Agenda - 06-16-2009 - 4a - Laserfiche WebLink

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17 1 The pressing and immediate concern, however, is the 2009-2010 budget. At our April 16, 2009 2 meeting, the commissioners discussed the operational costs of library facilities and potential 3 cuts, and whether to close the branch libraries at McDougle Middle School and Cedar Grove. 4 We requested the library usage figures for all of the county libraries. Also raised was the 5 question of whether to continue the funding for the Chapel Hill Public Library and how to pursue 6 a conversation about that topic with elected officials in Chapel Hill. 7 8 We will have to resolve many of these issues as budget deliberations proceed and as we 9 discuss on May 5 the plans for the new library being constructed in downtown Hillsborough. 10 11 12 13 Commissioner Gordon said that these are tight budget times and she is glad to hear that 14 about 90% of the North Carolina Room will be housed in the new library. 15 Commissioner Gordon said that she cannot understand how the decision was made that 16 this room would not be in the new library and who made that decision. Laura Blackmon said 17 that in the will, it was pretty clearly understood that the will did not say it had to be in the library. 18 She said that it was always assumed that the reference materials in the North Carolina Room 19 would go into the library. The Heritage Center is not part of the library. The immediate decision 20 is that the North Carolina Room collection will go into the library and the Heritage Center will be 21 brought back in August. 22 Commissioner Gordon said that she wants to make sure that the N.C. Room is 23 adequately housed in the library. She said that she did notice that a great deal of the library is 24 for the 18 and under age group. 25 Commissioner Nelson thanked Lucinda Munger for an exceptionally well written and 26 clear report. He asked when the Heritage Center would come back to the Board for discussion. 27 Laura Blackmon said that it would be brought back to the first work session in August and then 28 to the AOG meeting in September. 29 Commissioner Nelson said that it is important to have this discussion sooner rather than 30 later. He is interested in disposing of property the County does not need. 31 32 PUBLIC COMMENT: 33 Bill Reid lives in Hillsborough and he thanked the Board for approving his point of view. 34 He said that the County needs a Heritage Center and it is a great investment. 35 Elizabeth Read is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough. She 36 urged the County Commissioners to resist settling for anything less than what is in Rebecca 37 Wall's room. She said that what is proposed does not constitute a history room. 38 Richard Ellington lives in Carrboro and said that he applauds this study and he 39 encourages the County Commissioners to maintain the status quo with the libraries, which are 40 public classrooms for the County. He said that a Heritage Center is needed and this has been 41 ignored during the good times and now the bad times. They need to start planning now for this. 42 He suggested looking at this as only an interim solution in the North Carolina Room. 43 Darcy B. Croft is the Executive Director of the Orange County Historical Museum. She 44 reiterated Ms. Read's suggestions, especially the work group suggested by Ms. Munger. She 45 said that a Heritage Center will reflect positively on Orange County as a whole. 46 47 Commissioner Jacobs said that this conversation was picked up on April 7t" about 48 divestiture of properties and developing a work group to discuss the Heritage Center. He 49 suggested that Lucinda Munger come back with a charge for this new task force at the next