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Home My WebLink About08/17/1999, C4 - CHANGE TO CITY/COUNTY LIBRARY JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT Council Li: acEnaa nEpont ` C I T Y OF SAN LUIS O B I S P O FROM: Ken Hampian,Assistant City Administrative Officer Prepared By: Wendy George,Assistant to the City Administrative Officer SUBJECT: CHANGE TO CITY/COUNTY LIBRARY JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT CAO RECOMMENDATION Approve and authorize the Mayor to execute an amendment to the City/County Library Joint Powers Agreement to continue increased hours of operation on Wednesday evenings for the 1999- 01 fiscal years,in exchange for annual payments of$13,300 and$13,700. DISCUSSION Backeround In July, 1996, the County advised the City that the Library's overall financial health was suffering and would steadily decline without corrective action. A five-year financial forecast had revealed that the Library's budget has a structural deficit in the range of$300,000 annually. Revenue losses from State take-aways, coupled with general increases in the cost of operations, had worked to erode the Library's long-term financial stability. To partially remedy this deficit, the County requested that it be allowed to reduce the weekly hours of operation to 48 by closing at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays instead of 8:00 p.m., and opening a hour earlier,at 10:00 am. on Fridays. Because this reduction followed upon a earlier reduction in 1993 from 54 hours to 50 hours, the Council reluctantly agreed to this change in the Joint Powers Agreement(JPA). In March, 1997, the County reported to the City that there had been significant public concern about the loss of Wednesday evening library hours. To reopen the Library for three hours on Wednesday evenings, the County requested annual City finding in the amounts of$12,500 and $12,900 for the 1997-99 fiscal years. The Council acknowledged that approving this finding request would not address the long-term financial concerns which exist with the Library budget. However, recognizing the community need for more Library hours, the Council did approve the request as part of the 1997-99 Financial Plan. The existing JPA was amended to reflect that for the fiscal years of 1997-98 and 1998-99, in exchange for payments of $12,500 and $12,900 from the City, the Library would be open an additional 3 hours on Wednesday evenings between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Continued City Contributions for 1999-01 As part of the 1999-01 Financial Plan,the Council approved finding for additional payments to the County to continue Wednesday evening hours at the library. Approved amounts are $13,300 for 1999-00 and $13,700 for 2000-01. The JPA needs to be amended once again to reflect these subsidies for the next two fiscal years. Staff is recommending that the language in the JPA be limited to the upcoming two fiscal years. Under the operating JPA signed in 1989,the County is responsible for operating and administrating the Library portion of the building and "shall famish all personnel necessary therefore". With the C4-1 Council Agenda Report-Changes to City/County Library JPA Page 2 prior and current amendments to the JPA, the City has started to assume some of the financial responsibility for personnel costs. The City agreed to undertake this responsibility in order to respond to a community need triggered by a fiscal problem at the County. Before we automatically continue this library subsidy into the next Financial Plan, staff recommends that the City request County Library staff to provide us with a report which discusses the steps the County has either taken or plans to take to remedy the structural budget deficit identified in 1996. FISCAL EWPACT Funding of$13,300 for 1999-00 and $13,700 for 2000-01 was approved as part of the 1999-01 Financial Plan. Attachment JPA Amendment Letter from Library Director C4-2 AMENDMENT#4 CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT WHEREAS,the City of San Luis Obispo and the County of San Luis Obispo entered into a Joint Powers Agreement on October 3, 1989,for the ownership and operation of a City-County Library, and WHEREAS,the parties desire to amend said agreement to maintain increased hours of operation for the 1999-00 and 2000-01 fiscal years,in exchange for financial support to the County from the City; NOW,THEREFORE,THE PARTIES HERETO AGREE AS FOLLOWS: • Paragraph five of the 1989 agreement is hereby amended by the addition of the following sentence at the end of the paragraph: • "The Library will be open from 5:00 p.m.to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesdays during the 1999-00 and 2000-01 fiscal years in exchange for payments from the City to the County of$13,300 and $13,700,respectively." • Amendment#3 approved by the City Council and the County Board of Supervisor;on July 15, 1997 is hereby superseded by this amendment. In all other respects,the existing agreement between the parties remains in full force and effect. This amendment will be effective on the last day of execution set forth below. COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO Ruth Brackett Allen Settle Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors Mayor Approved by the City Council this day of , 1999. Approved by the Board of Supervisors this day of ' 1999. ATTEST: Julie Rodewald Lee Price Cleric of the Board of Supervisors City Clerk C4-3 Amendment#4-City/County Library JPA Page 2 APPROVED AS TO FORM: JAMES B LINDHOLD JEFFREY JORGENSEN COUNTY COUNSEL CITY ATTORNEY By: <D,9Ax,,x4 - Deputy County Counsel ty orn oil C4-4 San Luis Obispo City-County Library P.O. Box 8107, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8107 995 Palm Street (805) 781-5991 Libraryministration (805) 781-5784 20 July 1999 Lru i I/� Wendy GeorgeJU( 2 Assistant to the CAO city 1 1999 City of San Luis Obispo A clQf. Rlir)iStratrgtipn Dear Wendy: We very much appreciate the City's financial help with extended open hours on Wednesday evenings and hope that the City can continue this partnership in the future. In a countywide public opinion survey conducted a year ago, added open hours--especially evening and weekend hours--were a top priority. During a typical Wendesday evening, many activities occur at the SLO City Library, some of which include: • students completing homework and tern papers • entrepreneurs seeking business solutions • people preparing for a better job • senior citizens getting consumer health questions answered • cinema buffs attending a summertime classic movie presentation • Internet users surfing the World Wide Web • Latino parents attending a parenting class and learning how to use the Library The City Council can be proud of the many benefits their financial contribution yields to the residents of San Luis Obispo. We are grateful for their support. Sincerely, rian A. Reynolds Library Director C4-5