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VINELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES- RETREAT
June 27, 2011
A Board of Trustees of the Vineland Public Library
retreat was held on Monday, June 27, 2011 at Larry II Restaurant, N.
Main Road, Vineland, NJ.
Board of Trustees President Joanne Gittone officially
called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m. Notice of this meeting had
been sent to the Office of the City Clerk, The Daily Journal, The Press,
Channel 9 and was posted in the library in accordance with Sunshine
Laws. Trustees present were Victor Druziako, Joanne Gittone, Whelma
B. Irby, Rosa Mendez, Shirley Santos, Michael Sarnoff, Christine Schneider
and Deborah Wallace-Long. Trustee not attending was Ross Stanger. Also
present were Library Director Gloria Urban and Library Counsel Henry
Zerella.
HISTORY OF CLUES
G. Urban spoke for about 25 minutes detailing the history of the CLUES
consortium beginning in the early 1990’s.
The Trustees asked several questions related
to the lack of a written agreement; the pricing structure for port fees,
and the governance and decision-making of the CLUES group itself. Urban
explained that the original price was $800/port for 16 ports, paid one
half at a time, semi-annually. VPL’s original CLUES bill was $12,800.
This is actually a contribution towards operating/staff costs, as all
CLUES members already pay towards CLUES through county taxes that support
all the operations of the County Library.
Ms. Urban went on to explain that the original
memos, not an actual contract, specify that the County Library Director
would serve as the manager for meetings of the CLUES member libraries’
technical processing staffs, circulation staffs, and Library Directors.
This structure has collapsed somewhat in recent years, since the current
Acting Library Director at the County Library has not called the local
Directors together in months, despite financial decisions being made
that affect us all. A County Library staff member is still holding regular
meetings for Circulation and T.S. staff, however.
Urban referred to handouts each Trustee received prior to the meeting.
The handouts contrast the ‘traditions’ that CLUES has operated
by for two decades vs. today’s situation of unilateral decision
making and the adoption of a CLUES Budget without the input or consent
of the CLUES members, as was always done. A significant question concerns
the current role of the County Administrator in determining the CLUES
port fees, when the County government had not previously played a part
in this issue.
Ms. Urban went on to describe alternatives to
CLUES as it now stands: VPL (and other CLUES members) joining Gloucester
County’s consortium, LOGIN; the City of Vineland’s IT Department
“taking over” the administration of the technical aspects
of CLUES with a pricing arrangement spelled out for any local libraries
wishing to join; a stand-alone purchase of an ILS operated by VPL staff
and COV IT staff much in the style of the Mt. Laurel P.L.
After a lengthy discussion, Ms. Gittone moved that the Board authorize
Ms. Urban to investigate the LOGIN and COV ownership options. The motion
was seconded Mrs. Schneider. The Library Director called the roll: YEAS:
Mr. Druziako, Ms. Irby, Mrs. Mendez, Ms. Santos, Dr. Sarnoff, Mrs. Schneider,
Ms. Gittone and Mrs. Wallace-Long.
Ms. Urban discussed some of the considerations
pertaining to a possible merger of the county’s libraries per
the model mentioned in the press and in person by Mr. Magazzu and other
Freeholders. Such a merger might make VPL a branch of a county-wide
library system, possibly under the leadership of the College Library.
The discussion included such questions as the authority of the County
Freeholders to force the City to hold a referendum on such a merger
and what happens to CLUES or a county-wide system if VPL does not join.
VINELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION AND FRIENDS
ORGANIZATIONS
Another question considered was disposition of the funds raised in the
name of VPL and held by the Friends and the Foundations, who have by-laws
which mutually benefit the other, should either cease operations. After
some discussion about this, Trustee Druziako suggested that Ms. Urban
should speak with the Foundation Board and ask them to consider a by-law
amendment limiting the use of their funds, should such a merger occur,
only to improvements and enhancements to the library serving the City
of Vineland, as names and possibly even the location of any Vineland
library might be different at some future point. Trustee Druziako then
proposed a resolution authorizing G. Urban to approach the Foundation
Board with this proposal. This was seconded Mrs. Schneider. The Library
Director called the roll: YEAS: Mr. Druziako, Ms. Irby, Mrs. Mendez,
Ms. Santos, Dr. Sarnoff, Mrs. Schneider, Ms. Gittone and Mrs. Wallace-Long.
PORT FEES
Discussion then turned to the 67% increase in port fees presented to
the CLUES members in an e-mail attachment on March 30, after the VPL
budget for FY2012 was already submitted to the City. Ms. Urban explained
that in prior years, under the tenure of County Library Director Forester,
all such fees were presented to the CLUES Directors’ Board for
consideration and for approval. This procedure has not been followed
for about three years.
When Director Urban queried the Acting Director at the County Library
on the reason for the port fee increase, the answer was “because
the fees haven’t gone up in a long time.” The Trustees agreed
with Director Urban that that is not a satisfactory reason and that
this port fee increase is a tax increase on the taxpayers of the three
towns: Bridgeton, Millville, and Vineland, which appears – insofar
as is now known – not to apply equally to residents of the 11
townships served by CLUES. Ms. Urban noted that she has not been given
a copy of the County Library’s FY2012 Budget despite her requests.
Trustee Druziako then proposed a resolution
empowering Director Urban to pay FY 2012 CLUES port fees of the same
amount VPL has paid for a decade – the amount included in the
FY2012 Budget - and to suspend payment of the proposed port fee increase
portion of any forthcoming bill for CLUES pending receipt of a satisfactory
explanation of the reason for the increase. The motion was seconded
by Dr. Sarnoff. The Library Director called the roll: YEAS: Mr. Druziako,
Ms. Irby, Mrs. Mendez, Ms. Santos, Dr. Sarnoff, Mrs. Schneider, Ms.
Gittone and Mrs. Wallace-Long.
After further discussion, the Trustees directed Ms. Urban to prepare
a letter to the County Administrator and the Acting Director of the
County Library informing them of this last resolution and that VPL would
not pay the port fee increase until satisfied that it is justified.
Ms. Urban should also inform the Directors in Bridgeton and Millville
and investigate the possibility that they and their Boards will do likewise.
Ms. Urban also agreed to talk with the Librarian at Salem County College,
whose library is a LOGIN member, and ask how that relationship and the
ILS service provided works for them.
STATE LAW
In a discussion about the possible merger and the state law excerpts
provided by V. Rosch of the NJ State Library, Ms. Urban noted that there
is a requirement for a city-wide referendum to make VPL a “branch”
of a county-wide system. The Trustees discussed previous resolutions
of that type that have appeared on local ballots and noted that sometimes
they are worded in such a way that the average person has trouble understanding
what a ‘no’ vote means versus a ‘yes’ vote.
Ms. Urban will investigate who within the Cumberland County might be
tasked with the actual wording for the ballot question if this transpires.
She will get copies of ones used elsewhere in NJ if possible.
PUBLIC COMMENT
No members of the public were present.
ADJOURNMENT
Trustees agreed to adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Gloria Urban, Library Director
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