Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Long Range Budget Plan Sets Future Direction


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