HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-06-24 BOLT MINS . f
Minutes
LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
June 24, 1998 SOUTH CHULA VISTA LIBRARY 3:30 PM
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Clover, Vice Chair Alexander, Trustees Charett,
Valdovinos, Viesca and Student Member Pena
CITY STAFF PRESENT: Library Director Palmer,Principal Librarians,Brown,Blue
and Roeber, Senior Librarian McMartin,Literacy
Coordinator Schofield, Automation Manager Bednarski
OTHERS PRESENT: Robert Coye, Harry LaBore, David Perez, Ignacio
Valdovinos,
L APPROVAL OF MINUTES-Meeting of May 27, 1998 and June 9, 1998
MSUC (AlexanderNaldovinos) that the minutes of the May 27, 1998 and the June 9,
1998 meetings be approved with the May 27, 1998 minutes corrected to read that
reference services are being cut in community colleges across the State, but not at
Southwestern College.
Chair Clover took this opportunity to present gavels to Vice Chair Alexander and Trustee
Viesca whose terms are nearing an end. Vice Chair Alexander stated that he is extremely
proud to have been associated with the Chula Vista Public Library since 1990 and has
never been a part of a more professional, better-organized organization than the library.
He looks forward to seeing how the library progresses in its new direction.
Trustee Viesca stated that it had been a real treat and an honor to be on the Library
Board. A short break was taken while refreshments were served.
11 CONTINUED MATTERS
A. Library Facilities Master Plan
Library Consultant Beverley Simmons, from David M. Griffith and Associates,
reviewed with the Trustees how the Library Master Facilities study had been
conducted and its preliminary findings. Discussion followed regarding the square
footage factor to be used for future facilities. Director Palmer reported that he will
K
Library Board of Trustees . 2 - June 24. 1998
take the master plan in its draft form to Council on July 16. Trustees were urged
to attend this Council workshop. A copy of the Library Consultant outline is
included as an attachment to these minutes.
MSUC (Viesca/Valdovinos) moved to support the preliminary draft and
incorporate by reference any additions or modifications made afterwards.
Trustees were very pleased with the report. Vice Chair Alexander was concerned
that staff would be over-tasked with their new responsibilities. He asked that the
Library Board continue to monitor any negative impact. Director Palmer reported
that the Library annually assesses community needs. The annual Library output
measures will reflect any negative impact on service.
III. NEW BUSINESS
None
IV. LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S REPORT
A. Library Reorganization
Director Palmer reported that the FY 1998-1999 budget had been approved, which
included the implementation of the reorganization of the Parks and Recreation
Department. Council also approved the second reading of the ordinance
abolishing the Parks and Recreation Department and establishing a Library and
Recreation Department. Principal Librarian Paula Brown will become the
Assistant Director of Libraries, and Sunny Shy will become the Assistant Director
of Recreation on July 1, 1998.
The Library has continued reorganizing itself to better meet the needs of the
Library and take full advantage of its new division. A new Cultural Arts
Department will be created headed by Principal Librarian,Nora McMartin,
assisted by the City's Cultural Arts Coordinator, Rick Todd. This team will work
on such issues as port art, the Universal Coors Amphitheater, the City's use of that
facility and funding for performing arts. Nora will continue to manage the
Museum. Margaret Blue will be now in charge of the Civic Center Library in
addition to Technical Services.
The Library has been asked to partner with the elementary school district to
reorganize the City's after-school programs. Literacy Coordinator, Meg
Schofield, will act as the City's lead on this project. This program will be
expanded to include tutoring, homework centers, literacy centers, cultural arts
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Library Board of Trustees - 3 - June 24, 1998
programming and other activities.
As part of the reorganization, Maureen Roeber will now supervise the EastLake
Library. Maureen distributed the new library brochure and materials from the
Summer Reading Program.
V. COMMUNICATIONS
A. Friends
None
B. Public Comments
Mr. Coye congratulated Director Palmer on his new job. He hoped Vice Chair
Alexander and Trustee Viesca would visit the Board from time to time.
C. Written Comments
None
D. Board Comments
Trustee Charett was sorry that so see Vice Chair Alexander and Trustee Viesca
go.
Trustee Viesca stated that it had been an honor to serve on the Library Board and
that he may be back.
VL ADJOURNMENT- The next Library Board of Trustees meeting will be held on
July 22, 1998 at 3:30 pm at the Civic Center Library.
Chula Vista Public Library
PreliminaryD
raft
Master Plan
'Jme, 1998
David M. Griffith&Associates
Needs Assessment
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■Rapid growth
■L brary is busy and efficient
■Eastlake Library does not meet community
needs
■East side of Chula Vista is under-served by
public library
■Access to library.service on East side will only
continue to get worse
............................_.............................................................................................................................................................................................�
David M. Griffith&Associates
Planning Parameters
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■ Technology development will increase library
use.
■ Chula Vista should use the standard of.5 gross
square feet per capita as a minimum threshold
for new construction east of I-805
■ Strong regional libraries should continue to be
developed.
■ Location criteria are established; convenience of
location is key.
David M. Griffith&Associates
Finane Capital Costs
■ Historically, local funds have funded public
library construction.
■ Chula Vista's DIF offers a stable revenue source
to support library construction. Debt financing
is possible.
■ Proposed regional sales tax measure has
potential to provide dedicated revenue
■ State bond bill merits close attention.
David M. Griffith&Associates
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Chula Vista's Master Plan for Public
Libraries
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Short Tenn
■ Replace Eastlake with full service regional
library
■ Locate Library at Rancho del Rey
■ build as soon as possible; facility needed by
2000
■ Estimated construction cost is $12 million
David M. Griffith&Associates
Chula Vista's Master Plan for Public =r
Libraries
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Long Term
■ By 2015, second regional facility will be needed
■ Eastern Urban Center of Otay Ranch is possible
location
■ Costs are similar for construction
David M. Griffith&Associates
Executive Summary
Chula Vista Public Library
Master Plan
Chula Vista is a dynamic growing diverse community. Growth is occurring
rapidly east of I-805 in a number of planned communities. By 2015, Chula Vista's
population will have grown by 100,000 people. Now, thirty percent of the City's
populations lives east of I-805, but by 2015, about half of the population will be in that
area.
The Chula Vista Public Library is one of the busiest library systems in the
State. It has three library facilities providing 136 hours of service weekly. It offers
more hours, services and resources than its neighbors. It operates efficiently and
provides a high level of service. It is one of the most consolidated systems in the State,
with among the highest ratios of population served to number of facilities. Based on
the results of the community telephone survey, residents overall are very satisfied with
public library services. (90%) and the level of knowledge of services and use is high
(71% have a member in their household who possesses a library card).
The EastLake Branch and Public Library Service in East Chula Vista
The EastLake Branch Library, a joint use facility with EastLake High School,
was created in 1993 as an interim measure to establish library service in the area east
of I-805. As an experiment in shared use, it has not been successful because of key
physical and policy limitations, including:
• Poor visibility.
• Inadequate parking (not enough spaces, and not close enough to the
Library).
• Inadequate public access due to the absence of daytime service hours (the
high school campus is closed to the public during school hours).
As a result of these limitations, the EastLake Branch is seriously underutilized.
It accounts for only 4% of the System's circulation, 3% of the System's reference
service, and 8% of the System's program attendance, despite housing 9% of the
System's materials collection, and accounting for 10% of the total library space.
Ironically, the fact that it is located on a closed high school campus means that it is not
Chula Vista Public Library
Master Plan
Preliminary Draft —
June, 1998
Executive Summary
Page 2
available for elementary and middle school class visits--a major program activity of
most public libraries.
Six percent of the citizens who participated in the community survey use the
EastLake Library. However, 65% of the residents living east of I-805 indicated a
desire for a full service library facility east of I-805. Clearly EastLake is not fulfilling
this role for the community, and the time has come to establish a permanent facility in
the eastern part of the City.
Overall, the Chula Vista Library currently meets the minimum standard of .5
square feet per capita. However, there are geographic inequities, with a small,
inaccessible facility on the east side where 30% of the current population resides.
People surveyed indicated that 80% choose their library by the convenience of the
location. Most residents (83%) are willing to drive a maximum of 15 minutes to get to
the Library. As the population increases east of I-805 very rapidly in the next decade,
the Civic Center/Main Library and the South Chula Vista Branch will become
significantly less accessible to the majority of Chula Vista residents who will be living
east of I-805.
The population in the eastern area of the City has grown rapidly since the
EastLake Branch opened in 1993. In addition, the City's recent annexation of the Otay
Ranch area west of the reservoir and the planned growth for this area will lead to
further increases in the City's population. This population growth will only serve to
increase the City's east side/west side inequity with regard to library services.
Planning Parameters
The following are important factors that must be taken into consideration when
planning the development of library services in Chula Vista's very dynamic growth
environment. Key planning parameters include:
• Continuing technological development and patrons' growing levels of
computer literacy will increase library use.
David M. Griffith &Associates
Chula Vista Public Library
Master Plan
Preliminary Draft
June, 1998
Executive Summary
Page 3
• Measures used to assess the effectiveness of public library services should be
multi-dimensional and should address efficiency, cost-effectiveness, quality and
relationship to community needs.
• Chula Vista should use the standard of .5 gross square feet of public library
space per capita as its minimum threshold level for new construction east of I -
805.
• The concept of the strong, full-service regional- library should continue as a
planning standard. Although neighborhood branch and mini-libraries can be
used on an interim basis to provide visibility and to meet interests for popular
materials, these facilities cannot address the full breadth and scope of
community public library service needs. Any interim facility established should
not be included in calculations of the Library's space standard.
• Convenient access is a key criteria for the location of new facilities. Other
``- existing criteria related to library facility location should continue to be used in
planning new facilities.
• The Library can enhance its mission and provide more complete services by
further developing partnerships for service delivery or to enhance services.
Capital Financing Alternatives
An essential component of planning for future library facilities is the
development of a strategy for funding the construction of new facilities. Key issues
related to funding options are:
• Local funds have provided the vast majority of funding for public library
construction in the United States during the last thirty years.
• Chula Vista's development impact fee offers a stable source of special
revenue to support library construction. However, several years will be
required to accumulate sufficient revenues to finance the construction of a
David M. Griffith &Associates
Chula Vista Public Library
Master Plan
Preliminary Draft
June, 1998
Executive Summary
Page 4
new library facility on a "pay as you go" basis. Debt financing could be
used to accelerate construction time frames.
• The proposed regional library sales tax measure would offer a new,
dedicated revenue source that could potentially.be used to accelerate the
timeline for constructing the next library facility.
• Legislation to create state bond financing to support the construction of
public library facilities has recently been introduced in California. To take
effect, the Legislature, Governor and statewide electorate must approve
this measure.
• Private fundraising campaigns have historically raised limited amounts.
Despite recent success experienced by some California communities, this
approach does not appear to be appropriate for Chula Vista's
circumstances.
Master Plan Recommendations
The data presented in the Needs Assessment (Section I.) of-this report
demonstrates that the EastLake Branch is providing very limited benefit to City
residents. In -addition, illustrative population projections demonstrate that east side
residents' access to library services is already marginal and will decrease even further
as the population in the eastern area of the City grows over time. The population
growth illustration indicates that the distribution of the City's population will shift over
time such that by 2015 about half of the population will reside on the east side of I-
805.
The space needed based on the standard of.5 square feet of library space per
capita will increase rapidly over the next several years, as the rapid rate of growth
continues. The first full service facility will be required by the year 2000, and a second
facility will need to be planned during the decade following the opening of the first
facility. While the need for the facility exists by 2000, the planning and construction of
a 30,000 square foot facility is a complex activity and could take until 2002, even if
planning were started today. Because there is some level of public use at the EastLake
Library, as well as collections and staff, that facility should be kept open and
David M. Griffith &Associates
Chula Vista Public Library
Master Plan
Preliminary Draft
June. 1998
Executive Summary
Page
operational until the new facility is ready to open. This should ease some transition
issues, and continue to provide some limited library service on the east side of the
City.
During recent years, several sites and alternatives have been under discussion
for a new branch facility. Two sites are currently available for consideration, one near
the Rancho Del Rey area, and the second in a new development by the EastLake
Development Company. The Rancho Del Rey site is clearly defined as the space
between the Fire Station and training area on Paseo Ranchero and East H Street. The
EastLake Development Company is developing an entertainment center called Village
Center North in the general area of Otay Lakes Road and Lane Avenue. The library
site is not yet clearly identified, and plans are not developed for the area; the library
space would occupy approximately one acre of the development.
The Chula Vista Public Facilities General Plan includes a number of
appropriate criteria for locating City facilities. Based.on those criteria, a preliminary
evaluation indicates that the Rancho Del Rey site is the more viable library site.
In evaluating the possible locations for the second facility that will be required
by 2015, there are many uncertainties in growth projections and the rate of growth.
However, it is apparent that tremendous growth will be taking place in the recently
annexed area of the Otay Ranch. The Eastern Urban Center planned for that area
represents an excellent opportunity to establish a library site while the development of
that area is taking place.
Cost of Facility Construction and Library Collection
Based on our estimate of capital and library materials costs, it appears that
construction of one new 30,000 square foot branch library facilities would cost the
City of Chula Vista about $12 million each'in current (1998) dollars. The cost for two
facilities in 1998 dollars is twenty-four million dollars.
For the purpose of estimating operating expenses, we have assumed that the
new branch libraries would offer weekly service hours equal to that currently provided
by the South Chula Vista Branch Library (48 hours per week). Given this, we have
assumed a staffing pattern consistent with South Chula Vista's, but adjusted for the
David M. Griffith &Associates
Chula Vista Public Library
Master Plan
Preliminary Draft
June, 1998
Executive Summary
Page 6
slightly smaller size of the facility. The estimated the cost of operating a new full-
service facility will be $1,202,030 in 1998 dollars. Operating two new full service
facilities will be $2,404,060 in 1998 dollars.
Long Term Planning
In the long term, continued growth and development is anticipated. However,
estimates of the rate and pace of growth depend on many variables, and are not firm.
Library planning efforts must take this into account, and continually monitor growth
rates.
The City recently annexed approximately 15 square miles of county land in
early 1997 increasing the City's physical size to nearly 50 square miles. The new
section of the City, located east of Interstate 805, is the site of a significant amount of
new development. A large number of master planned communities are in the planning
and/or construction stages in this new area of the City. These projects will eventually
result in the construction of more than 30,000 new housing units.
In evaluating the possible locations for the second facility that will be required
by 2015, there are many uncertainties in growth projections and the rate of growth.
However, it is apparent that tremendous growth will be taking place in the recently
annexed area of the Otay Ranch. The Eastern Urban Center, planned for that area
represents an excellent opportunity to establish a library site while the development of
that area is taking place.
There are many uncertainties or unknowns about this area and about the
development of the community over time. Among them are:
• The actual rate at which development will proceed;
• Potential site location is not determined;
• Timing of construction of the State Highway 125 is somewhat
uncertain;
David M. Griffith &Associates
Chula Vista Public Library
Master Plan
Preliminary Draft
June, 1998
Executive Summary
Page 7
• Potential future opportunities to plan for a joint use facility with
Southwestern College and the UC and State University
Systems;
• Overall economic development and health of the economy
during the planning period.
There are several options for interim solutions. These include the neighborhood
branches and mini-libraries that were discussed in Section H: Planning Parameters of
this report. The interim facilities, if such should be established, do not represent a
stable addition to library services, and as such, should not be included in future
calculations of the square foot standard.
David M. Griffith &Associates