Special Meeting with FY2016/17 Budget Work Session
March 24, 2016
Chairperson:
Library Board of Trustees
Mountain Home Public Library
790 North 10th East – Mountain Home, ID
Board Members Present:
Others Present:
Kelly Everitt
Vice Chair: Bonnie Sharp
Secretary/Treas: Mary Ellen Hale
Clerk for the Board: Luise House
Trustees Kelly Everitt, Mary Ellen Hale, Jackie Harper,
Nadine Roberts, Bonnie Sharp
Jimmy Schipani, City Council Liaison; Luise House, Library Director
Roll Call – The meeting was called to order by Chairman Everitt and a quorum was established.
Public Input - none
Minutes & Bills – none
Old Business
Council appointment of Nadine Roberts to the Library Board – Chairman Everitt noted Nadine
Roberts’ appointment to the Library Board to fill the remainder of Robert Taylor’s vacant term
through February, 2020 had been approved by the Mayor and Council at their March 14th
meeting. A warm welcome was given to Trustee Roberts by those present.
Discussion/Action – Library Director Selection Committee update and possible recommendations
Trustees Harper and Sharp indicated they had starting moving forward with director selection
steps and reported the following:
 The final draft of the director’s job description had been completed based on
recommendations received from both the City’s human resources consulting firm and
Board input.
 The interview rating and question guides provided by Kevin Tomlinson at the March
3rd Board meeting were under review and revision.
 A time frame and information regarding general City hiring practices would be
discussed at the April 7th Board meeting.
Discussion/Action – Idaho Microsoft Imagine Academy update and possible recommendations
The library had hosted a meeting earlier in the day with area participants in the Idaho Microsoft
Imagine Academy project. Representatives from the State Department of Education, MHPL
staff, the local Idaho Department of Labor, the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Eastern
Owyhee Library were present to discuss marketing which would increase enrollment and,
hopefully, coursework completion rates. All agreed expansion of originally targeted audiences
should expand beyond Veteran’s and also include clients from the DOL and those in smaller
rural communities. MHPL’s point of contact, Kurt Petty, would continue to work on
recommendations from the group as well as share-out curriculum he had put together for the
project. Additional reports would be made to the Board as progress was made.
Discussion/Approval Recommendation to the Mayor and Council regarding computer and
associated technology lease agreement from Lenovo Leasing as reviewed and revised by the
City Attorney
The City Attorney had reviewed and recommended changes to the computer/technology lease
presented by Lenovo Financial. The company’s legal department accepted the revision as
submitted and the three year agreement was ready to move forward to the Mayor and City
Council for final approval. Mrs. House noted there would be some expense line savings since the
agreement had not been finalized earlier in the fiscal year. A motion was made by Trustee
Sharp, with a second by Trustee Hale, to recommend the Council approve the Library’s
computer/technology lease as budgeted. Motion carried.
The Chairman noted the agenda item regarding USAC E-Rate filing for phone and Internet
services would be included as a discussion point in the upcoming budget work session.
New Business
Discussion/Approval of FY2017/18 Budget Proposal for Mayor and Council
Trustees reviewed salary and expense recommendations for the 2017/18 fiscal year. Discussion
included the following:
Priority #10 - Certification grade increases - The proposal, identified in the Library’s 2016
Goal statement, would allow entry level Grade 5 Library Assistants with a minimum of two years
of employment the opportunity to move into a higher Grade 7 Senior Library Assistant position by
voluntarily completing 35.5 hours of Idaho Commission for Libraries sponsored Alternative Basic
Library Education (ABLE) / Supplemental Alternative Basic Library Education (SABLE) courses.
The cost-effective continuing education incentive was intended to improve job core competency
skills, increase the library’s customer service capabilities and boost the department’s problematic
retention rate.
Priority #9 – Equipment Inventory $500 - $5,000 expense line - $3,500 to purchase initial
inventory of digital devices & mobile equipment (eBook readers, audio recorders, mobile
hotspots, STEM kit gear, etc.)
Priority #8 – Server Upgrade - $5,000 to replace network outdated and capacity-limited
hardware
Priority #7 – Capital Outlay over $5,000 (City’s Capital Improvement Plan - CIP) – Build
Fund for Technology/Book Security Upgrade was reduced from $12,000 to $6,000. Set aside
funds will be accumulated over several fiscal years to update the 1990’s “retail-based” security
gates and magnetized strips used to prevent collection theft to a “library-specific” radio-frequency
(RFID) system.
Budget Line Decreases - $2,000 was expense line decreases (postage, library car taken out of
service, reduction in Telephone / Internet line based on anticipated lower vendor cost**, uniform
expense). The CIP storage building project in the amount of $5,500 was pulled; the Network
firewall project in the amount of $4,000 pulled.
Budget Line Increases - $9,200 (equipment lease, ADA compliance project, legal fee costs
resulting from roof warranty issues, computer maintenance in Geared Up Tech Center; summer
reading program & STEM program costs, staff & new director continuing education, collection
development implementation).
All agreed the staffing priority would be the primary focus of the 2016/17 budget. Trustees also
took into consideration alteration of the CIP, and ultimately future budgets as well, if warranty
issues couldn’t be resolved and replacement of the failing roofing system was necessary.
Discussion turned to the agenda item Discussion/Approval Recommendation to the Mayor and
Council regarding finalization of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)
schools/libraries E-Rate cycle for 2016-17 and it was the consensus of the Board the lowest cost
presented from the three vendors expressing interest to the initial USAC filing would be pursued
with notification of the same being sent to all.
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The Chair then called for the question regarding the FY2016-17 budget proposal. Trustee
Harper moved the Board’s FY2016-17 budget proposal, as discussed, be submitted to the Mayor
and Council for consideration. Second by Trustee Sharp. Motion carried.
Librarian and Other Reports - none
With no further business to come before the board, Trustee Hale moved the meeting stand
adjourned at 7:35 p.m.
Minutes approved by:
_________________________________________________________
Chairperson, Library Board of Trustees
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