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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10241995 - SD14 SD. 14 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier Supervisor Jeff Smith DATE: October 13, 1995 SUBJECT: COUNTY LIBRARY CONSULTANT STUDY SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)& BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: 1. ACKNOWLEDGE need to contract for an independent consultant study of options for library service in Contra Costa County in conjunction with the cities served in order to develop recommendations for future governance, organization and funding of library services. 2. AUTHORIZE the County Administrator and County Librarian to work with the Public Managers Association in developing a Request for Proposal for consultant services for such a study, to issue the RFP and contract with consultant group selected. 3. DIRECT the County Administrator and County Librarian to report back to the Board of Supervisors on a regular basis on the ongoing status of the consultant study. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The estimated cost of the full consulting contract is$100,000. All 17 cities served by the County Library and the County will share the costs of the study on the basis of population. The estimated cost to the County will be$20,000 which will be paid from the Library Fund. BACKGROUND: The Ad Hoc Task Force on the County Library has been meeting weekly since May 1995 to explore options for library organization,governance and funding. During that time a wide variety of options have been discussed and attempts made at creating consensus on direction. However,because of the critical nature of the ongoing issues no consensus has been able to be reached and some cities are now actively exploring the potential of withdrawing from the County Library and establishing independent municipal libraries. At the October 12, 1995 Public Managers Association meeting consensus was reached on joint participation in a study of library service in the county,focusing on the following issues: 1. Library organization Various issues related to the organization and provision of library services need to be explored. The primary issues are whether the current form of county-wide provision of library services is the most efficient and cost-effective model in comparison to other potential models such as municipal libraries, sub-regional library systems or other systems that may be suggested by the consultant. 2. Library governance Decision-making authority over library services is a major issue for review. The issues relating to governance are related to both fiscal control and operational control for both services funded with current revenues and for any services that might be funded by future revenues. Different governance models will be analyzed for their impacts on organization and funding. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: _RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR_RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE _APPROVE OTHER SIGNATUREISI: ACTION OF BOARD ON October 24 , 1995 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED_,OTHER_ VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE XXUNANIMOUS(ABSENT I AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND AYES: NOES: ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED October 24 , 1995 PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: Supervisor DeSaulnier SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Supervisor Smith County Administrator By ,DEPUTY County Library / COUNTY LIBRARY CONSULTANT STUDY October 13, 1995 Page 2 3. Library funding Both current library funding and the need for additional funding for enhanced library services need to be explored. The primary issue with current library funding is resource allocation as it relates to equity of access to library services or return to source of revenues. The issues related to additional funding are possible sources of additional funds, allocation of those funds and local control of funds. A five year financial projection for each potential organizational model will be developed by the consultant,referencing impact on equity and return to source for each model. It is expected that the study should take approximately four months to complete utilizing the following approximate timeline: November 1995 Draft Request for Proposal for study December 1, 1995 Issue Request for Proposal for study January 2,1996 Consultant proposals due; consultant interviews held during month of January and contract signed by end of month February 1, 1996 Study begins May 31, 1996 Consultant study completed A Technical Committee consisting of the 17 City Managers of cities served by the County Library,the County Administrator and the County Librarian will oversee the work of the consultant. An Advisory Committee,consisting of the Ad Hoc Task Force on the County Library, will serve in an advisory capacity to the Technical Committee. The Technical Committee will regularly report back to the Ad Hoc Task Force on the County Library on the progress of the study. After the study is completed,the County and cities will have the opportunity to review the recommendations and agree on a course of action appropriate to the needs of all parties. There remains the potential that, as a result of the study, that one or more funding measures for additional library services could be placed on the November 1996 or June 1997 ballot which could affect funding for library services for FY 1997/98. However, it is not likely that the any recommendations of the consultant study will provide funding solutions that would impact library services for the next fiscal year FY 1996/97. rmos\may