Thanks to Bob Gustafson for his timely post on MPL budget decision making. I hope all Library Board members take the CLIC comments to heart as they establish budgets and priorities in the days ahead.
I think the public will be interested in Board meeting minutes and Board member votes relative to these important decisions-- that's individual member votes!! And again, why aren't the Library Board and Park Board public meetings broadcast on cable TV so city residents can monitor the decision making process? The City Council, School Board and Planning Commission meetings are televised, and the Planning Commission isn't even an elected body. Why aren't these other elected bodies more closely monitored via the cable TV media? Together, the MPL and MPRB have $90 million annual operating budgets, and MPL is in the midst of a $140+ million capital construction program that includes a new downtown library and renovation/rebuilding of community libraries. Below, I've edited to highlight, some of what I consider key CLIC comments previously posted by Mr. Gustafson. Michael Hohmann Linden Hills -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Bob GUSTAFSON Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 7:47 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Library Choices ... I have enclosed the "Comments" section [from CLIC]... For those unfamiliar with CLIC it is a committee of appointed citizens, 2 per council member and 7 from the Mayor's office, that with the help of staff from the Planning Department review and recommend a 5 year capital budget to the Mayor and Council. CLIC works... to review all requests for capital needs for the City ranging from the Libraries to Fire and Police Stations to Streets, Sewers, Street Lights and Bridges. LIBRARY COMMENTS Library staff acknowledged after the referendum that �it would have been a good idea� to incorporate �an amount for operating expenses into the 2000 referendum.� They seemed to feel that the estimated $4 million per year operating shortfall projected upon the projects completion could be ignored for the moment because it would not fully impact the budget until the 2010 plan was complete. Now the library is faced with the need to cut a similar amount of some $4 million from their budget due to reductions in LGA. While doing so the library now needs to be honest and include realistic projections for future operating shortfalls as they complete their revised plan. Perhaps the original projected $4 million shortfall can be diminished but lets hope it is with honest numbers rather than being ignored as they have in the past. ...Considering the tight financial situation the Task Force remains confused as to the Libraries attempts to stretch their services to extend beyond those normally assumed by a library. Examples include the emphasis placed on community meeting rooms - as shown in ...Franklin ...Webber ...and ...North Regional. How �smart� is it if due to budget cuts the library is only open for limited hours and days? ...Providing operating funds remains a difficult problem, but building new facilities when you still will not have operating funds to operate them when complete, is the ultimate in fiscal irresponsibility. Rather than excuses for why cooperation cannot work, the Park Board, School Board and Libraries should learn what we try to teach our children, how to share and work together. ...To even propose remodeling all the community libraries, to then cut their hours and strip their programs and services are beyond incompetent. It is foolish. ...There is much talk by the library of providing new millennium library services. Rebuilding existing infrastructure because it is there and served us well in the last millennium does not seem to be the most progressive way to achieve this. The Library is considering three plans to address their budgetary shortfalls. The Task Force supports reducing the number of community libraries to a level that can be properly funded. We support cooperation with other entities to provide some of the current library services such as homework helpers and special services for immigrants. We also support other alternatives such as looking into new ways, other than just community libraries, to expand the outreach of the core library function of providing books and research to the people of Minneapolis. Plan C, as proposed by the Library, most closely meets these goals. If additional closures were needed to provide the maximum services throughout the remaining library system the Task Force would be supportive of that decision. Bob Gustafson Chair, H.D. Task Force CLIC TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
