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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 03/24/2009 - UPDATE FROM POUDRE RIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT, DATE: March 24, 2009 Presented by: WORK SESSION ITEM Ken Dreaves, Interim Executive Director, Jeff Barnes, Finance FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL Officer, Mary Atchison, Board President, Mike Liggett, Board Vice President SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION Update from Poudre River Public Library District, Including Current Funding, Strategic Planning, Facility Planning and Impact Fee Continuation. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Poudre River Public Library District,f.k.a.the Fort Collins Regional Library District,provides library services to approximately 170,000 residents of northern Larimer County— 90% of which reside within the Fort Collins Urban Growth Area. Funding is primarily provided by a property tax rate of 3 mills and a portion of the City's sales tax approved for the Building on Basics agenda. For 2009,total revenue is forecast to be$8.4 million and the approved expenditure budget is$8 million. Since 1996, the City has imposed an impact fee on residential building permits as a means for growth to fund the increased demand for library services required by a growing community. The construction of the new Council Tree Library was substantially funded from the accumulation of these impact fees. The Intergovernmental Agreement between the City and the District provided that the impact fees would continue until the completion and payment for the costs of constructing this library. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED Council will receive a general update on District activity. The Board would like Council's input on the following: 1. Does Council have any comments or input into the District Facility Master Plan currently in process? 2. What are Council's thoughts concerning the continuation of the library impact fee? BACKGROUND Since 2007, the Library District has continued to provide high quality library services that were provided to the general public by the City from 1904 until 2006. In 2008, the District provided 1,400 programs to almost 54,000 participants. Circulation of library materials exceeded 2.3 million March 24, 2009 Page 2 items, a 6% increase, and hits to the District website (2.1 million) increased 8%. 71% of the population are cardholders. Since formation of the District, services to the public have been improved through the expansion of open hours,reinstatement of book drops,the addition of more programming staff,and conversion of materials management to radio frequency identification (RFID). The District has also adopted a Strategic Plan which identified the seven highest service priorities as seen by a community group made up of a wide variety of library users, has gone through a branding process which resulted in a name change and a new logo and is in the process of completing a Facilities Master Plan which will identify short and long term facility needs and recommend solutions to meet those needs. The District does have substantially more revenue from its own funding sources than it had as a City department. In 2007 and 2008, this additional revenue enabled the District to convert the material management technology to RFID and to establish working capital and other reserves. As of December 31,2008,the District had fund balances of approximately$4.7 million. However,various restrictions on that balance reduce the amount that is unrestricted to $1.4 million. The 3 mill property tax levy approved by the voters provided for the improvement of services and the opening of the new library. It did not provide funding for major facility improvements or expansions. With the opening of Council Tree Library and the service enhancements made, the operating mill levy for 2009 is substantially all committed. The Council Tree Library will open March 28, 2009. This new facility in the Front Range Village shopping area will provide more convenient library services to the residents of southeast Fort Collins. This library was constructed by the City using library impact fees. Library impact fees were established by the City in 1996. The fee applies only to residential dwelling units and ranges from $292 to $682, depending on square footage. Annual collections have ranged from a low of $248,000 in 1997 to $729,000 in 2001. Collections in 2008 were $285,700. The Library Board is asking the City to continue this fee after the Council Tree Library is completed. The same rationale for maintaining this fee exists, whether library services are provided by the City or the District. However,the District does not have the ability to impose a similar fee directly. The Board is having similar discussions with Larimer County. In January 2009,the Board met with the County Manager to discuss the issue of implementing a county impact fee and will be meeting with the Board of County Commissioners for a work session on March 30th. ATTACHMENTS 1. Summary of Facilities Master Plan Draft. 2. Powerpoint presentation. Poudre River Public Library District Attachment 1 Facilities Master Plan Summary March 2009 In November 2008, the Poudre River Public Library District contracted with the library consulting firm of Aaron Cohen Associates Ltd (ACA)to develop a Facilities Master Plan. The purpose of the plan was to identify both short-term and long-term facility needs and to make recommendations on how those needs could best be met. Representatives of Aaron Cohen Associates met with the Board of Trustees, District management and staff, and members of the general public during the week of November 17, 2008. Public input was obtained through Visual Scan®meetings conducted by ACA. Participants in those meetings included individuals representing a wide range of ages, ethnic backgrounds, interests, library service usage, and residence locations across the District. In addition to this input, information was obtained from the City of Fort Collins Long-Range Planning Office, the City's GIS service, and published state and national reference data. Facility Service Model Considerations In determining the types, sizes and locations of facilities to recommend, the consultants took into consideration the unique urban/rural nature of the District. The District boundaries are roughly the same as those of the Poudre School District. It includes the city of Fort Collins and the towns of LaPorte and Timnath but excludes the town of Wellington and the area served by Red Feather Mountain Library District. The District serves a large geographical area of 1,780 square miles. However, 80% of the District population resides within the Fort Collins city limits- roughly 51 square miles. Technology makes many library services available to the District cardholders online regardless of their location. Two primary service models were considered—a large main library supplemented with a number of smaller branch libraries (a centralized system), and a regional library system where library services are provided by fewer, similarly sized libraries (decentralized). The decentralized system was deemed most appropriate for the Poudre River Public Library District. The District currently has two roughly equally sized libraries—the Main Library in Old Town with 34,000 square feet and the Harmony Library on the Front Range Community College campus with 30,000 square feet. In late March 2009 the new Council Tree Library will open in the Front Range Village shopping center and will contain 17,400 square feet. The recommendation is to continue with this approach and add another regional library of 34,000 square feet in the next five to ten years. This 1 approach provides equal full-service facilities throughout the densely populated area of the District. The decentralized system is supplemented by a recommendation to add a support service center for support/administrative staff. This 15,000 square foot facility could be at the same location as the next regional library or a stand alone facility. As a stand alone facility, the District would have the option to acquire existing/vacant real estate that might be more cost effective and centrally located than available by building new space. The centralized system was not considered appropriate for the District for a number of reasons: ■ Adding a number of small, neighborhood branches would not be efficient from a staffing standpoint. ■ The need for fiber optic connectivity limits the location of library facilities. ■ Operating costs of branches are not efficient. ■ There would be only one location where all library services would be available. ■ Expanding an existing library to be one large main library is not practical from a land, cost and parking perspective. Facility Recommendations Having determined that a decentralized system would best serve the District, the consultants recommended the following additions/enhancements to the current facilities: ■ Main Library— 1-3 years—remodel and moderately expand ■ Carnegie Building—3-5 years—determine the District's ability to use/acquire this building from the City of Fort Collins to be used for program and community meeting space and make improvements to Library Park. ■ Harmony Library— 5-10 years—work with Front Range Community College representatives to determine improvements needed, expand meeting space and develop funding options. ■ New Regional Library and Support Service Center— 5 - 10 years—add another regional library including a support service center for support staff. The improvements at the Main Library are suggested in the short-term due to an urgent need to expand the children's section of the library, expand meeting space and provide additional space for staff. By filling in the overhangs where the second floor extends beyond the first, 5,625 square feet would be added. Some compact storage shelving on- site is suggested in order to relieve space congestion in the public areas and provide more seating space but still have the collection accessible to staff. Before the additional square footage could be added, the restriction on the amount of Library Park land that can be used for the library building would have to be rescinded or modified by the voters. The cost to add the 5,625 square feet is estimated at $1.4 million and the cost to remodel the existing 34,000 square feet is estimated at$2.55 million. 2 The City of Fort Collins Museum currently occupies the Carnegie Building. This was the original Fort Collins Library from 1904 until 1976. The Museum is scheduled to move to a new location in 2011. While the ultimate use of the Carnegie Building is to be determined, from a library perspective, ACA suggested it be converted to auditorium space for library and community programs, large group functions, small conferencing facilities and study spaces. They also saw potential for a cafe and Friends of the Library bookstore. In redeveloping this space and improving Library Park in general, adding an inviting landscaped plaza or courtyard with an energy efficient, covered walkway between the two buildings was suggested. The entrance to the Main Library could be moved to the west side of the library building providing more direct access from Old Town and better pedestrian traffic flow. The cost of improvements of the Carnegie Building is estimated at $5.1 million. Special community fund raising and historical grants are options to consider for funding this project. Immediate improvements to the Harmony Library were not considered necessary. This location was graded higher overall than the Main Library as part of the Visual Scano process. However, as the 11 year-old facility continues to age, as the delivery of library services evolves and the community continues to grow, it is anticipated that the need for improvements will occur in five to ten years. Additional space was identified as a current need. However, economic realities are such that adding an additional library is not recommended until the five-to-ten year timeframe. Population growth within the District between now and then will determine the best location for another library. At this point, a library north of Fort Collins in the Mountain Vista area or northwest in the Laporte area are reasonable locations to consider. Either location could take some pressure off of the Main Library and provide service to the outlying, rural population in that area. In order to consolidate administrative functions, create efficiencies and maximize the amount of public space in the actual libraries, a support service center is recommended. It is also recommended that this facility include a shared community space that could provide low or no cost meeting space to the general public and provide sizable space for library programs. The support services center would house the administrative staff, technical services and IT staff, Friends of the Library, Library Foundation/Trust staff and some program staff. Room would be available to take advantage of existing and future technologies such as automated check-in of materials using the District's RFID capabilities. The sizes of the new facilities suggested are 34,000 square feet for the new regional library, 15,000 square feet for the service center and 10,500 square feet for the shared community meeting space. In total, the cost of these 59,500 square feet is $20.2 million. Solving the need for library services in the rural areas of the District by building outlying branch libraries is not recommended. Other options and technological solutions are suggested as better, more cost efficient means to enhance services to the rural areas. These options include book/media dispensers, virtual library kiosks, books by mail and 3 additional book drop locations. These options would provide some library services to rural residences without the need to come to one of the libraries in town. Financing Considerations A number of funding options were suggested for financing needed facility improvements. The continuation of impact fees by the City and the establishment of such fees by Larimer County and the Town of Timnath were encouraged. Grant funding, particularly for historical preservation, is common for projects such as the Carnegie Building. Community fund raising is an effective means to not only raise funds for expansion projects but to increase support for library services in general. The issuance of Certificates of Participation (COPS) is the most common means in Colorado to raise funds for library capital projects. The payment of the COPS is then funded by mill levy increases. 4 ATTACHMENT 2 Presentation for the March 24, 2009 City Council Work Session 1, r POUDRERIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT City Council Update • Library District 2008 Annual Report • Current Library District Funding • Facilities Master Plan • Library Impact Fee Discussion �POUDRERIVER s" 0 PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT PRIT a<•., 1 2008 District Activity • The Stats — Provided 1,394 programs to 53,797 participants — Circulated 2.3 million items — an increase of 6% from 2007 — 2.1 million website hits - an increase of 8% — 118,331 cardholders — 71% of District population ` � 43 POUDRE RIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT 2008 District Activity • Charting the District's Course — Developed a strategic plan related to public services SPOUDRE RIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT 2 Strategic Plan 2008-2011 • Through the use of a 19 member Community Planning Committee, 7 service priorities were identified. — Create Young Readers — Satisfy Curiosity — Stimulate Imagination — Connect to the Online World — Be an Informed Citizen — Express Creativity — Build Successful Enterprises m rr v N f . POUDRE RIVER —' PUBLIC LIBRARY 5 "e DISTRICT 2008 District Activity • Charting the District's Course — Developed a strategic plan related to public services — Completed a branding process resulting in a name change to better reflect the entire district — Began a Facilities Master Plan project — Converted the collection management technology to RFID R w'n POUDRE RIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY i, ♦! V.`' �� DISTRICT 3 2008 District Activity • Awards and Innovations — Gates Foundation grant for upgrade of publicly used computers — Library Services and Technology Act Grant for Books Express — a pilot books-by-mail program for needy children — Services to a Diverse Population Award from the Colorado Association of Libraries z POUDRE RIVER - PUBLIC LIBRARY S4 DISTRICT Library District Funding • A property tax levy of 3 mills ($59 on a $250,000 house) is the primary funding source • Mill levy was approved to — Fund the new district — Restore service cuts and book drops — Provide operating money for the new branch • Property taxes fund 87% of the District's budget r SPOUDRERIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT 4 Library District Funding Year ended December 31,2008 2009 Budget Revenue Actual Budget Difference Budget Property taxes $6,626,877 $6,667,700 $ (40,823) 6,734,400 Specific ownership taxes 560,135 582,400 (22,265) 550,000 Investment earnings 151,949 75,000 76,949 60,000 Fines 162,912 125,000 37,912 125,000 Donations-other 178,643 100,500 78,143 156,100 Total Operating Revenue 7,680,516 7,550,600 129,916 7,625,500 Intergovernmental 1,213,288 814,000 399,288 744,000 Total Revenue 8. 993.804 8. 664,600 529.204 8.3 99.500 �y'F� r tlrSz �POUDRERIVER a { PUBLIC LIBRARY y p t•, 4.q' �� , y. (� DISTRICT Library District Funding • The library system does have more revenue available to operate as a District than it had as a City department • The increase in available funds has provided for — Increased library hours — Restoration and expansion of book drops — Additional programming staff and the offering of more programs — Council Tree Library operations — Materials conversion to RFID — General administrative costs for operating as a separate entity — Operating and capital reserves • With these changes, the current funding level is close to being fully committed ��' � POUDRERIVER ' " PUBLIC LIBRARY 5 Library District Funding 2007 2008 2009 Revenue- Actual Actual Budget Operating $7,100,180 $7,680,516 $7,625,500 Intergovernmental 98.825 1,213,288 744,000 Total 7,199,005 8.893,804 8,369,500 Expenditures- Operating 4,522,162 6,305,674 7,896,300 Capital 506,510 100,000 Total 4,522,162 6,812184 7,996,300 Net 2,676,843 2,081,620 373,200 Fund Balance-Beginning - 2,676,843 4,018,900 Fund Balance-Ending $2,676,843 $4 758 463 $4,392.100 wz r SPOUDRERIVER . 0 PUBLIC LIBRARY Library District Funding Ending Fund Balance 12-31-08 Reserved Balance $1,694,000 Designated Balance 1,673,900 Unreserved/Undesignated 1,390 563 Ending Fund Balance 141513.463 POUDRERIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY it oisTPU 6 Facilities Master Plan • Recommends a Regional Library approach rather than a large central library with a number of smaller branches — Each library would be a full service location — More cost effective than staffing and operating many branches — Anticipates another regional library within 5-10 years — Short-term recommendation is to remodel and expand the Main Library P�NPOUDRERIVER r�✓ Y;.,,_ PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT Facilities Master Plan • Main Library Improvements — Build down the overhangs ,} P�s PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT POUDRERIVER 7 Facilities Master Plan 1 1� 71v •; M , 1 1. Y fy POUDRERIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT Facilities Master Plan • Main Library Improvements — Build down the overhangs — Enlarge Children's section — Increase meeting space — Provide more seating — Increase library by up to 5,625 square feet (16%) — Funded from existing reserves �POLIDRERIVER { •, PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT Facilities Master Plan • Estimated costs for projects total $29 million — Main remodel and expansion - $4 million — Potential remodel/conversion of Carnegie building - $5 million — New facilities including a third regional library, administration space and community meeting space - $20 million POUDRE RIVER OoI PUBLIC LIBRARY N• 3';% :yg DISTRICT Library Impact Fees • The City of Fort Collins implemented a Library Impact fee in 1996. • The fee is a one time payment for residential dwelling units only and is paid as part of the building permit process. • As with other impact fees, this fee is a means for growth to pay its own way. • Through 2008, $6 million has been collected from this fee. ' POLIDRERIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT 9 Library Impact Fees • The City's fee ranges from $292 to $682 depending on building size. • Other Colorado library impact fees include — Loveland - $644 — Boulder - $425 (Detached), $275 (Attached) — Johnstown - $137 (Detached), $109 (Attached) — Longmont - $500 public building fee Residential), $0.13 per square foot fee (Commercial) > ;� 5.r �POUDRE RIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY 1 � �� b DISTRICT Library Impact Fees • The new Council Tree Library was built substantially from the proceeds of this fee • Any unspent impact fees once the new library is fully paid for will be turned over to the District and will retain the restrictions currently in effect. • The Facilities Master Plan recommends expanding and remodeling the Main Library as the first, short-term priority. The use of these impact fees to improve this downtown facility is a very appropriate use of these fees. 'N POUDRE RIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY NDISTRICT 10 Council Work Session Discussion r r! r POUDRERIVER .]� q �PUBLIC LIBRARY 7y.•' iy:, DISTRICT 11