Minutes 06-14-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chair Pelissier said that Chapel Hill did not make a definitive decision about charging fees to Orange County residents to use the Chapel Hill library. There is a proposal to start charging fees if the amount that the County is offering is considered insufficient. The fees would not be charged until August 15th because many children are already in the book club for the summer. Chapel Hill would not suffer a loss of revenues if they did not accept the $250,000 because the Friends of the Library have agreed to hold them harmless for about $200,000 for one year and they expect to get at least $50,000 in revenues from fees. She said that the most important thing is that the draft agreement that was drawn up by members of the Board of County Commissioners and the Chapel Hill Town Council is not acceptable to the Chapel Hill Town Council. They are looking for funds of about $1 million and they do not want any conditions attached regarding interoperability and no Memorandum of Understanding. She said that it was unclear if the additional $92,000 would satisfy the Town of Chapel Hill. Commissioner Foushee suggested that the Board, through the Chair, send an official letter indicating that the additional amount would be added to the $250,000 and that conditions will be attached — including interoperability and a Memorandum of Understanding that would give the County some representation in the decision-making process for the Chapel Hill Library. Chair Pelissier said that Mayor Kleinschmidt said that if this does not work out this year, they could discuss this the following year. Commissioner Yuhasz agreed with Commissioner Foushee to go ahead with the offer with conditions attached. The County needs to be able to exercise control over how the Orange County money is spent. Commissioner Jacobs suggested having something at the June 21St meeting as a resolution, since Chapel Hill does not meet until June 27th. He said that the County's offer is consistent and fair with what it has said over the past year when the elected officials' library work group met. Chair Pelissier said that she agreed that with the officials involved with this work group concurred but Mayor Kleinschmidt said that the majority of the Chapel Hill Town Council did not like the proposal. Commissioner Hemminger said that it is important to put in the resolution that this would be year one and step one of an ever-increasing amount. She thinks that the County should pay through August 15th with the new rate versus the $250,000 rate to show the intention to move forward. Commissioner Gordon said that the County should budget the additional $93,000 and the reason the council did not like the proposal is that they were looking at 2014. The dissatisfaction had to do with the end point. She said that 40% of the entire population of Orange County lives in the Town of Chapel Hill. She thinks that this is a really good deal. She suggested adding the $93,000 and then next year considering an MOU and increasing the funding. She said that this should not be tied to an MOU right now, but linked to coming to an agreement later. Chair Pelissier said that Mayor Kleinschmidt said that whatever monies Orange County budgets for Chapel Hill, the Town Council does not want it linked to an agreement or conditions. Commissioner McKee said that he does support the increase to $93,000 and he thinks this should be linked to the agreement. If the Town rejects it, then he thinks the money should be used as a placeholder for the Southwest branch. Commissioner Yuhasz said that the Town of Chapel Hill residents are paying $550,000 to support "their" library, the Orange County library that happens to be in Hillsborough. He thinks that this point needs to be made.