Well, having just watched Bill Alstrom's commentary on the library referendum on Plainfield TV, I would like to correct some misinformation included in his statements. Mr. Alstrom says "The library seemed surprised by this as a survey done last summer showed strong support for a spending spree on a new fancy building and added staff positions." And continues "The library folks want to do another, more extensive survey of the residents to gauge future expansion. This might be a better idea than just making a few phone calls to library regulars in order to get the results they wanted." He also goes on to say that the library should have a web site that would allow residents to leave comments on the plans for future expansion.
The facts:
The library held two telephone town hall meetings with polls, one in July 2008 and one in January 2009. Constituent Town Hall Services, a non-partisan, approved vendor for both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, created the phone number list and conducted the telephone town hall meetings. The calls were placed to all households of registered voters in the library district, using the latest available registered voter list from Will County. The Library Board used a reputable vendor and accepted practices for conducting such meetings. Transcripts of the meetings are available on the library's website and here on my blog. The January poll returned 62% support (with a +/-5% margin of error) for a library expansion referendum on the spring 2009 ballot.
The library also conducted a random sample poll of registered voters in the Library District in December 2008. A statistically significant sample of 500 registered voters reporting that they were likely to vote in the spring election returned 68% support (with a +/-4% margin of error) for a library expansion referendum on the spring 2009 ballot. Victory Enterprises, the largest polling company in the Midwest whose clients include the Illinois Republican Party, updated the July phone list of registered voters and conducted the poll. The Library Board used a reputable vendor and accepted practices for conducting this poll.
The combined cost for these polls was less than half of the cost of the comprehensive survey done in 2006 that led to the expansion planning process.
The Library Board of Trustees decided to place the referendum on the ballot on January 26, 2009 in order to meet the statutory election deadline for placing a question on the April 7, 2009 ballot.
You can contact us by phone at 815-436-6639 or my direct line at 815-439-2874; in writing by mail or submissions to the suggestion box located at the Registration Desk in the library; by texting askppl to 66746; or via our website at www.plainfield.lib.il.us where you can contact us by IM or email. Your comments and suggestions are encouraged and always welcome.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Budgeting for the new fiscal year
As the staff and I work through the process of creating a budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009.
The overall budget is estimated to receive a total increase of 4%, with the property tax portion held to a 1.05% increase on existing property in the district plus the amount received from new property in the district. That includes any newly-constructed property added to the tax rolls since the last tax year. The percentage increase is on the dollar amount collected. The tax rate for the district continues to decline.
Our mandated Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund contribution rate, the second largest single budget line outside of staff salaries, will increase nearly 10% next fiscal year, necessitating freezes or limited increases of 3% or less to all other budget lines. The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) is the pension fund for library employees. IMRF contribution rates and formulas are entirely controlled by state law. Until the recent downturn, IMRF was one of the only state pension funds to be fully funded. This increase in contribution rate is required to meet the state laws governing IMRF.
These budget constraints for the upcoming fiscal year have led me to request that the Board of Trustees freeze my salary for the upcoming fiscal year and instead to use those funds to maximize staff salary increases. Initial budgeting for FY10 shows that staff salary increases will have to be capped at 3% or less for the total salaries budget. Two years ago, the Board of Trustees approved a compensation plan that alternated annually between benchmarking of the salary schedule and merit increases. The upcoming fiscal year was to be the first year for merit-based increases to staff salaries. Because our staff has done an incredible job in dealing with huge increases in their workload in recent years - and especially in the past year - I felt it imperative to move forward with salary increases for the staff.
The preliminary budget will be presented to the Board of Trutees in May and finalized in June.
The overall budget is estimated to receive a total increase of 4%, with the property tax portion held to a 1.05% increase on existing property in the district plus the amount received from new property in the district. That includes any newly-constructed property added to the tax rolls since the last tax year. The percentage increase is on the dollar amount collected. The tax rate for the district continues to decline.
Our mandated Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund contribution rate, the second largest single budget line outside of staff salaries, will increase nearly 10% next fiscal year, necessitating freezes or limited increases of 3% or less to all other budget lines. The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) is the pension fund for library employees. IMRF contribution rates and formulas are entirely controlled by state law. Until the recent downturn, IMRF was one of the only state pension funds to be fully funded. This increase in contribution rate is required to meet the state laws governing IMRF.
These budget constraints for the upcoming fiscal year have led me to request that the Board of Trustees freeze my salary for the upcoming fiscal year and instead to use those funds to maximize staff salary increases. Initial budgeting for FY10 shows that staff salary increases will have to be capped at 3% or less for the total salaries budget. Two years ago, the Board of Trustees approved a compensation plan that alternated annually between benchmarking of the salary schedule and merit increases. The upcoming fiscal year was to be the first year for merit-based increases to staff salaries. Because our staff has done an incredible job in dealing with huge increases in their workload in recent years - and especially in the past year - I felt it imperative to move forward with salary increases for the staff.
The preliminary budget will be presented to the Board of Trutees in May and finalized in June.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
On hiatus
Well, blogfans, I am taking some vacation time. Director's Desk will be on hiatus until next week.
While I am away, I will be thinking about how to get a few more stacks into the building while still being ADA-compliant.
Don't forget - I want to hear from you, too! Send me your ideas, drop them in the suggestion box at the library, leave me a voicemail, whatever works for you. All commentary and suggestions are welcome.
While I am away, I will be thinking about how to get a few more stacks into the building while still being ADA-compliant.
Don't forget - I want to hear from you, too! Send me your ideas, drop them in the suggestion box at the library, leave me a voicemail, whatever works for you. All commentary and suggestions are welcome.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Thanks to our volunteers
Tomorrow evening, there is an open house event to recognize the wonderful individuals who volunteer their time and expertise to the library.
Our volunteers spend their time on a wide variety of jobs that help us: from directing traffic at Summer Reading registration to babysitting kids for the Conversation Club participants to stuffing prize bags to doing data entry for grants. Without their dedicated service and support, the library could not do all of the things that we do for the community.
Thank you, volunteers, for your service to the library and your community. I deeply appreciate all of your help.
Our volunteers spend their time on a wide variety of jobs that help us: from directing traffic at Summer Reading registration to babysitting kids for the Conversation Club participants to stuffing prize bags to doing data entry for grants. Without their dedicated service and support, the library could not do all of the things that we do for the community.
Thank you, volunteers, for your service to the library and your community. I deeply appreciate all of your help.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Help us decide what's next
Have you got a great idea for the library about services or space use? Let us know! I am open to all suggestions! You can give us your ideas in a variety of ways:
1. Write it down and drop it in the Suggestion Box near the Registration Desk.
2. Email it to me at the email address on the right or through the contact form on our web site.
3. Call me at 815-439-2874. Leave a voicemail if I'm not available.
I want to hear your ideas. The library is here to fulfill your needs. Tell me what we can do to improve.
1. Write it down and drop it in the Suggestion Box near the Registration Desk.
2. Email it to me at the email address on the right or through the contact form on our web site.
3. Call me at 815-439-2874. Leave a voicemail if I'm not available.
I want to hear your ideas. The library is here to fulfill your needs. Tell me what we can do to improve.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
From last night's Library Board meeting
For personal reasons, I was unable to attend last night's Board meeting. Lisa Pappas, our fabulous Assistant Library Director who keeps day-to-day operations running smoothly, filled in for me.
The Board discussed doing a comprehensive community survey. The concept of a PC-based survey, with postcard, newsletter, and press release notification to residents of the URL for the survey, was the favored approach. They are carefully considering what information they want to gather before moving forward.
In response to the change in the requirements for notary public services from Public Act 095-0988, the library will no longer offer notary services for real estate transactions, including but not limited to refinancing or other types of real estate loans, purchases, sales, beneficial interest in land trusts and deeds. Notary public services will continue for documents such as tax forms, passport applications, and petitions for political office.
The proposed Downtown Plainfield Historic District's possible effect on the Library's future expansion at its present location was discussed. The original 1941 library building would be the focus for the Library's inclusion in the Historic District. The process for review of plans and demolition permits for future library expansion would remain the same, regardless of the creation of the Historic District. As a tax-exempt entity, there would be no tax advantages for inclusion in the Historic District for the Library.
I was grateful to receive feedback from Library Trustee Dr. Pat Miller that I was mentioned by name by the speaker at a recent Library Trustee training event she attended on technology privacy issues and record keeping, as an example of a forward-thinking library director.
The Board discussed doing a comprehensive community survey. The concept of a PC-based survey, with postcard, newsletter, and press release notification to residents of the URL for the survey, was the favored approach. They are carefully considering what information they want to gather before moving forward.
In response to the change in the requirements for notary public services from Public Act 095-0988, the library will no longer offer notary services for real estate transactions, including but not limited to refinancing or other types of real estate loans, purchases, sales, beneficial interest in land trusts and deeds. Notary public services will continue for documents such as tax forms, passport applications, and petitions for political office.
The proposed Downtown Plainfield Historic District's possible effect on the Library's future expansion at its present location was discussed. The original 1941 library building would be the focus for the Library's inclusion in the Historic District. The process for review of plans and demolition permits for future library expansion would remain the same, regardless of the creation of the Historic District. As a tax-exempt entity, there would be no tax advantages for inclusion in the Historic District for the Library.
I was grateful to receive feedback from Library Trustee Dr. Pat Miller that I was mentioned by name by the speaker at a recent Library Trustee training event she attended on technology privacy issues and record keeping, as an example of a forward-thinking library director.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Brainstorming!
How do you fit five gallons into a three gallon bucket?
That is the question facing library staff today. They are brainstorming yet again on how to use the space we have more effectively. Of course, there are major budget constraints on the brainstorming.
The same Special Reserve Fund that is used for capital expenditures like renovations, purchase of property and new computers, is also the only source of emergency funds (like for last year's replacement of an HVAC unit). The library is contracted to purchase the Route 59 parking lot from the Village of Plainfield in 2010, so some of it is earmarked for that purpose. The main source of revenue for this fund is impact fees from developers - of which there have been very few in the past year so it is not being replenished. In the past, the Board was able to transfer the remaining general fund balance into the Special Reserve Fund at the end of each year. However, double-digit cost increases in mandated funds like the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and liability insurance fund outstripping revenues, that general fund balance is now transferred to those funds to prevent deficits.
Staff is watching the bottom-line carefully as they discuss changes that would free up space and maintain or improve service.
Feel free to make suggestions - we're open to all ideas during this process.
Stay tuned for announcements of changes ahead!
That is the question facing library staff today. They are brainstorming yet again on how to use the space we have more effectively. Of course, there are major budget constraints on the brainstorming.
The same Special Reserve Fund that is used for capital expenditures like renovations, purchase of property and new computers, is also the only source of emergency funds (like for last year's replacement of an HVAC unit). The library is contracted to purchase the Route 59 parking lot from the Village of Plainfield in 2010, so some of it is earmarked for that purpose. The main source of revenue for this fund is impact fees from developers - of which there have been very few in the past year so it is not being replenished. In the past, the Board was able to transfer the remaining general fund balance into the Special Reserve Fund at the end of each year. However, double-digit cost increases in mandated funds like the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and liability insurance fund outstripping revenues, that general fund balance is now transferred to those funds to prevent deficits.
Staff is watching the bottom-line carefully as they discuss changes that would free up space and maintain or improve service.
Feel free to make suggestions - we're open to all ideas during this process.
Stay tuned for announcements of changes ahead!
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