Minutes 10-19-2021 Virtual Business meeting

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14 The letter from the Town of Chapel Hill Mayor requests that the Task Force include the following individuals: • Chapel Hill's Library Director • Town of Chapel Hill Library Advisory Board Chair • Friends of Chapel Hill Library Board Chair, and • the Town Council's Liaison To balance out the Task Force, the County would appoint: • Orange County Library Director • Friends of the Orange County Library Board Chair • Friends of the Carrboro Library Board Chair, and • a BOCC Liaison In addition, Mayor Hemminger's letter requests the hiring a trained facilitator to help lead these discussions and process, with financial responsibility shared between the Town of Chapel Hill and the County. Bonnie Hammersley reviewed the background information for this item. Commissioner Fowler said she would be in support of, and is willing to serve on, this task force. She said she would support sharing the cost of a facilitator if there is a way to cover those funds. Commissioner Greene said Chapel Hill has wanted to have this conversation for a while and she thinks it is time, since more is known about how the new Southern Branch Library is going to shake out. She said this task force structure is different than the old structure, in that it has more staff and less elected officials, but she is fine with that. She said she does not think a mediator is necessary, but if the town insists on one, she thinks it is okay for the county to share cost, but she does not see a need for it. Chair Price said she would like to try it without a facilitator, as other than taking notes, the group is small enough to operate without a facilitator. She said if Chapel Hill wants one, maybe it should cover the costs. She said she is optimistic the work can be done without hiring a facilitator. Commissioner McKee asked Commissioner Greene to confirm that the task force did not have a facilitator when they served on the 2012 committee. Commissioner Greene said there was no facilitator and the task force included three elected officials from each body who just had a conversation with each other. Commissioner McKee said there was never a lot of discussion about whether the County should support the facility, but to what extent there would be crossover between the County and Town libraries and interactions between them. He said he is not sure there will be any need for a facilitator, and this group should all be able to sit down with the understanding that this cooperation is a need and benefit to the County as a whole. He said he is not sure what a facilitator would accomplish. Commissioner Fowler said she is fine without a facilitator, and was just being agreeable to the Town's recommendation. A motion was made by Commissioner Greene, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to designate Commissioner Fowler to serve as the Board's Liaison on the Task Force. Commissioner Hamilton said one difference from the previous task force is the addition of the Southern Branch Library, which may demonstrate the need for a facilitator.