Laserfiche WebLink
protect the taxpayers' dollars, and he would like to look at the <br />total picture of what will happen to the remaining $350,000. <br />Administrator Chandler agreed that at the time we brought in <br />the automation, a question was raised about books, but at that <br />time we were too early into our projects and weren't comfortable <br />enough to recommend allocating for books, etc. Now that both <br />libraries have come in on time and are under budget, we feel <br />comfortable that using $235,000 of those contingency funds is a <br />logical expense. By the same token, however, Administrator <br />Chandler advised that we don't anticipate any significant <br />increase in the operational expenses in those two libraries in <br />the next fiscal year. <br />Chairman Eggert commented that while we perhaps have ade- <br />quate staff in the North County Library, we have barely adequate <br />staff in the Main Library. She stressed that one of the <br />functions of the Main Library was to be a major reference <br />library. It takes a lot of money to get major reference books. <br />This is something that has been talked about from the beginning <br />of the project, and she feels that it is stupid to build a <br />beautiful new library and then not have available in it the <br />things that will make it the good service it should be. <br />Commissioner Scurlock continued to express his concern that <br />we have the economy going down; we may be facing some drastic <br />cuts that are being made in the state budget; and while he <br />understands there may be an absolute need to spend these dollars, <br />he wants to be exceedingly sure that when we get to next year's <br />budget, if we are going to spend these dollars, that we don't <br />again have this huge capital request submitted for books. <br />Chairman Eggert asked that he think of this money as not <br />being part of the bond issue but as part of the $1,000,000, and <br />Commissioner Scurlock felt that is fine, but he wants it on the <br />record that we have met our bond covenants. <br />Commissioner Bird recapped the various monies included in <br />the pool of funds out of which we built two libraries. Now those <br />libraries are about completed and out of that pool of funds it <br />appears we are going to have a surplus of $580/590,000. The <br />request is to use a portion of that surplus to buy books for the <br />two libraries, and he did not have any problem with that. He <br />felt we are still in good stead with the voters who approved the <br />5.9 million bond issue. <br />EC 1 X99® 1 9 NOUK CJ F -g <br />