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2001-02-28 SP SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING February 28, 2001 MTG. #9 7:00 p.m. EVERGREEN BANK-Quaker Road JOINT MEETING OF THE QUEENSBURY TOWN BOARD CITY OF GLENS FALLS COMMON COUNCIL TOWN OF MOREAU TOWN BOARD CRANDALL PUBLIC LIBRARY Queensbury Town Board Members Moreau Town Board Supervisor Dennis Brower Supervisor Harry Gutheil Jr. Councilman James Martin Councilman Robert Prendergast Councilman Theodore Turner Councilman Nick Baker Councilman Daniel Stec Councilman Richard Hewlett Councilman Tim Brewer Town Council Bob Hafner Searleman Taylor City of Glens Falls Common Council Crandall Library Board Mayor Robert Regan Rick Leonilli Councilwoman Kay Saunders Sanford Councilwoman Teena Weber Charles Little Jr. Councilman Bud Annette Newcomb Donna 1. Farrar Mark Lebowitz Karen Howard Judy Dee David Dawkins Sharon O'Brien Secretary Jack Irion Herb Alfasso Christine McDonald Dir. Crandall Lib. Assemblywoman Betty Little 109AD MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC Bern Zovistoski, QEDC Anne Fuller, Woolworth Theatre Project Michael Brassel, Woolworth Theatre Project Warren Rosenthal, Warren Co. EDC David Blow, The Post Star Dick Emerson Richard Myott George Stec Walt Reynolds James McCarthy, So. Glens Falls School Pliney Tucker Betty Monahan Mary Accardi Peter Accardi Ron Parsons Lillian Adamson Charlie Adamson Jason Brechko Heather Shoudy Cathy Dede Heidi Cole Jane Beckmam John Michaels Richard Merrill Rovbert Joy Dan Hazewski Queensbury Supervisor Dennis Brower-Opened the meeting Welcoming the Town Boards from Moreau, City of Glens Falls Common Council and the Crandall Library Board Introduced and turned the meeting over to Donna Farrar, President of the Crandall Library Board 1.0 LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORTS Ms. Farrar noted the agenda was set tonight to list those things that we as a Library Board feel that we have to take care of, lay to rest, before we start in a new direction for hopefully an expanded library. First Item-Annual Report and Budget - Annual Budget filed with the Town Clerks of each municipality, also available at the Library also produce an Annual Report which summarizes the finances of the Library and various programs... A detailed Annual Report is also done and filed with the New York State Comptrollers Office. Meeting turned over the Christine McDonald, Director of Crandall Library Ms. McDonald gave a packet to each municipality to be filed with each Clerk listing the required filings by the Library as listed in the legislation. Reviewed the accounting practices of the Library under the uniform system of accounts for Library systems and district, filing said report with the State Comptrollers Office. Noted in the future the municipalities will receive copies of all reports filed with the Comptroller, also file as a Charities and also 501 C3 so we file a 990 each year. Spoke to the boards on registered borrowers- noted 2000 figures will be used for the 2002 budget, noted percentage of municipal borrows have changed very little over the years. Passed out report entitled Adult Services Department, December report coving the last six years. 2.0 NUMBER OF REGISTERED USERS BY MUNICIPALITY Queensbury Supervisor Brower-Questioned how is the usage calculated? Ms. Christine McDonald-That is the registered borrowers, each borrower has to show proof of ID. Spoke on the funding process: formula based on half the assessed valuation plus half the assessed valuation multiplied by the percentage of registered borrowers, the assessed valuation is the equalized assessed valuation, that is checked by the counties in each district. Unknown-Questioned the charging for cards in other locations? Ms. Christine McDonald-Noted Saratoga Springs Library did charge in the past for people outside their district they no longer do that, they do have restricted borrowing. Crandall Library is the Central Reference Library in the Southern Adirondack Library System since 1959 because we receive State monies we may not restrict our borrowing. Introduced Miriam Meier, the Acting Director of SALS Ms. Miriam Meier-Acting Director of the Southern Adirondack Library System and Director of the Joint Automation Governance Board The Joint Automation Governance Board is committed to an accurate and up to date data base of patrons. Noted each library is trained to enter its patrons under the same guidelines, one single record for each individual patron. Reviewed the process of registering borrowers. Reports can be provided on various needs of the libraries. Periodically, borrowers who are no longer active or the card has expired are purged and the database is updated. Mr. George Stec-Questioned how old you have to be to receive a card? Ms. Meier-Each Library has its own policy. Mr. George Stec-Questioned what Crandall Library sets for its expiration date on cards? Ms. Christine McDonald- Three Years. 3.0 AMENDMENT TO ENABLING LEGISLATION Ms. Donna Farra noted it is the three Boards opinion that they would like to see enabling legislation amended to clarify those sentences having to do with the district wide vs the individual municipality vote on the capital project, Queensbury has also questioned making it clearer as to how the financing is approved. Queensbury Supervisor Brower-noted if the Dormitory Authority was the funding mechanism chosen then the capital debt would become part of the annual budget, the annual budget has to be passed by the majority of the total district not by each municipality. Our boards concern is shouldn't the Capital project being passed separately by all three communities we should not only agree before it goes to the voters, upon the project itself where it is going to be, how big it is going to be, the cost, and how it is financed. Questioned joint financing, it should be clarified. If we do not all agree on the Dormitory Authority then each community would decided to fund it in their own way, we all have a portion of the responsibility for the debt it should not be the library's concern on how we pay for it. We do not want the debt as part of the annual budget we would like any debt for capital projects be separate. Town of Moreau Town Supervisor Harry Gutheil, we feel that each municipality veto power, if it did not pass in anyone of the three that is would not pass. Questioned regarding financing if there were three bonds how would you distribute it with a change based on users? Queensbury Supervisor Brower-That could be addressed up front, be part of the decision making process of how it will be financed. City Councilwomen Kay Saunders noted that when this went through the individual municipalities would not be included in the bonding that the library was on its own. Ms. Donna Farrar you are not saying you want three different bond issues but you all want input in whichever one we choose. Assemblywoman Betty O'C Little in 1992 the Library Dist. was formed, that formed the entire district and there is a section on the financing and it talks about the initial annual budget for the public library district shall not be adopted unless and until it is approved by a vote of the majority of the qualified voters of each of the municipalities casting votes at an election as heretofore provided. All future annual budgets that increase or decrease the appropriations last provided for by the annual shall be submitted to the voters of the public library district for approval by a majority of the qualified voters of the municipalities casting votes at an election. I believe that is interpreted as the majority of the whole. The Library came and asked that they be included in Chapter 672 of the laws of New York which allows the Dormitory Authority to finance among other things the library and it started naming libraries. We passed in 1999 and this is all the law says, it is an act to amend Chapter 672 ofte Laws of 1993, amending the authorities law relating to the construction and financing of facilities for certain public libraries in relation to and including the Crandall Public Library within the provisions of such Chapter. It lists all the libraries that can be financed by the Dormitory Authority and we added Crandall Public Library. When people looked a the Dormitory Authority funding it said in Chapter 672 Section 1680 of the Public Authority Laws amended by adding a new subdivision 33 to read as follows: Not withstanding any other provision of law subject to the approval of the voters pursuant to section 255 and 260 of the Education law a public library shall have power and authority to assign and pledge to the Dormitory Authority any and all public funds to be apportioned or otherwise made payable by the State or a political subdivision as defined in Section 100 of the General Municipal Law in the amount sufficient to make all payments required to be made by such public library...all state and localofficers are here by authorized and required to pay all such funds so assigned and pledge to the Dormitory Authority or upon direction of the authority and any trustee. There is no way to amend this legislation because all we did in this legislation was add Crandall Public Library, you would have to go back and clarify your initial legislation and I do not know that, that is necessary if you pass a resolution and addition to your bylaws that required a majority vote in each of the municipalities when capital construction project is taking place. Attorney Mark Lebowitz noted he agrees that we can deal with this without going back and rewrite the legislation by providing that we will not go forward with a project unless it receives the majority vote of the voters in each municipality. Unknown-suggested that it be part of the resolution in the voting booth that the Crandall Library be empowered to issue bonds provided that the resolution be approved by the majority of the municipality? Attorney Lebowitz the towns want some assurance that they have got control not just the library control, if the resolution specifies that it has to be the majority in each three towns to pass then I think it solves this Issue. Unknown questioned if anything will get done if we have to have a majority in every community? Queensbury Councilman Tim Brewer-I think not on a budget but I think on thirty million dollars yes. Ms. Farrar noted that as soon as you have one municipality vote it down they have lost their veto power you have one municipality imposing its will on another. Queensbury Supervisor Brower noted if you are indebting your citizens for thirty years for a debt that they do not pass within your own community and yet it passes overall that is a serious issue and I think Mayor Regan and Supervisor Gutheil both agree with me on that issue. We ought to be able to sell it to all three communities if it is the right project. Ms. Betty Monahan the concern has always been if it is done by the by laws in your board your board may feel like this now five years from now it could be an entirely different board and they can throw the whole thing out. Assemblywoman Little noted that original legislation has not been changed. Attorney Lebowitz I think we can deal with the issue of requiring the approval of a majority of the voters in each municipality without amending the legislation. Queensbury Councilman Stec-Questioned what are the pit falls of amending the legislation to make it clearer? Ms. Farrar questioned about adding a sentence about each municipality having approval over the type of financing then we would kill two birds with one stone? Unknown asked the definition of a capital project? Queensbury Councilman Stec questioned if that could be defined in a dollar amount? Assemblywoman Little noted a lot of times you get into problems when you do legislation, you get a lot more than what you ask fOf...noted you have to be clear, if it necessary we will do it and hope that we can get it thorough this year. Do you feel that you have to have amended legislation and you want to start amending your initial 1992 library district legislation or do you think you can do it as a resolution to your by laws? Queensbury Councilman Tim Brewer-Everyone's intent is that if the library wants to expand that we don't make South Glens Falls do what we want them to do because we have more voters, I think the legislation does not need to be changed, we have to come to an agreement, ... because the library has the best interests of everybody's constituency. They do not want to pay more for what they are doing they want to pay less and get more. It has to pass in each municipality for a major construction or it doesn't go. Representative of Moreau-Attorney Lebowitz has made a good point that it may already clarified, why do we have to change anything, I think we are talking about the understanding of what is already there rather than re-inventing the wheel. Maybe it is just clarifying the understanding. I hear the consensus of three municipalities wanting the same thing and agreeing with each other. Town of Moreau Supervisor Gutheil- Y ou can have a memorandum of understanding between the three municipalities and the library. Queensbury Supervisor Brower-The library could send a letter to the State Comptroller indicating that the three municipalities do agree upon this. Unknown-Requested that the language be put in the referendum..all three municipalities have to have a plurality in order for it to pass. Ms. Farrar-Am I hearing that the three boards would approve that? Queensbury Councilman Stec-I think Dennis idea is a good one about sending a copy of whatever we agree to, to the State Comptroller to have it on file, that would clarify intent and it would be on record. Town of Moreau Supervisor Gutheil-Noted that we will require a roll call vote at our meeting, in consensus we agree. Queensbury Councilman Daniel Stec-We will ask Bob Hafner to draw one up. Unknown-discussed having the State Education Dept. being involved in this ... Crandall Library is the central library we have a constituency beyond the three municipalities ... we have to think on behalf of that responsibility. Mrs. Betty Monahan-When the library went and asked to be part of the Dormitory Authority bill did you go with resolutions of support from each of the municipalities? Assemblywoman Betty Little-Normally when we do a piece oflegislation we have to have a home rule and we usually go to the municipalities for a home rule message I do not know if we did that because this was a library district. I think the library district itself had to have a resolution, all we were doing was having their name added to the list oflibraries that could if they chose use the Dormitory Authority. Queensbury Councilman Martin-We need better communications between the municipalities and the library boards, need to keep the dialog open. 4.0 NEW LIBRARY EXPANSION COMMITTEE Ms. Farrar-Introduced the members to the committee: Jack Irion, Chair, QB Trustee Moreau Supervisor Harry Gutheil Queensbury Supervisor Dennis Brower Glens Falls Mayor Bob Regan QEDC-Bern Zovistoski and David Capron GF LDC Representative Dan Hazewski Wm. Co. REDC-Jon Michaels So. G.F. School Supt. Jim McCarthy Chamber of Commerce-Jim Burg Hospital Representative - Raymond Agnew Crandall Library Bd- Richard Merrill Donna Farrar-G.,F. Trustee Dave Krogmann-G.F. Trustee Paul Buckman-Qsby. Trustee Rick Leonelli-Moreau Trustee Bob McNally-Qsby. Trustee Christine McDonald Crandall Lib. Director Andrea Herman-Reference Librarian Pamela Frazier-Children's Librarian Ed and or Linda Moore-Qsby. Residents 5.0 Site Criteria Mr. Jack Irion-Chairman-First Meeting 3/5/2001 7:45 A.M. Crandall Library Setting of criteria for sites for expansion... 6.0 PUBLIC COMMENT: WOOLSWORTH THEATRE PROJECT Ann Fuller and Mick Brassell gave a presentation regarding the Theatre project at the Woolworth Building .. showed renderings of the proposed project... Ms. Farrar-Questioned if the committee had addressed parking? Ms. Fuller-noted there are 1800 parking spaces within a four minute walk... Glens Falls Mayor Regan-noted new parking lot behind Woolworths building... Unknown-Questioned cost of the project and when it would be started? Ms. Fuller-If all goes well to break ground next year... cost of project including an endowment fund to help with operating costs 2.75 million actual renovation of the building 2.1 million... Unknown-questioned the seating capacity? Ms. Fuller-less than 300 seats... Unknown-will there be facilities for showing movies? Ms. Fuller-noted at this point we are planning to have the control room constructed so it could accommodate file projection equipment at a later date. Unknown-Questioned how much space and time will be available for use by community groups? Ms. Fuller-We feel the more the building is used the better for Down Town, so when the building is initially opened we are going to invite every group that we can possibly fit in there for every kind of meeting every kind of event, the more people we bring to Down Town in that facility the better it is for everyone. There will be time for community groups other than the performing arts group to use building. Unknown-Questioned if the Dinner Theatre will impact the parking... Ms. Fuller-the Dinner Theatre will not draw huge crowds so I do not feel that will impact the parking. Ms. Farrar-Spoke about fund raising for the Library, Judy Dee heading up the fund raising committee. .looking for volunteers. Asked for further comments, hearing none. Meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Miss Darleen M. Dougher