A 6:30 p.m., June 12, public hearing has been set to consider the proposed 2012-13 budget of the Belleville Area District Library, as well as the 2011-12 amended final budget of $997,802.
The District Library’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.
The budget hearing date was set during business at the District Library Board’s regular meeting on May 8.
In discussion finances, consultant Ron Traskos told the board that with $600,000 in Chase bank, the District Library shouldn’t be paying bank fees, which has been $1,632 over the last nine months.
Library Director Deb Green said once the City of Belleville’s account is closed, the fees should go away. Before it became a district library, the library finances were handled by the city.
“You’re a pretty good customer. You shouldn’t have to pay,” Traskos continued, recommending the board contact the bank for a discussion.
“It’s a lot, especially when you don’t get any interest,” said Belleville resident Mike Renaud from the audience.
Also, on May 8, Library Director Green said that consultant Anders Dahlgren is in the “final throes” of an assessment of updated space needs for the Belleville area’s proposed new library. His report will incorporate new procedures such as self-service checkout and auto check-in by machine, Green said.
Anders had hoped to have a draft for that evening’s meeting, but had technical difficulties, she said. He will be sending “homework” for the board, which includes questions for the board to answer to help to get a full picture for his report.
Green said she hopes to have his final report at the next meeting, June 12.
She told board members whatever she gets from Dahlgren she will pass on to them. A special meeting might be needed to answer Dahlgren’s homework questions.
In other business at the May 8 meeting, the board:
• Heard Renaud ask about the costs to date on the library construction that were to be recorded separately. Trakos said he hasn’t got to that yet, but they will put it on an Excel spreadsheet and plan to have it in time for the budget hearing. It will be a subsidiary report to the budget, he said;
• Heard Board President Mary Jane Dawson say Rick Cichewicz is coming up with a “extravagantly simple float” for the library to use in the Sumpter Fest and Strawberry Fest parades and other parades in the future;
• Heard Board Member John Juriga say the “Murder Mystery” at the Bayou Grill on May 5 to benefit the library was sold out. He also asked if there have been any questions from the city concerning donation of land to the library and he was told there have been no questions. Dawson noted it has been 90 days since the city council said it would prepare questions for the library board;
• Heard Juriga report that David Vallier of Spicer Engineers checked out the supports holding up the library canopy and said “It just looks nasty” but isn’t in danger of failing. Vallier suggested using a wire brush and Rustoleum. Juriga is going to ask Hennessey engineers to evaluate the supports, as well;
• Heard Dawson report that the assessor hired by the board for the DNR property is still working with the DNR on the assessment;
• Heard Sheila Pedersen of Sumpter Township say she finds the present DNR property north of Belleville Bridge a “grubby eyesore” and she would like to see that cleaned up and the library built there, making it “a real pretty showcase”. She said a lot of her friends in Sumpter feel the same way. She said she doesn’t know why the board should be so stuck on putting it in Belleville;
• Heard Diane Madigan of Van Buren Township ask about the FEMA flood plain maps and the impact on the DNR site which appears to be in the floodplain. President Mary Jane Dawson said she hasn’t looked at that because the maps just recently came out. “But that would be something that we would look at, but I can’t give you any exact comment right now.” Joy Cichewicz said they haven’t talked to the township yet, but it might be one of those parcels that they are going to look at and might find isn’t really in the flood plain. “We’ll have to see how it all shakes out,” Dawson said;
• Heard Madigan also ask about whether the library responded to any notification from Van Buren Township about a proposed tax abatement for a manufacturing company, which affects the tax income for the library. Dawson said the library was notified, but did not respond. She said she talked with the Township Clerk and talked with the library attorney and, “There was nothing we needed to do. It was just a courtesy thing that this is what is going to come up.” Madigan replied, “It’s a courtesy because you have …” and Dawson cut her off. “We know that,” Dawson said and Madigan stopped talking. Library Director Green said that was the first time the library received any notification like that and, “There hasn’t been anyone that ever asked anything.” Madigan said about six months ago VBT gave a large abatement to GE, which made $14 billion profit, and, “I assume you were notified on that abatement, too?” and Dawson said they were not;
• Heard Barbara Miller ask about library board committee meetings. She said she has a Freedom of Information Act request to be notified of all meetings of all committees and she hasn’t received any notices for probably six months. She asked if there were no committee meetings and was told there were none, but one will be scheduled for the Policy Committee; and
• Heard Miller ask if the board has talked about a donor program. Dawson said they felt it would be more feasible to seek donations once the library board has a plan and knows where it is going. Miller said the board has to plan ahead and decide if it will use a professional company to do the capital plan or do it informally from the board. If they are going to use a professional fund raiser, maybe they should start interviewing because it may take a long time. Dawson said that was a good idea. “I have lots of good ideas,” Miller replied.