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      Minutes

Ottawa Public Library Board

January 17, 2011

 

 

A regular meeting of the Ottawa Public Library Board was held on Monday January 17, 2011 at 17:00 hours in the Festival Control Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON.

 

Present:                        Chair                Jan Harder

                                    Member            Paula Agulnik                                                                                                                                       

                                                            Jim Bennett

                                                            André Bergeron

                                                            Keith Egli

                                                            Murray MacLean

                                                            Tony Manera

                                                            Vicki Metcalfe

                                                            Pamela Sweet

                                                            Tim Tierney

                                                            Marianne Wilkinson

                                     

Regrets:                                                Bernard Clavel

                                                            Doug Thompson

                                                            Shad Qadri

                                                                                                            

Also Present:                City Librarian      Barbara Clubb

                                   Div. Mgr. System Wide Services & Innovation    Elaine Condos

                                   Div. Mgr. Service Excellence                            Monique Désormeaux

                                   Div. Mgr. Facilities & Business Services             Danielle McDonald

                                   Manager, Financial Services Unit                      Brenda Gorton

 

                                   Recorder                                                       Vickie Piamonte

 

   

1.     Call to Order

The Chair called the meeting to order at 17:00.

 

Chair Harder welcomed new Trustee/Councillors Keith Egli and Tim Tierney.

 

2.      Excused Absences

Regrets were received from Trustees Clavel, Thompson and Qadri

 

3.      Declarations of Conflict of Interest

None declared.

 

4.      Chair’s Remarks

       Chair Harder noted the following:

 

The Library Board 2007-2010 term has ended and on a very sad note with the death of Trustee Vicki Metcalfe’s husband Dennis Orchard over Christmas and the death of Trustee Bernard Clavel’s mother in law Lucie Pratte. Chair Harder expressed her deepest condolences on behalf of the Board and noted that thoughts and prayers are with them and their families.

 

Manotick Branch: The Branch will be closed January 25th and 26th for new carpeting.

 

Staff Announcements: Congratulations to Marina O’Grady Lamont, Librarian, Collection Management who will receive the Prix Micheline Persaud at the Ontario Library Association Conference.

 

Congratulations was also extended to Inta Douglas, Manager of Carlingwood, Sunnyside, Rosemount and Elmvale Acres branches on her impending retirement on January 20th. Ms. Douglas is retiring after 20 years with the Ottawa Public Library and Cumberland Public Libraries and 40 years in public library service starting as a page at the St Catherine’s Public Library. Ann Archer, Coordinator, Adult Collections has won the competition for a position as Inta’s temporary replacement while the Library is under a hiring freeze.

 

Chair Harder also took a moment to acknowledge the wonderful work and support of the Library Board Assistant, Vickie Piamonte. Ms. Piamonte has accepted a position as Executive Assistant to the City Clerk & Solicitor, City of Ottawa. Congratulations and warm wishes for her new position were extended.

 

 

5.      Approval of Agenda

MOTION: 001-11

 

Moved by Trustee MacLean, seconded by Trustee Sweet, to approve the agenda as presented.

           -CARRIED.

 

6.      Approval of Consent Items

MOTION: 002-11

 

Moved by Trustee Bennett, seconded by Trustee Egli to approve the following on consent:

-  Doc #1     January 17/11:        Minutes of December 13/10

-  Doc #2     January 17/11:        OPL Board Legacy Report

-  Doc #3b   January 17/11:        Finance and Budget: Audit Implementation Update

-  Doc #4:   January 17/11:        Pre-approval of Contract Award for Ruth E. Dickinson

                                              Branch Renovation

 

           -CARRIED.

And to receive the following:

-  Doc #5     January 17/11:        Monthly Report

-  Doc #6     January 17/11:        2010 Members’ Record of Attendance

-  Doc #7     January 17/11:        2011 Calendar of Reports, Outstanding Inquiries, Motions

                                              And Un-Scheduled Reports

-  Doc #8:   January 17/11:        Monitoring Report: A.9 Independence of the Board

-  Doc #9:   January 17/11:        Monitoring Report: A.11 Link to Centres of Expertise

-  Doc #10: January 17/11:        Monitoring Report: A.12 Link Between CEO and City of

                                              Ottawa Management

 

          -RECEIVED.

Trustee Wilkinson joined the meeting at 17:10.

 

 

7.      Finance and Budget: 2011 Budget

 

Danielle McDonald, Division Manager, Facilities and Business Services gave a PowerPoint presentation providing an overview of the 2011 budget draft estimates as follows:

 

Ms. McDonald began by noting OPL’s 2010 key highlights:

-     32.5 million uses per year

-     More than 10 million items borrowed per year

-     5 million in-person visits

-     12 million electronic visits

-     OPL is the highest annual circulating library per capita in Ontario according to 2008 OMBI

-     OPL continually and consistently wins awards for our work and our staff

-     Library is the highest rated City service in terms of client satisfaction (2009/10)

 

       Budget Context

-     Focus on maintaining existing services

-     No funding for new services

-     No funding for new growth

-     No funding for new positions

-     Reduction of capital budget

      

 

       2011 Draft Operating Budget

 

       2011 Draft Operating Budget Request

-     2010 Net Operating Budget                                                      $35.372M

-     2011 Operating Request                                                            $1.494M

-     2011 Net Operating Budget Request                                         $36.866M

 

       What is included in the $1.494M request:

-     OPL adjustment on compensation including OMERS & other          $1.225M

     contractual obligations

-     Licensing and Maintenance                                                        $0.105M

                 (required to fill library contractual needs)

-     Adjustments: Public Works, Feet, HST                                        $0.164M

 

       Key Deferred Pressures

-     Increase to Materials                                                               $250,000

-     Increase to Training                                                                  $60,000

-     Greely Branch                                                                           $45,000

     (expanded service hours and programs)

 

       OPL will continue to move forward with the following mitigation strategies:

-     Identify continuous improvement initiatives and efficiency targets

-     Successfully collaborate with OPL Friends and Foundation to strengthen and enhance existing services

-     Pursue external funding opportunities

 

  

 

       2011 Draft Capital Budget

       2011 Draft Capital Budget Request

-     Total 2011 Request                                                                   $4.267M

 

       What is included in the $4.26M request:

-     Renewal                                                                                  $1.325M

-     Strategic Initiatives                                                                   $1.285M

-     Subtotal PAYG                                                                          $2.610M

-     Lifecycle (City)                                                                         $0.470M

-     Accessibility (City)                                                                    $0.085M

-     Growth (Dev Charges)                                                              $1.102M

 

 

       2011 Draft Capital Budget Impacts

-     Represents a decrease from 2010

-     Maintains current Renewal and Strategic Initiatives of $2.61M (PAYG)

-     No new capital monies requested

-     Includes provision to research and plan future efficiencies

-     Development Charges monies increased

o  Greely West District collections

-     Lifecycle funds decreased from $1.2M to $470,000

 

 

In summary, OPL’s budget request complies with City directive which is in line with a maximum 2.5% tax rate increase. This budget allows OPL to maintain service levels with no new program funding, no growth, no new FTEs and no request to increase capital.

 

Ms. McDonald noted, based upon Board approval that the next step is to table OPL’s budget with Council on January 19, 2011. Public consultations will be held at the OPL Board meeting on February 14, 2011. Multi-ward consultations will be held in February and March with final budget approval the week of March 8-10, 2011.

 

With reference to slide 7 “key deferred pressures”, Trustee Sweet requested an indication of what the implications are for some of the deferred pressures. She wanted to confirm what is deferred in 2011 will not create an issue for future years. With respect to the materials budget, Trustee Sweet asked what has been spent in the past and what impact the deferred 2011 pressure would have. Monique Désormeaux, Division Manager, Service Excellence responded that the Library currently has a budget of $4.9M in the operating budget to spend on collections for the Library. As per the last published 2008 OMBI figures that meant on a per capita basis that OPL is below the mean and median of other public libraries, although the OPL is catching up. OPL will continue to move forward with funding assistance from the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library (FOPLA) and the Ottawa Public Library Foundation (OPLF). The OPL has invested in technology to help the Library better manage the collection and Development Charges will assist in offsetting the growth in the West District and Greely.

 

Trustee Sweet asked that considering all of the renovations over the past years and increased space in branches, if the deferred materials budget result in smaller collections for those larger spaces. Ms. Désormeaux confirmed that it would result in longer wait times for patrons to receive their requests and requests will not be able to be filled as quickly.

 

With reference to the deferral of expanded service hours and programs at the Greely Branch, Trustee Sweet asked what the current hours are at the Greely Branch and what would they of been if budget approval was received in expanding service hours. Ms. McDonald replied that this information would need to be verified and a response would be provided after the meeting.

 

 

 

       MOTION: 003-11

 

Moved by Trustee Bergeron, seconded by Trustee Metcalfe that the OPL Board approve the 2011 Draft Operating and Capital Budget estimates for submission to Ottawa City Council.

 

                                                                                                                                        -CARRIED.

 

 

Before the meeting was called to adjourn, Ms. Clubb acknowledged the Board members for all of their hard work over the past four years. Ms. Clubb highlighted some of the key accomplishments by the Board and referenced areas of importance included in the OPL Board Legacy Report 2007-2010.

 

 

8.    Adjournment

MOTION: 004-11

 

Moved by Trustee Manera to adjourn the meeting at 17:39.

                                                                                                                                               -CARRIED.

 

 

 

Minutes approved by:

 

 

Original Signed

 

Original Signed

Chair

 

Secretary