Multi-County Library Cooperative Planning Meeting

June 19, 1996

Attendees: Jeri Canale, Highlands County Commissioner and acting Chairman; Sue Rood, Highlands Library Advisory Board, Clois Harvey, Okeechobee County Commissioner, Bonnie Dyga. Okeechobee Assistant Co. Administrator; Barbara E. Smith, DeSoto County Commissioner; Paul Erickson, Admin & Community Services for DeSoto Co.; June Fisher, Planning Director for Glades Co.; Merry Cresswell, Lake Placid Librarian (Highlands County); John and Mary Booher, Glades county; Ed Kilroy, Okeechobee Co. Library Director; Diane Hunt, Avon Park Librarian (Highlands Co.); Charlie Parker, State Library Consultant; Gloria Davis, Hardee County; Don Obrakta, Hardee County Library Director; Walter B. Olliff, Jr., Hardee County Administrator; Carl Cool, Highlands County Administrator, Mary Myers, Highlands Co. Library Director; and Carolyn Hesselink. Admin. Secretary for the Highlands Co. Library System.

Chairman Jeri Canale called the meeting to order. Introductions were made. Secretary Carolyn Hesselink read the meeting notice.

The Interlocal Agreement draft discussion summary:

1. Glades County, currently in the Charlotte County cooperative, is interested, but will not be added to the interlocal agreement under discussion.

2. Per Charlie Parker, 5 libraries would roughly 20% x local county expenditures, plus the base of $250,000. This could added up to more than $350,000.

3. The State Library would require an inventory be maintained.

4. Concerning item 5, if the Cooperative dissolves, only multi-county federal grant real property and equipment over $500 would revert to the State Library.

5. Concerning Cooperative staff in 10. 1), more specifics on this area will be in the Annual Plan of Service.

Changes to the draft of the Interlocal Agreement are:

1. Page 1, after "applicable Florida law," adding "Section 163.01" to the 2nd paragraph.

2. Page 1, paragraph 7 and also 1., after ..."multi-county library cooperative", adding to be known as the Heartland Library Cooperative,".

3. 2. k after "for the cooperative", adding "may also", after "referred to", adding "herein".

4. 2. k Spelling out "MLS" as "Master of Library Science".

5. Page 3, 5., Changing the word after "Upon any widthdrawal or termination of the Agreement by" from "and" to "any".

6. Page 4, 7. fourth sentence shall have "prospective Counties" changed to "respective Counties" and "September 30" in the last sentence shall be changed to "January 1st, with a report to the Cooperative by January 15th".

7. Page 7, 15. after "Board which shall distribute copies to" will be added "to the Cooperative Coordinator,".

Action taken by the committee:

1. Bonnie Dyga moved to accept the Heartland Library Cooperative Interlocal Agreement will all amendments. It was seconded.

2. The motion was amended to incorporate the proper state statute on page 1 and that the votes to approve would be subject to county review. Motion carried.

3. Original motion carried.

Long Range Plan discussion:

1. Charlie Parker noted that both Interlocal and Long-Range Plan concepts, as presented by the planning board members, should have the approval of the participating counties.

Action taken by the committee:

1. Bonnie Dyga moved the adoption, with amendments, of the Long Range Plan, subject to approval by local counties. Seconded and approved.

Time Line Comments

1. Charlie Parker says next is needed a budget including the library budgets of all member counties, listing each county's revenues and expenditures and a system total of each. The State matching funds come from this budget. It should have the projected 1996-97 budget, current year's budget, and preceding year's budget.

2. Key date is July 20 for all county formally recommending formation of the Heartland Library Cooperative.

3. An Annual Plan of Service is needed, including: budget, technology plan, staffing recommendations, relation of the cooperative to the host county, and specifics of how the cooperative movies will be spent.

4. It was recommended that a written agreement from Highlands County Clerk of Courts, as the host county, be obtained about recording keeping procedures and any costs.

5. All agreed that it was important to make information available to both member libraries and the public about monies spent by the cooperative.

6. Carl Cool, Highlands Co. Administrator, commented on the need for a part-time director at this point. Mary Myers, Highlands County Library Director, was mentioned as probable choice of first Cooperative Coordinator.

7. Compensation for time spent on Cooperative business was discussed for both the Cooperative Coordinator and other library staff involved. This is to be addressed in the Annual Plan of Service.

Action taken:

1. By consensus, the Cooperative Budget and the Annual Plan of Service for the four counties is to be compiled by the county library directors.

2. Amended Interlocal Agreement and Long Range Plan documents will be sent to participating libraries within the next work week.