Minutes

LIBRARY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Final Minutes

Meeting of May 21, 2008

Room 278, City Hall

San Francisco, California

Chair Sue Cauthen called the meeting to order at 6:01 PM.

Roll Call: Present: Ted Bamberger, Sue Cauthen, Lucille Cuttler, Linda Guitron, Roger Kallen, Margaret Lee, Neil Mills, Clarice Moody, Michael Olinger, Douglas Ryan, Jan Seeman, Peter Warfield, Dan Weaver.

Absent:  Enne Braun, Carlyn Halde, Jenny Situ, Gladys Soto

Minutes: Joanna Schaller agreed to take the minutes for this meeting. Charles Moody, husband of member Clarice Moody, volunteered to monitor the tape recorder.

General Public Comment: There was no public comment at this time.

Presentation by San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and Department of Public Works (DPW) on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Branch Library Improvement Program (B LIP)

Maureen Singleton, SFPL budget manager, spoke about the new MOU between SFPL and DPW and the reason for the undertaking. Edgar Lopez, manager of the library modernization project at DPW, then spoke about the revised and expanded MOU. He emphasized that it is meant to clarify the roles and responsibilities in completing the BLIP, to describe how and when decisions are made, to lay out expectations and goals, to provide more details about the designs, and to standardize schedules that all branches will follow. Lopez answered LCAC questions regarding interaction with building contractors, financial management and other issues, including warranty tracking, the website, documentation of progress, and change orders. He said the section on warranty tracking would be clarified. Chair Cauthen asked for a status update in three months.

The meeting recessed from 7:02 PM to 7:06 PM.

BOS Authority over SFPL Fines and Fees

There was concern that the current library proposal would remove BOS authority over fines and fees. The chair and Vice Chair Lucille Cuttler researched the matter and discovered that the Charter gives BOS final authority and that any language in the current proposal that might remove it was unintentional and was to be removed.

Ryan moved and Weaver seconded a motion to pass a resolution presented on the subject. After discussion and amendment, members passed the following resolution urging retention of BOS authority over SFPL fines and fees:

Therefore, be it resolved that the Library Citizens Advisory Committee supports retention of the existing system, as provided in Charter Section 2.1.09, which reserves final authority over SFPL fines and fees to the Board of Supervisors.

Yes: Bamberger, Cauthen, Cuttler, Guitron, Kallen, Lee, Mills, Moody, Olinger, Ryan, Seeman, Weaver

No: Warfield

Motion carried 12-1.

Officer Reports

Chair Cauthen reminded members that the chair has the right to report to BOS a member’s three consecutive absences without prior authorization. She also noted that officer elections are coming up. She and vice chair Cuttler are up for reelection in July. There was discussion about (1) the Annual Report and what it should contain and (2) the library’s website and how to make the LCAC more prominent on it.

Member Suggestions

SFPL Website: Ask SFPL’s website coordinator to make a presentation. LCAC recommends that we be displayed prominently on the home page instead of under “Library Affiliates.” City Librarian Luis Herrera previously informed LCAC that the website is being redesigned and that the LCAC’s concerns would be considered.

FY 08-09 Budget: LCAC should receive a status report. City Librarian Herrera is scheduled to discuss the new budget in June.

Presentations on the Sunshine Ordinance, the SFPL Friends & Foundation, and by a longtime library activist.

The chair emphasized the need to prioritize the subjects LCAC addresses in order to keep meetings to two hours.

Minutes: Weaver moved to approve the minutes of the April meeting, with Mills seconding. The minutes were approved as amended by a vote of 13-0.

Yes: Bamberger, Cauthen, Cuttler, Guitron, Kallen Lee, Mills, Moody, Olinger, Ryan, Seeman, Warfield, Weaver.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at 6:00 PM in Room 278 of City Hall.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 PM.