The Plainfield Public Library District’s Board of Trustees
passed a four-year budget plan on April 25, 2013. Beginning with the Fiscal
Year 2013-2014 which started July 1, this Long Range Budget Plan addresses the
repair and replacement needs of the Library facility while maintaining the high
level of library service the Plainfield community expects.
Three levels, or Tiers, of facility repair and replacement needs
were identified in the 2012 Building Evaluation completed by KJWW Engineering
Consultants. Tier 1, the most immediate needs, was completed in the last fiscal
year. Tier 2, intermediate term needs, contains smaller projects spread over
the next four years, such as light fixture replacements and plumbing fixture
replacements. Tier 3, long term repair and replacement needs, are slated to
begin in Fiscal Year 2017-2018, the culmination of the Long Range Budget Plan.
The Long Range Budget Plan sets aside $35,000 annually for
Tier 2 projects and transfers $60,000 annually into the Special Reserve Fund, which
is exclusively for emergencies and capital repairs, for Tier 3 projects. Budget
line freezes and reductions and reorganizing staff achieve the reduction of
operating expenses by $95,000 to fund these repairs and replacements.
Two significant changes will occur in FY2013-2014: the
elimination of the Head of Outreach Services position and newsletter
advertising sales to offset bulk mail newsletter costs. Outreach Services will
continue, with staff reassigned to other departments in the Library and
existing supervisory staff overseeing Outreach activities. Newsletter
advertising sales are anticipated to reduce newsletter costs annually, with a
goal of 100% cost recovery for the bulk mail newsletter.
The Board of Trustees is committed to focusing on Service
Excellence, Community Focus and Stewardship for the Library, as outlined in
Strategic Plan 2011-2015. These plans referred to here can be found at http://www.plainfieldpubliclibrary.org/library-info/board.asp
