAS A TOTAL REVIEW OF THE USE A SECTION.
THEY WENT THROUGH EVERY BOOK IN THE YA SECTION.
SO THERE WAS ANY BOOK THAT WAS, UM, 16 CONTENT OR 16 IN THE BOOK.
SO THEY WENT THROUGH THAT AND THEY SAID, WE'RE MOVING THESE 800 BOOKS.
BUT THEY LOOKED AT THOUSANDS MORE PROBABLY.
SO, SO WAS THAT CONSIDERED OVERTIME FOR YOUR STAFF THEN, OR FOR SOME OF THE, THE PART-TIME PEOPLE, THEY GOT EXTRA HOURS, UM, FULL-TIME? NO.
SO BECAUSE IT WAS, BUT WE HAD VOLUNTEERS HELPING BECAUSE VOLUNTEERS, SHE SAID THAT YOU HAVE TWO 10 FULLTIME, HOW MANY YOU HAVE 10 AND 10.
AND THEN IF YOU HAD 10 AND 10, THAT'S 20.
AND THAT WOULD BE ABOUT, UH, I GUESS 2,500 PER PERSON THAT YOU WERE X-RAY TO, TO DO THESE THINGS OR, WELL, THERE ARE COSTS, THERE'S COSTS INVOLVED IN THE TIME AND THERE'S COSTS INVOLVED IN THE MATERIAL IN THE, IN THE MATERIAL TO RELABEL THINGS.
UM, AND IT'S TIME TAKEN AWAY FROM WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING AS FAR AS TIME.
WHAT THEIR NORMAL JOB IS IT, THIS IS ABOVE AND BEYOND.
I WOULD JUST NOTE IN, IN ACCOUNT 6,000, WHICH IS SALARIES, UM, IT LOOKED LIKE YOU GUYS WERE RUNNING RIGHT ON PLAN.
UH, AND OR IF, IF NOT EVEN A, A SLIGHT AMOUNT UNDER.
SO IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S THE TOTAL SALARIES PAID WERE RIGHT IN LINE WITH EXPECTATIONS FOR THE YEAR, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WITHOUT A DIRECTOR.
SO THAT'S GONNA START TO CATCH UP,
SO, UM, YEAH, WE LOST A DIRECTOR AND WE'VE LOST A COUPLE PEOPLE IN THE AFTERMATH OF EVERYTHING.
SO BASED ON ALL OF YOUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES, SO IT SEEMS LIKE, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE BASED ON THOSE METRICS OF CIRCULATION VOLUMES AND, AND CHECKOUTS AND, YOU KNOW, UH, MEETINGS HOSTED IN ALL, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT SERVICES REALLY SUFFERED TOO MUCH.
I THINK IF ANYTHING, WE PULLED BACK A LITTLE IN SEPTEMBER ON PLANNING INTO OCTOBER.
'CAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
AND, UM, QUITE FRANKLY, STAFF WAS FREAKED OUT, YOU KNOW, BY THE WHOLE THING.
SO WE SAID JUST CATCH YOUR BREATH.
AND UM, THEN WE RAMPED UP PROGRAMMING AGAIN IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.
OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, I HAVE A FEW.
SO, UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE AUDIT REPORT FOR JUNE 30TH, 2023.
AND ACCORDING TO THE AUDIT REPORT THAT THERE WAS A SURPLUS OF $60,000.
[02:00:01]
RIGHT INTO YOUR INVESTMENT ACCOUNT.SO IT DID, IT DID SHOW A, A SURPLUS.
AND THEN, UM, THE, UM, JUST SO I CAN GET SORTED IN MY MIND, SO YOU HAD A BANK ACCOUNT THAT, THAT THE BANK ACCOUNT IS THE UNRESTRICTED THAT PAYS FOR ALL YOUR OPERATIONAL COSTS.
AND THAT'S EVERYTHING THAT IS BEING PRESENTED TO THE BOARD TO APPROVE MM-HMM,
THAT'S, HE CALLED IT UNRESTRICTED.
SO YOU CAN MOVE THAT MONEY ANY ANYWAYS YOU WANT THE $124,000 IS THAT, COULD THAT A MILLION, IS THAT FAIR TO SAY? YOUR MILLION 24 MM-HMM MM-HMM.
SO IT CAN BE MOVED ANYWAYS, YOU KNOW, UNRESTRICTED TO THE OPERATING ACCOUNT.
SO, SO, UM, SO IT COULD BE USED TO BUY BOOKS, IT COULD BE USED FOR, UM, PAYING SALARIES, WHICH I'M SURE THAT'S WHERE MOST OF IT GOES.
BUT, BUT THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY YEAH, IT'S UNRESTRICTED.
YOU CAN CHOOSE, YOU KNOW, UH, WITHIN REASON.
I MEAN, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE, ARE PAID FOR THROUGH STATE AID BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY.
AND SO I CAN'T SPEND YOUR MONEY WHERE I'M ALREADY SPENDING STATE AID MONEY.
AND THEN, UM, SO THEN YOU SAID YOU HAVE THE MANAGEMENT RESERVE, WHICH IS RESTRICTED VERSUS UNRESTRICTED.
SO YOU'RE CO-MINGLING, UM, FUNDS THAT ARE EARMARKED FOR CERTAIN THINGS.
SO LIKE, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THE LIBRARY GOT DONATIONS TO HELP PAY FOR THE ATTORNEY FEES AND HELP PAY FOR THE PR.
SO THAT WOULD BE MOST LIKELY IN YOUR MANAGEMENT RESERVE EARMARKED FOR THAT? CORRECT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE PAID THOSE BILLS, CAME OUT OF THE MANAGEMENT RESERVE ACCOUNT.
SO THOSE, THEY WERE PAID DIRECTLY OUT OF THAT ACCOUNT.
SO, SO THE UM, THE EXPENSES FOR THOSE TWO, UM, EXPENDITURES WERE, UM, PEOPLE HAD DONATED TO, TO PAY FOR THOSE AND IT'S EARMARKED AND CORRECT.
AND THEN, SO THERE'D BE OTHER FUNDS IN THE MANAGEMENT RESERVE THAT YOU CAN PICK AND CHOOSE HOW YOU WANNA SPEND IT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED A NEW WINDOW, YOU KNOW, YOU GO OUT AND WE'D USE THAT MONEY.
SO THE LAST THING IS THEN YOU HAVE THE INVESTMENT ACCOUNT OF 933 K.
SO I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE RESTRICTED VERSUS UN YOU KNOW, UNRESTRICTED IN THERE.
AND I KNOW YOU HAVE ENDOWMENTS AND THAT KIND OF THING, AND IT CAME OUT TO LIKE 30,000, A LITTLE BIT OVER 30,000.
AND THEN THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE LEFT OVER OF UNRESTRICTED FUNDS.
YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE YOUR BYLAWS AND YOU KNOW, TO WHAT YOU CAN USE THAT MONEY FOR, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, UM, IN, UH, TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR INVESTMENT OF WHAT IS EARMARK VERSUS NOT EARMARK.
WHAT IS RESTRICTED VERSUS NOT RESTRICTED.
'CAUSE I COULD LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET REPORT, UH, THE AUDIT REPORT AND IT DOES BREAK IT DOWN, BUT THERE'S A BIG CHUNK OF MONEY THAT IS NOT EARMARKED THAT I SEE.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE RETIREMENT, RIGHT? IF YOUR EMPLOYEES GET RETIREMENT.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE COMING OUTTA YOUR INVESTMENT ACCOUNT, RIGHT? THAT YOU'D WANNA PUT ASIDE FOR THAT AS AIRMARK FOR SOMETHING? NO, THAT COMES OUT OF THE OPERATING BUDGET.
OH, THE RETIREMENT COMES OUT OF THE MM-HMM,
SO ANYWAY, WE CAN TALK OFFLINE TO, YOU KNOW, TO SHOW YOU WHAT I'M REALLY LOOKING FOR.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I, WHEN I SEE THAT, UM, IT JUST, IF YOU'RE ASKING, IS THERE A LARGE SUM OF UNRESTRICTED MONEY IN THE INVESTMENT ACCOUNT? THE ANSWER'S YES.
AND SO YOU HAVE A, UM, BYLAWS THAT OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, BOARD APPROVAL.
SO LIKE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN USING, WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW TO, TO PAY FOR THE INCREASE OF THE SALARIES AT 3%, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, UM, USING THE INVESTMENT ACCOUNT.
AND IF, IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT, UH, WHAT I UNDERSTAND YOU SAID IS THAT YOU WOULDN'T NEED TO HAVE APPROVAL BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEE, BUT ANYTHING ABOVE THAT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEE TO ASK FOR, TO, TO USE THAT MONEY LESS THE ENDOWMENTS AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF.
I THINK YOU GOT THE AMPHITHEATER IN THERE TOO.
YOU KNOW, THAT MONEY SITTING THERE.
SO, SO ANYWAY, I'M JUST TRYING TO, TO PUT THIS IN MY HEAD, UM, AS FAR AS HOW IT ALL WORKS.
UM, BUT THAT, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
I HAVE A, A COUPLE OF, UM, QUESTIONS OR OBSERVATIONS, UM, IN THIS, FIRST OF ALL, AND THIS, THIS FORM THAT'S REQUESTED FROM YOU, UM, FOR THIS MEETING, UH, I THINK PROBABLY IS
[02:05:01]
SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANNA REVIEW, BUT THE FUNDRAISING AMOUNTS BASICALLY ACROSS THE LINE ARE 12,500, 12,518,000.UM, I SPENT SOME TIME GOING THROUGH THE WHAT IN, UH, IN YOUR BOARD PACKETS ARE CALLED OPERATING BUDGET.
AND, UH, EVERY TIME THERE'S AN OPERATING BUDGET, THERE'S THE PRIOR THREE FISCAL YEARS ALSO INCLUDED MM-HMM.
SO TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON, ON LIKE THE, THE TOTALITY OF FUNDS THAT COME IN TO THE, TO THE COMPANY.
UM, AND IN ALL THESE CASES, AND I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF FOCUS ON 2023, FISCAL YEAR 23 AND 24, UH, IT WAS ALLUDED TO A MINUTE AGO, BUT THE, THE, BASICALLY THE TOP LINE TABLE FOR DONATED FUNDS FOR FY 23, 20 1000, UH, FOR 24, 20 7,000 FOR 25, 32 5.
UM, SO THIS IS AN OPERATING BUDGET AND THIS IS THE, A PUBLIC DOCUMENT.
AND, AND THERE'S A TOTAL NUMBER AT THE BOTTOM FOR EXPENDITURES AND INCOME.
THERE'S, FOR FY 23, IT WAS 1 2, 8, 5, 9, 7 FOR, UH, OF INCOME AND 1 2, 8, 5, 9, 7 OH FOR EXPENSES.
UM, HOWEVER, UH, I START LOOKING AT THE, THE, THE NUMBER, THE SPREADSHEETS IN EVERY CASE FOR THEIR, UH, EVERY PACKET THAT'S ON THE WEBSITE, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD WEBSITE, A GOOD SOURCE OF INFORMATION, EASY TO ACCESS.
UH, THERE ARE, THERE'S A KIND OF A SPREADSHEET FORMAT THAT'S A BUDGET VERSUS ACTUAL.
AND, UM, THERE IN THAT SHEET YOU CAN ALSO LOOK AND SEE ROW BY ROW.
YOU CAN SEE DONATIONS, LINES AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND THEY, THEY BASICALLY MATCH UP PRETTY CLOSE.
MAYBE THERE'S SOME SLIGHT ERRORS FROM DATA ENTRY OR, OR OTHER SMALL THINGS, BUT THEY ESSENTIALLY REFLECT WHAT'S IN THE OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, WHAT, WHAT BECOMES INTERESTING.
SO, SO, SO BACK TO THE, THE SOURCES OF INCOME.
THERE'S COUNTY MONEY, WARREN COUNTY, THERE'S STATE AID AND THERE'S DONATIONS.
UH, AND THESE OPERATING BUDGETS HAVE, AND I'M JUST GOING TO TALK TO FY 23 RIGHT NOW, $21,000 DONATIONS.
UH, AND THAT'S AGAIN IN THE BUDGET VERSUS ACTUAL SHEET.
UH, WHEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A FEW PAGES AFTER THAT, THERE IS, UM, A BUDGET VERSUS ACTUAL, I MENTIONED THOSE LINEUP, BUT A FEW PAGES AFTER THAT, THERE'S A TRACKING FUNDRAISING TRACKING SHEET.
AND, UH, YOU JUST, HE JUST ALLUDED, MY COLLEAGUE JUST ALLUDED TO THAT, THAT SHEET.
AND FOR FYI 23, THAT GOAL WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
AND I THINK JUST FOR, FOR THE SAKE OF, OF SOME CONTINUITY, I'M GONNA LOOK AT 20 FY 23, THEN LOOK AT FY 24.
SO THE BUDGET IS IN THE OPERATING BUDGET.
THAT'S, THAT'S A PRODUCT OF THE BO OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS A 1 2 8 5 9 5 0 EXPENDITURES AND A 1 2 5 1 2 8 5, 9 5 OH INCOME.
BUT THERE'S THIS TRACKING SHEET OVER HERE, WHICH HAS A GOAL TO RAISE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS $79,000 MORE THAN THE AMOUNT THAT'S IN THE BUDGET, THE OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, SO THERE'S A DELTA AND THEN, UH, THE ACTUAL WHAT FOR FY 23 ENDS UP BEING $127,000.
SO LOOKING AT AS THE BUDGET'S PRODUCED, AND THEN WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS, AND IT SEEMS TO ME STRUCTURALLY TO BEGIN WITH, THERE'S A, IN, IN THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OPERATIONS BUDGET, AN EXPECTED DONATION, 21,000 OVER IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, A, A FUNDRAISING TRACKING GOAL OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND AND AWESOMELY, UH, 20 $127,000 RAISE.
SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S ANOTHER CATEGORY WHERE THE STATE COMES ALONG AND SAYS, HERE'S ANOTHER 24,000.
SO, SO IN FY 23, THE, WHEREAS THE EXPECTATION WAS 172, THE ACTUAL AMOUNT, 24,000.
SO THOSE TWO TOGETHER PRODUCE $130,000 MORE THAN WAS IN THAT OPERATING BUDGET.
[02:10:01]
IS, YOU KNOW, AN INTERESTING THING BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS THEN WITH BUDGETS, UM, IN THIS CASE THERE WERE, 'CAUSE OF SOME THINGS YOU ALLUDED TO, UH, REDOING THE KIDS SECTION AND SO FORTH, THERE WERE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES OF $121,000.THERE WERE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES BUDGETED, UH, BUT THE AMOUNT OVER BUDGET WAS $121,000 FOR FY 23.
SO ULTIMATELY THE EXPENSES FOR, FOR FY 23 WERE, UM, $175,000 MORE THAN BUDGET.
SO I CALL, UH, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA LABEL THE EXTRA $130,000 A WINDFALL.
I MEAN, THAT'S, IT'S, IT AT, AFTER THE YEAR WAS OVER, THE ENDED UP INCOME WAS 130,000 MORE, UH, DURING THE YEAR FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU WERE ABLE TO SAY, OH, WELL WE NEED TO DO THIS, WE NEED TO DO THIS.
WE HAD A BUDGET OF, UH, WHATEVER, 20, 20 SOMETHING THOUSAND TO DO, UH, THE KID SECTION OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
I, I MEAN, I'M, I'M GETTING INTO THE DETAILED NUMBERS, BUT, BUT THE POINT WAS THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO GO OVER THE BUDGET AMOUNT TO DO THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND YOU TRANSFERRED FROM RESERVE $101,000.
SO THAT'S YOUR INVESTMENT ACCOUNT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, OR RESERVE ACCOUNT, EITHER RESERVE ACCOUNT OR INVESTMENT ACCOUNT.
BUT YOU PULLED THAT MONEY IN TO HELP WITH THAT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LABELED TRANSFER FROM YOUR RESERVE ACCOUNT TO HELP WITH EVERYTHING ALMOST EQUALED WHAT THE EXCESS DONATIONS WERE BY ALMOST BY STRUCTURE.
LIKE IN THE BUDGET, THE DONATIONS BUDGET WAS 21,000.
THE GOAL OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO WHAT I'M, I'M REFERRING TO IS IT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT, SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN SET UP.
SO WE'RE, THERE'S MORE THERE, THERE IS MORE.
AND AS IT TURNED OUT BY DESIGN, THERE WAS GONNA BE 79,000 MORE.
BY HAPPENSTANCE THERE WAS $127,000 MORE.
SO THESE WERE UNPLANNED EXCESS DONATIONS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TRACKING REPORT GOAL OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND AND A BOARD OF TRUSTEES DONATIONS GOAL OF 21,000, THERE'S A STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCE THERE.
AND I, AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY RELEVANT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRODUCES AN OPERATING BUDGET AND THAT BUDGET BRINGS US TO HERE.
BUT THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HAS A GOAL THAT'S GONNA ACTUALLY REPRODUCE REVENUE THAT'S UP HERE.
AND, UM, THAT IS, IT'S EXTRA MONEY.
IT'S, IT'S ALMOST BY DESIGN ACTUALLY.
IT'S NOT ALMOST BY DESIGN, I THINK IT IS BY DESIGN.
UM, LOOKING AT, AT FY 24, WHICH IS HALFWAY THROUGH, UM, HERE AGAIN, THIS, THE, THE TRUSTEES OPERATING BUDGET, 197,000, UH, THEY CAME UP WITH 34,000 MORE DOLLARS.
SO, AND THE TRUSTEES FOR BUDGET VERSUS ACTUAL SHEET, THE BUDGET COLUMN JUST GREW BY 34,000.
'CAUSE THE STATE GAVE 30 MORE THOUSAND, THE BUDGETED AMOUNT WAS 1 97.
AND SO WHEN MORE MONEY COMES IN, THAT SHEET JUST LIKE JUMPED UP.
AND NOW IT'S PRESENTED AS 34,000.
UH, IN TERMS OF DONATIONS, THE GOAL IN THE TRUSTEES OPERATING BUDGET WAS 27 5 HAPPILY, UM, TO SIX MONTHS INTO THE YEAR, IT'S 143,000.
SO THE STATE'S $34,000 EXTRA MONEY.
AND GRANTED WE'RE ONLY 50% THROUGH THE YEAR.
BUT, BUT THE TRACKING, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE'S TRACKING REPORT HAS A GOAL OF 112,000 AND THEY'VE HIT 143.
SO FOR FY 24, WE'RE $150,000 ABOVE BUDGET FOR INCOME.
AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SPEND.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S AN OPEN QUESTION.
WHAT WILL THAT $168,000, UM, GO TO? WILL, YOU CAN EITHER SPEND IT ON MORE STUFF, MORE COMPUTERS, MORE CARPET, FURNITURE, WHATEVER,
[02:15:01]
AIR CONDITIONING, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, OR YOU COULD PUSH IT INTO THE RT RESERVE FUND, WHICH IS AT NINE SOMETHING AND, AND IT'S GONNA GET BIGGER.THERE'S THAT, THERE'S THAT 130,000 OR SO WINDFALL.
UH, THERE'S ALSO ALWAYS, WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF A MILLION DOLLAR, UH, INVESTMENT ACCOUNT, THE SOMEWHERE IN THE MINUTES THERE WAS A REFERENCE TO SINCE 2005, THERE'S A SIX POINT SOMETHING PERCENT RETURN ON THAT, ON THAT ACCOUNT.
SO THERE'S ABOUT $60,000 A YEAR BEING GENERATED BY THAT INVESTMENT ACCOUNT EVERY YEAR.
UH, BY, BY BYLAWS YOU'RE RAKING 3% OF THAT INTO THE OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, SO THERE'S DEFINITELY AN ACCUMULATION GOING ON THERE.
BUT THESE, THESE, UH, THESE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OPERATING BUDGET EXPECTATIONS ARE, OR ARE DONATIONS LINE ITEMS AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE FUND RAISING TRACKING GOALS THAT ARE EXCEEDING THEIR GOALS BY MULTIPLES OF THREE OR FOUR? UM, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, UH, WE WERE CONSERVATIVE AND WE KEPT, WE SENT, WE KEPT IT BACK BY 10 OR 15% 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW IF WE'D RAISE THE MONEY.
UM, THESE GOALS ARE FOUR TIMES FOUR IN SOME CASES, FIVE TIMES HIGHER, AND AT LEAST FOR THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS THEY'RE BEING MET.
SO, UM, THIS, THIS IS SORT OF, UH, AND, AND, AND I THINK PROBLEMATIC FROM MY POINT OF VIEW IS A FIDUCIARY FOR THE COUNTY BECAUSE, UH, WHAT WE HAVE STRUCTURALLY, AND THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY GETTING TO THE ROOT OF, OF THE MATTER.
AND I I WANNA EMPHASIZE FOR EVERYBODY'S SAKE THAT WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M DESCRIBING ISN'T SOMETHING I'M SAYING IS WRONG OR UNETHICAL OR DISHONEST OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I'M POINTING IT OUT BECAUSE AS A FIDUCIARY FOR THE COUNTY, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAVORABLE TO THE COUNTY.
I THINK IT'S, IT PUTS THE COUNTY AT A DISADVANTAGE.
AND, AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, THE WAY THESE OPERATIONS BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE REFERRED TO THE THREE SOURCES, THE COUNTY, THE STATE, AND THE PRIVATE.
WELL, SAMUEL IS A PRIVATE COMPANY AND YOU HAVE FULL CONTROL OF YOUR FINANCES.
YOU DO ASK THE COUNTY FOR A MILLION DOLLARS.
OKAY? WHEN A BUDGET IS CREATED, IT'S, IT'S STARTS WITH SOME MONEY GOING INTO THE BUCKET.
JUST IMAGINE IT LIKE, LIKE THIS CUP.
AND THE TOP OF THE CUP IS THE BUDGET.
AND EVERY TIME THAT OPERATING BUDGET HAS AN EXPENSE THAT'S AT THE TOP OF THIS THING, AND AN INCOME THAT'S AT THE TOP OF THIS THING, SO ONE MINUS THE OTHER EQUALS ZERO.
WELL, OUR MECHANISM THAT WE WORK ON IS THE COUNTY PUTS THEIR MILLION DOLLARS IN THE CUP FIRST, THEN THE STATE PUTS THEIR MILLION DOLLARS IN THE CUP.
WELL, THE CUP IS FULL WHEN FOR THE FY 23 CASE, $21,000 OF DONATIONS ARE ACHIEVED.
BUT IF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE'S TRACKING GOALS ARE MET, IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND IF THEY'RE EXCEEDED, IT'S EVEN MORE THAN THAT.
SO BY DESIGN, THE, THE, THE GOVERNMENT'S MONEY IS GOING IN THE CUP FIRST AND THE PRIVATE MONEY IS OVERFLOWING THE CUP.
AND WHAT'S DONE WITH THIS OVERFLOW MONEY IS, IS ESSENTIALLY ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO WITH IT.
YOU CAN PUSH IT OFF INTO YOUR INVESTMENT ACCOUNT, YOU CAN BUY NEW FURNITURE, BUY NEW COMPUTERS, GIVE PEOPLE RAISES.
AND MY POINT IS, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS, THAT IS, UH, 130 AND 168, SO I'M JUST GONNA ROUND THAT TO $300,000.
SO OVER THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS, THE CUP RUNNETH OVER $300,000 AND THIS COUNTY CAN USE $300,000.
UH, WE HAVE ALL DEPARTMENTS COMING IN WITH NEEDS.
WE HAVE SHORTAGES OF FIREFIGHTERS.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE, THERE THE SCHOOLS HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF ADDITIONAL EXPENSES THAT, THAT THEY HAVE TO FORCE.
AND WHEN I SAY, YOU KNOW, MY PERSPECTIVE AS A FIDUCIARY OF THE COUNTY IS THAT I, I DON'T PERCEIVE THIS AS THE RIGHT SITUATION FOR THE COUNTY.
[02:20:01]
IF YOU'RE A PRIVATE COMPANY, YOU HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO RUN YOUR OWN FINANCES AND DO YOUR OWN FUNDRAISING.YOUR MONEY SHOULD BE THE FIRST IN THE CUP.
WHEN YOU HAVE A BUDGET THAT COMES UP TO HERE, THEN LIKE EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT AND THE COUNTY, YOU NEED TO WORK WITH THAT BUDGET.
IF ANY ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS IN THE COUNTY COME AND SAY, HEY, UH, BY WHATEVER HAPPENSTANCE WE GOT AN EXTRA $150,000 HERE, I THINK THAT DR.
DALEY AND, AND EVERYONE ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WOULD SAY, OKAY, WELL WE'LL TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION WHAT NEEDS IN THE COUNTY WE CAN DO WITH THAT EXTRA MONEY.
IN THIS CASE, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE THE COUNTY, IS, IS THE REASON THAT SAMUELS CAN EXIST AND OPERATE THAT LIBRARY.
IF THE COUNTY DOESN'T FUND IT, THE STATE DOESN'T FUND IT, THEN YOU'RE LEFT WITH A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS, YOU, YOU'VE GOT NOTHING.
SO THE DEPENDENCY OF OF SAMUEL'S, THE PRIVATE COMPANY THAT RUNS THE COUNTY LIBRARY IS 100% DEPENDENCE.
AND AS A FIDUCIARY FOR THAT COUNTY, KNOWING THAT A PRIVATE COMPANY HAS THE, IN THEIR HANDS, THE POWER TO MAKE ALL DECISIONS RELATING TO THE OPERATION OF THIS COMPANY, THAT THAT PRIVATE MONEY SHOULD GO FIRST INTO THAT CUP.
AND IF THERE'S EXTRA, THEN THE, THE COUNTY COULD, COULD USE THAT RUBBER MICROMETER TO SAY, WELL, INSTEAD OF THE $300,000 OVER THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS GOING INTO WHAT SAMUELS DECIDED TO DO WITH IT, EITHER INCREASE THEIR, THEIR MILLION DOLLAR ACCOUNT OR, OR RENOVATE THE CHILDREN'S SECTION, WHICH IS A WORTHY GOAL, BUT IT WAS NOT BUDGETED.
AND ALL THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS CAN BE BUDGETED.
ALL CAPITAL PROJECT CAN BE BUDGETED.
AND AS THE PRINCIPAL AND DOMINANT CONTRIBUTOR TO THE, TO THE LIBRARY'S BUDGET, I THINK THIS BOARD CAN CONCUR ON THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, BECAUSE IT'S OUR MONEY.
AND, UH, SO THAT IS THE, THE, THE STRUCTURAL OBSERVATION I HAVE ABOUT THE WAY WE'RE DOING THIS.
UM, I FEEL COMPELLED TO COUNTERPOINT YOU
WE FUNCTION AS THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN WARREN COUNTY.
WE ARE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN WARREN COUNTY.
THE TAXPAYERS PAY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY TO SUPPORT THAT PUBLIC LIBRARY.
WE COLLECT DONATIONS THROUGH DRIVES AND FUNDRAISERS, ET CETERA.
THE PEOPLE THAT GIVE TO THOSE THINGS DON'T EXPECT THAT TO SUBSIDIZE WHAT EVERY TAXPAYER IN THE COUNTY IS DOING.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS BEING GO GET SOMETHING WONDERFUL THAT YOU NEED OR SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD OR THAT KIND OF THING.
WHY SHOULD THE FACT THAT WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN FUNDRAISING TAKE AWAY FROM OUR ABILITY TO IMPROVE THINGS? WHY SHOULD THAT TAKE AWAY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TAXPAYERS TO FUND US JUST LIKE THEY FUND THEE SOCIETY AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT YOU'RE TALKING WITH? I, I STRUGGLE WITH THAT PARTICULAR SIDE OF IT.
THE, THE THING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT IS THAT IT'S NOT AN APPLE ORANGES, THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MAKES A A, A GOAL, BUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ON THAT CHART ARE THINGS THAT GO TO PROGRAMS. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT, THEY, THE ACTUAL DONATION NUMBER IS A NUMBER IN THE BUDGET THAT WE NEVER KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET.
WE NEVER KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
BUT THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE SITS THERE AND GOES, WELL, WE HOPE THAT WE GET 20,000 FROM PAY FOR BOOKS.
AND FORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES WE DO, BUT WE ALSO HAVE EXPENSES RELATED TO THAT.
UM, HOPEFULLY WE, WE CAN ASK FOSSIL FOR DONATIONS,
[02:25:02]
AND THEY'RE ABLE TO, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT THROUGH THEIR FUNDRAISING.SO THOSE ARE ALL OVER AND ABOVE.
UM, THINGS LIKE HANOCK THAT IS ON THAT LIST, UM, GOES RIGHT TO THE WINTER READING THAT I DESCRIBED EARLIER IN THE CHART.
SO THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UM, THAT'S ON THAT CHART IS A MIXTURE.
IT'S NOT IN APPLES AND ORANGES COMPARED TO THE BUDGET.
THAT THAT'S A MIXTURE OF THINGS THAT ARE EARMARKED FOR OTHER PROGRAMS. WE JUST HAPPEN TO GET THOSE EVERY YEAR, AND THEY SHOW UP ON THE FUNDRAISING BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE GOAL THAT WE KEEP GETTING THOSE, BUT IN REALITY, THERE, THEY SHOW UP IN OTHER PLACES ON THE BUDGET BECAUSE THEY'RE EARMARKED FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, AND THEN THE EXCESS DONATIONS WENT TO, TO THE, UH, CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENT TO, TO REVITALIZE THAT AND TO REARRANGE IT.
AND IT WAS ALL PART OF GIVING PARENTAL CONTROLS, UM, YOU KNOW, SEPARATING THE YOUNG ADULT FROM THE LITTLE KIDS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO YES, YOU CAN LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, BUT YOU AND I BOTH KNOW, YOU CAN LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS A NUMBER OF WAYS, AND YOU'RE NOT COMPARING, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SIT DOWN WITH US AND SO WE COULD SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHERE THOSE NUMBERS GO AND WHAT THAT MEANS.
BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST KIND OF PULLING OUT NO, NO, I, I, YOU'RE NOT COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES OR APPLES TO APPLES HERE.
WELL, THE POINT IS THAT THERE ARE APPLES AND ORANGES, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S A OPERATIONS BUDGET ESTABLISHED THAT SAYS DONATIONS WILL BE $21,000, THAT'S A GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE.
IT'S, IT'S NOT A GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S PRETTY WELL KNOWN.
IT'S KNOWN BECAUSE THERE'S A DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WITH A TRACK RECORD THAT HAS A GOAL TO RAISE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
BUT THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS ARE FOR UNEXPECTED DONATIONS.
THEY'RE NOT UNEXPECTED, UNEXPECTED DONATIONS THAT WE GET THEM HERE.
I, THEY'RE NOT EVEN SHOWING UP IN THAT DONATION NUMBER BECAUSE OF THAT.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT IMPACTS ANYTHING.
IT WOULD BE GOOD TO COME IN AND SIT WITH EILEEN AND GO OVER HIM LINE BY LINE, SIT WITH PETE WALKER, HE'S BEEN THE TREASURER FOR NINE YEARS, AND JUST GO OVER THEM.
AND, AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA ABOUT HOW THE BUDGET ACTUALLY WORKS.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE IMPLYING IS, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE BUDGET ACTUALLY WORKS.
AND I DO, I THINK IT'S HARD FOR ANYBODY TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE IT'S SO COMPLEX AND INVOLVED.
WELL, I THINK IT'S VERY, IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT AND NOT THAT COMPLEX.
IT'S A, THERE'S A STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCE.
BUT WHAT YOU'RE IMPLYING THOUGH, IS THAT THE DONATIONS THAT WE RAISE SHOULD BE UTILIZED TO FUND THE OPERATING BUDGET, THE OPERATIONS OF THE BUDGET.
AND IN FACT, THAT ISN'T WHAT PEOPLE ARE TOLD WHEN THEY DONATE THAT MONEY.
AND WHY, I THINK, I THINK THEY KNOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE FUNDING THE OPERATIONS OF THE BUDGET.
THAT ISN'T HOW THEY'RE SOLICITED.
SO, AND QUITE FRANKLY, WELL, THEN THAT'S A PROBLEM.
YEAH, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU THINK IT'S REASONABLE THAT YOU TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY OFF ALL THE TAXPAYERS OF WARREN COUNTY TO FUND THE LIBRARY EQUALLY AND PUT IT IN THE HANDS? NO, I, I, I THINK WHAT HE'S, WHAT WHAT HE'S ALLUDING TO, MA'AM, IS, IS THE FACT THAT, UH, THAT THERE IS, UH, EXCESS THAT WAS GENERATED, WHICH IS, IT'S A GOOD THING, BUT IT WAS GENERATED IN THE, IN THE FUNDRAISING.
AND THAT EXCESS SHOULD BE TREATED, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CUP.
AND THEN INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR THE, FOR THE MILLION, 24,000, MAYBE ASKING FOR THE, UH, UH, JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, 850,000 BECAUSE THAT, THAT ADDITIONAL MONEY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S FOLKS IN THIS, UM, UH, IN THE COUNTY WHO HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME TRYING TO, TO, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MEET THE, THE TAX BURDENS THAT'S PLACED ON THEM.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE TO IS, UH, IS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY IS, THAT THE MONIES IN THIS COUNTY ARE WELL SPENT AND THAT WE TRY AND HOLD DOWN TAXES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
I THINK THAT'S THE POINT HE'S TRYING TO MAKE.
THE IMPLEMENTATION, UH, IS UP FOR, I MEAN, AND FIRST OF ALL, I'M JUST MAKING AN OBSERVATION.
I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY ABILITY TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT APPARENTLY.
[02:30:01]
THE OVERRIDING, FINANCIALLY SPEAKING OBSERVATION I HAD AND CONCERN I HAVE, UM, ABOUT HOW WE FUND THIS.AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
THANK YOU FOR, THANKS FOR LISTENING TO US.
UM, YEAH, I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER.
JUST IF I, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION ON MY PART.
SO WHEN YOU SAY WHEN YOU GET DONATIONS AND IT, UM, THE PUB, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DONATING EXPECTED TO GO TO A, A, UM, A TASK OR A PROJECT, THEN WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT THAT MAKES, WHAT THAT SOUNDS TO ME IS THAT YOU'RE COLLECTING DONATIONS ON A RESTRICTED BASIS, NOT UNRESTRICTED.
SO WHEN, BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAID, WELL, SOME OF THE DONATIONS COME IN 'CAUSE PEOPLE THINK WE'RE GONNA, UH, THEIR MONEY'S GONNA GO HERE, LIKE TO BUY BOOKS OR TO DO THE AMPHITHEATER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT? YES.
WHEN THERE IS A LETTER THAT THAT GOES OUT, IT ASKS FOR SOMETHING FAIRLY SPECIFIC.
UHHUH
BUT WE WERE WELL INTO THE BUDGET CYCLE BY THEN.
YOU KNOW, I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
UM, SO THIS IS AN ABERRATION AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, WHAT'S HAPPENED THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT USUALLY YES, WHEN PEOPLE ARE ASKED, THEY'RE ASKED FOR A SPECIFIC REASON, PROGRAMMING OR SOME SERVICES OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
SO DO YOU CONSIDER GRANTS AS A DONATION OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT PART OF FUNDING? THAT'S A OKAY.
'CAUSE I KNOW GRANTS HAVE A CRITERIA.
WELL ACTUALLY THAT'S, THAT'S INTERESTING THAT SHE BRINGS THAT UP.
'CAUSE I'M DEFINITELY THINKING ABOUT THE MELLON GRANT.
THERE'S, THERE'S A, UM, IF I'M NOT, FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS INTERESTING THAT IT WENT FROM A MILLION TO 500.
SO I GUESS THAT'S SOMEWHERE SOME THING WHERE YOU DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT FOR A MILLION AND MAYBE ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR 500,000.
THEY STARTED OFF AT A MILLION AND THEN THEY CHANGED THE GRANT TO A HALF A MILLION.
AND THEN, UH, THERE'S, I BELIEVE, I'M PROBABLY NOT RIGHT ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK IT SAID THAT, UH, 50% OF THAT GRANT COULD BE USED FOR, FOR BASICALLY HOWEVER YOU WANT, BUT YOU HAVE TO LAY THAT OUT.
AND THEN THEY, YOU REPORT YEAH, IT IS, IT IS.
UH, THERE'S, THERE WAS ANOTHER GRANT SOMEWHERE FOR 18,000 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND, AND I DO REALLY AS A, AS A, AGAIN, A FIDUCIARY FOR THE COUNTY, BELIEVE THAT ALL PRIVATE MONEY THAT GOES INTO THIS THING IS, SHOULD BE RELIEVING PUBLIC MONEY.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S ALL UNDER YOUR CONTROL.
YOU, YOU KNOW, AS, AS THE PRIVATE CAPITAL CONTRIBUTED TO THE OPERATION OF THIS LIBRARY IS ABOUT 6%.
SO, SO, AND ARE YOU TAKING THE SAME POSITION WITH EVERY OTHER NONPROFIT THAT'S COMING BEFORE YOU? MOST OF THE PROFIT NONPROFITS THAT COME IN HERE ARE WORKING, CONTRIBUTING ABOUT 1% OF THEIR, OF THEIR BUDGET.
THEY, THEY, THEY APPRECIATE US, BUT THEY DON'T DEPEND ON US.
WE'RE, THEY'RE, WE'RE CONTRIBUTING $3,000 TO A, TO A, A ORGANIZATION WITH A $500,000 BUDGET OR SOMETHING.
IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S NO, ON THIS WHOLE SHEET, NOT EVEN CLOSE ANY ORGANIZATION COMPARABLE TO, TO, TO THIS ONE, EITHER MONETARILY OR IN PERCENTAGE TERMS OF HOW DEPENDENT THE PRIVATE COMPANY IS ON OUR, OUR, OUR CONTRIBUTION.
WELL, I, I DON'T WANT TO, I, I DON'T WANT TO, UH, PERSIST IN CREATING NEGATIVE ENERGY.
I'M, I TRYING TO, UH, MAKE AN OBSERVATION ON THE BIG PICTURE ABOUT HOW I, I SEE.
BASED WITH THIS CUP AND THE BUDGET, WHICH ONE? IT GOES FIRST.
I HAVE A LOT OF BOARD MEMBERS HERE THIS EVENING YEAH.
I HOPE THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN, UH, GOOD FAITH WITH EACH OTHER AND THAT YOU WILL SEE THE BENEFIT THAT THE LIBRARY BRINGS TO THE COMMUNITY.
THERE IS NO, AT NO TIME HAS THAT BEEN IN DOUBT OUT IN MY 'CAUSE I DO THINK THEY PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
MS. HOT'S PRESENTATION IS A TESTIMONY TO IT.
UM, SOME OTHER THINGS MAYBE NOT SO GREAT AND, AND THERE'S DIFFERENCES OF OPINION ABOUT THAT, BUT THIS ISN'T THE FORUM FOR THAT.
[02:35:01]
I JUST, WELL, LIKE I SAY, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF BOARD MEMBERS HERE THIS EVENING.AND I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE LOTS TO TALK ABOUT
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
YEAH, I, I HAVE A COUPLE OF MORE QUESTIONS IF YOU DON'T MIND.
THE, UH, AND YOU MENTIONED ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS HERE, UH, BEING HERE.
WHAT, I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHAT, WHAT IS THE ELECTION PROCESS FOR YOUR BOARD MEMBERS? I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
UM, A BOARD MEMBER, ONCE THEY'RE ELECTED, THEY'RE ELECTED IN JULY AND THAT'S OUR ANNUAL MEETING.
AND THEY CAN SERVE IF THEY CHOOSE THREE, THREE YEAR TERMS. HMM.
SO A TOTAL OF NINE YEARS, LIKE, UM, PETE WALKER WILL BE GOING OFF THE BOARD JUNE 30TH BECAUSE IT WILL BE THE END OF HIS NINTH YEAR.
UM, AND WE HAVE AN APPLICATION AND THERE'S A COMMITTEE, A BOARD OF TRUSTEES COMMITTEE THAT INTERVIEWS THE APPLICANTS AND HMM, OKAY.
SO WE GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS AND THEN THEY BRING NAMES BEFORE THE BOARD AT THE MAY MEETING AND IRON OUT ROLES AND COMMITTEES AND ALL THAT STUFF.
AND THEN IT'S ALL MADE OFFICIAL AT THE, THE FIRST PART.
SO, SO THEN THERE IS A PROCESS.
IT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE, UH, LIKE YOU, YOU, YOU'RE AT THE BOARD MEETING AND, AND YOU SAY, UH, WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT FRED? AND, OH, NO, NO, NO.
SOMEBODY GOES, NO, FRED HAS SMELLY FEET.
NO, I DON'T WANT HIM ON THE BOARD.
NO, WE KNOW I'M DISCRIMINATED AGAINST SMELLY FEET.
AND JUST TO, UM, PIGGYBACK, UM, MR. BUTLER'S COMMENT, THAT'S WHY, UM, THEY DO HAVE A PROCESS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE PUT TOGETHER THE SCHEDULE FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BECAUSE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO BE RECOMMENDED AS A CANDIDATE BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THEN THEY NEED TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION TO US SO WE CAN REVIEW AND OFFICIAL LET, OFFICIALLY LET THE LIBRARY YEAH.
WHAT WE DO IS THIS YEAR, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOSING PETE WHO'S A CPA, UM, WE HAVE SOMEONE LINED UP.
MICHELLE LEISURE IS GONNA, UH, STEP INTO THE ROLE OF TREASURER.
BUT WE WANNA START TO LOOK FOR SOMEONE ELSE THAT COULD START COMING UP ON THAT.
UM, PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK FOR AN ATTORNEY.
DEFINITELY NEEDS SOMEONE FROM THE SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT BECAUSE THAT DISTRICT'S NOT REPRESENTED, BUT EVERY OTHER DISTRICT IS OKAY.
SO WE, WE TRY TO LOOK AT THE MAKEUP OF THE BOARD AS WELL.
I THINK YOU WILL GET AN APPLICANT FROM MY AREA.
I'VE HAD SOMEONE REACH OUT TO ME ABOUT THAT.
SO THE, I I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
UH, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS FOR MOA MANAGEMENT OF THE, YOU KNOW, KEEP KEEPING TRACK OF THE MOA? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE MOA HAD, THE PREVIOUS ONE HAD LAPSED AND, YOU KNOW, SHAME ON SHAME ON THE BOARD HERE FOR NOT KEEPING TRACK OF IT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS ANYONE'S FAULT, QUITE FRANKLY.
BECAUSE IT, IT WAS SORT OF A ONE-OFF.
IT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
AND IT WAS DONE BECAUSE THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY IT WAS COSTING TO RUN THE LIBRARY FOR THE COUNTY.
AND SO, UH, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AT THE TIME SAID, LET'S BRING AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TOGETHER.
AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US FROM THE LIBRARY, THE COUNTY, ET CETERA.
AND THEY LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS TO RUN IT THEMSELVES.
AND THEN THEY LOOKED AT OUR NUMBERS MM-HMM.
WELL THEY SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT YOU DIDN'T MENTION, UH, IN THE, IN THE PRESENTATION.
AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THIS 'CAUSE I'D HEARD ABOUT IT.
IT WAS THE, IT WAS THE, THE NEW LIBRARY CARD SYSTEM FOR THE, FOR THE KIDS.
CAN, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT HOW THAT'S RUNNING? AND, AND WE, WE CREATED A FORM.
AND IT HAS, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, CARBONLESS FORM.
SO WE KEEP A COPY AND PUT IT ON FILE AND WE GIVE A COPY TO THE PARENT, AND A PARENT NEEDS TO SIGN ANYTIME A CHILD GETS A LIBRARY CARD IF THEY'RE UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
AND SO ON THE FORM THERE ARE BOXES THEY CAN CHECK, HMM, MY CHILD IS ALLOWED TO CHECK THIS KIND OF MATERIAL OUT OR NOT.
AND WE GO INTO OUR SYSTEM AND PUT RESTRICTIONS ON AS THE PARENT DICTATES.
DOES THAT SEEM TO BE WORKING WELL? YEP.
[02:40:01]
UH, LET ME SEE.UM, SEE, I, I HAD A QUESTION, BUT YEAH, I THINK, UH, IT WAS ALREADY ANSWERED.
IT WAS, UH, IT WAS ABOUT THE, UH, ABOUT THE GRANT AND, UM, LEMME SEE, UM, HOW DO YOU TRACK VOLUNTEER HOURS? DOES SOMEBODY COME IN AND THEY PUNCH YOU IN AND YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE THIS ARCHAIC, UM, CORK BOARD.
AND IT HAS ALL THE DAYS OF THE MONTH.
AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS NAMES, AND THEY GO ACROSS AND PUT THEIR HOURS WHENEVER THEY COME IN AND THEY SIGN IN AND OUT AND YOU TALLY BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT ABOUT, UH, TWO AND A QUARTER PERSON YEARS ON, ON YOUR, IT WAS, WHAT, WHAT WAS IT? 20, 2500? IT WAS 4,400 HOURS, WASN'T IT? OH, 4 44.
SO THAT'S, UM, WE DID ABOUT 83 OR 8,400 HOURS TOTAL LAST YEAR.
SO WE'RE RUNNING A LITTLE AHEAD WOW.
AND WE HAVE A REMARKABLE TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS JUST RE REMARKABLE.
HAVE YOU, HAVE Y'ALL THOUGHT ABOUT, UH, AND, AND JUST CHARGING A NOMINAL FEE FOR USE OF YOUR CONFERENCE ROOMS? WE DO.
AND THEN, AND I JUST WANTED TO MENTION, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE, THE, THE, UH, WHAT WAS IT? UM, IT WAS ABOUT THE DEAF COMMUNITY.
AND I, AND I JUST WANTED TO, TO MENTION, I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE THAT THE BRITISH CAN'T, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE THE, YEAH.
EVERY MELODY'S BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH THE DEAF COMMUNITY IN HER CAREER.
MY FORMER NONPROFIT WORK WAS WITH THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA RESOURCE CENTER FOR DEAF AND HARD HEARING.
AND IT'S A, IT'S A FULLY, UM, A SL IS A FULLY BROAD LANGUAGE ON ITS OWN.
AND JUST LIKE OTHER LANGUAGES ACROSS THE WORLD, EACH COUNTRY HAS THEIR OWN SIGN LANGUAGE.
SO THE BRITISH USE A LIKE A POINT TOUCH, YOU'LL SEE IT IN MOVIES, UM, KIND OF SIGN LANGUAGE.
WHEREAS AMERICA HAS A, THE SIGN LANGUAGE THERE, BUT IS USED TO SEEING LIKE SPORTS, YOU KNOW, EVENTS AND POLITICAL EVENTS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LITTLE PERSON IN THERE.
WE ADOPTED THE FRENCH, WASN'T IT? GALLUDET WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE SIGN LANGUAGE.
'CAUSE THAT, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHY THE, THE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE, THAT THAT THE, THAT THE BRITISH CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE BECAUSE IT'S BASED IN FRENCH.
WE HAVE, 'CAUSE WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND THEIR ACCENT.
PEOPLE COME FROM, UM, IN THAT VISITING GT THAT VISITED OUR OFFICES AS WELL AND FROM, YOU KNOW, OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD AND, AND THAT ALL THE INTERPRETERS WERE COMPARING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S YOUR SIGN FOR COFFEE AND WHAT'S YOUR SIGN? AND, AND IT'S JUST DIFFERENT IN EVERY COUNTRY.
JUST LIKE LANGUAGES ARE DIFFERENT IN EVERY COUNTRY.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I'VE GOT.
YOU HAVE ANY? NO, NOTHING MORE.
WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING TONIGHT.
BOARD MEMBERS BEING HERE AS WELL.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE LAST ITEM ON, DO YOU ALRIGHT, WELL ADJOURN ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.