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7 <br /> Commissioner Nelson said that he is very comfortable with the recommendation to create <br /> an MOA with Chapel Hill and let the 48% be a starting point for negotiations. He likes the <br /> recommendation for phasing in whatever the recommendation may be. He said that this MOU <br /> should be negotiated by Managers and not elected officials. <br /> Commissioner Nelson said that there are other issues to work on with library services, <br /> including the lack of hours at the main branch in Hillsborough. There has never been a formal <br /> plan for the task force for the southwest Carrboro branch. He thinks that it is important to <br /> address these other issues. He recommended asking staff to come back with some <br /> recommended steps over a three-year period to address these other issues — hours at the main <br /> branch and the library task force recommendations for the rest of the County. <br /> Commissioner Yuhasz said that he appreciated the desire for extra funding for Chapel Hill <br /> Library and he is very concerned that the Board has made a commitment to improve library <br /> services in the Orange County library system. He would be hesitant to fix any particular <br /> percentage on what is spent on the main branch or the entire library system as a basis for the <br /> funding for the Chapel Hill Library. He hopes that the County will spend more money on the <br /> Orange County Library System, both to improve the services in the main library and eventually to <br /> provide some additional services to the southwest part of the County. He does not see how this <br /> can be done at the same time as increasing funding to the Chapel Hill Library. He said that if <br /> Orange County is going to continue to fund Chapel Hill Library, then there should be some <br /> interoperability such as a single card system for all libraries. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said that he agrees with Commissioner Nelson and Commissioner <br /> Yuhasz. He said that the Board has repeatedly made commitments for library services and the <br /> Board needs to think about how high a priority it is placing on library services and what sacrifices <br /> it would be willing to make to have library services. He said that the Board advocated for putting <br /> $10,000 in the budget for interoperability of the two library computer systems. He asked what <br /> happened with this. He said that there should be a real partnership and someone from Orange <br /> County should also serve on the Chapel Hill Library Board. He is comfortable having the <br /> Managers discuss this partnership. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said that it is reasonable to have a formal agreement. She agrees <br /> with the Manager's recommendation that there needs to be a formula based on the county's <br /> funding of the main library. She said that it is important that the County increase the contribution <br /> to the Chapel Hill Library during the budget process. She would like an overarching, <br /> comprehensive approach to how to fund libraries. It should be an Orange County system that <br /> works for all of the citizens in the County. <br /> Commissioner Pelissier said that there should be a formal agreement and it needs to be <br /> comprehensive. She would like to talk about the issue of going to one library system. She is <br /> concerned about an agreement that focuses on interoperability issues only. <br /> Chair Foushee said that any agreement needs to be periodically reviewed. <br /> Commissioner Nelson agreed and said that his support for funding the Chapel Hill Library <br /> is for the current library and not the expansion. Regarding funding library services throughout <br /> the County, he thinks that Orange County needs to be perceived as looking at all three interests <br /> — Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, and southwest area —fairly and equally. <br /> 9. County Manager's Report <br /> Time did not allow. <br /> 10. County Attorney's Report <br /> Time did not allow. <br />