Library board responds to expansion squabble
At their monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 25, the Fort Myers Beach Library Board of Directors signed a contract to accept Kraft Construction Company of Naples as the main contractor for their long-range planning expansion efforts to add 18,895 square feet to their existing building for a total of 34,190 square feet. Library officials say the expansion efforts will fill the need to house a growing collection and handle expanded services.
More than 40 people from the Beach Library District attended the meeting. Board member Lori Wolf said the attendance number was the most she has seen in 10 years of serving the district.
Before the contract signing, the seven board members responded to their shared public comments about the expansion, signed off on an auditor’s report, appointed officers and unanimously approved a legal professional services agreement with Attorney Anne Dalton. After the contract was signed, Florida Statute Chapter 189 and report filing was discussed, and a public record request policy was reviewed and adopted.
During its first order of business, the library board decided to keep holding its meetings at the 2755 Estero Blvd. location, instead of a suggest move to town hall. Library Director Leroy Hommerding said an invitation to have its meeting in council chambers where the proceedings can be televised had not been officially offered.
“Mr. (Mayor Larry) Kiker has indicated so in a public meeting, but we have not received any correspondence nor invitation to that regard,” he said.
During public comment at recent town meetings, many residents have stepped to the microphone to express their objections to a library expansion during a down economical time. Thus, town council decided to pass a motion to have town officials attend the library board meeting, arrange a joint meeting between the two taxing districts (Beach Library and Town) and discuss a memorandum regarding Humphrey’s review of Florida Statute Chapter 189. The council also moved to request a facilities report from all independent special taxing districts.
However, the assigned town officials were absent from the library board meeting. According to one town official, an email exchange between town and library officials resulted in the library board stating they did not welcome the town officials into the meeting for a forum discussion, Chapter 189 was being reviewed by their own attorney and a joint meeting was deemed unnecessary.
Ironically, Councilman Tom Babcock -not one of the assigned officials and the lone dissenter to the passed motion- attended the meeting as a Beach resident. He has stated all along that he thought it inappropriate to request meetings and reports and believed library officials should take the initiative on the matter.
Library Board President Katie Corning said she was disappointed in the overall town attitude toward the expansion and expressed concerns about keeping a ‘clear separation’ between town government and the library district.
“I am really disappointed at the way the town has shown so little respect for the library board and the library,” she said. “The town’s only jurisdiction is in regards to zoning. We’ve been through the zoning process with them. They have approved our project. I don’t understand why they still entertain public comment about library business at council meetings. I think it’s disrespectful.”
Board members believe it would be irresponsible to spend taxpayer money to run a referendum just to prove the community, as a whole, wants the expansion. While she read her own memorandum regarding Florida Statute Chapter 189, Dalton stated town council unanimously granted approval on the zoning request of the expansion in June of 2008. She should know since she was the town attorney at the time.
“I think the perception that everything is done by referendum and it is something that this board has skirted is just not accurate,” said Board Vice President Karen Swanbeck. “I think the approach we have taken of surveying the public and getting input from the mass group was an appropriate one.”
“Legally, we are not required to run a referendum,” added Corning.
Eighteen people offered public comment.
Opposition concerns included a tax bill increase, no proactive communication, doubling the size of the existing library not being needed, a demand for a referendum in today’s economy, library usage statistics and a 600-name petition that was addressed to the town council and not the library board members.
Ten people applauded the expansion efforts with comments such as a delay in the well-planned project would increase the cost, maintenance cost in new library would only be a 6 to 11 percent increase and go forward with the meticulously thought-out plan of eight years. Facts shared include more than $550,000 has been spent on expansion in bringing the project to groundbreaking, while $38,975 have been collected in donations since the last board meeting in November.
“We’ve been at this for eight years,” said Wolf. “We’ve put aside money. All of this time, we’ve handled our financial responsibilities and planned as carefully as we can. I am so excited that we signed the contract tonight. Things will really start happening soon.”
The new FMB Library Board officers are as follows:
— Katie Corning President
— Karen Swanbeck Vice President
— Sally Seabury Secretary
— Judy FitzSimons – Treasurer