Library board records meeting/ updates work
The Fort Myers Beach Public Library Board of Directors began a recording experiment at their monthly meeting in the library conference room on Tuesday evening. They also discussed other unfinished business items including ongoing construction and Town correspondence.
The recording experiment follows authorization from last month’s meeting, when Board President Katie Corning was given permission to put together a “starter system” to record monthly meetings.
The system equipment includes a Sony Handycam video camera, tripod and several microphones. The camera can produce DVDs to make them available to the public for a nominal fee.
“I got everything for under $1,000 from Best Buy for Business,” said Corning. “We did some experimental recording over the weekend and burned it onto a DVD without any problems. It had great picture and sound quality.”
The seven board members (one in attendance via phone) unanimously agreed to charge a pre-paid fee of $1 for anyone who would like to pick up a meeting DVD at the Beach Library or have postal packaging fees charged for mail orders. They are also looking into making each meeting’s video available on the Internet.
There were concerns about website videos being distorted with partial information.
“I am pretty aware how things can be taken out of context and made to sound different when they are not played in full. So, there is some concern on my part about having more access for people to (copy) just bits and pieces,” said Board Vice President Karen Swanbeck.
“Self-preservation is a real important consideration,” Board member Lori Wolf added. “Things can get distorted very easily.”
The board members agreed to add the notice of the DVDs being for sale on the Beach Library website (www.thenewbeachlibrary.com), a site recently rebuilt by Corning to include updated weekly construction photos and updated monthly aerial photos.
Regarding the ongoing construction at the Beach Library, the treasurer’s report revealed the first round of construction bills to be $146,577.46 and an approved forecasted cost of surveillance equipment to be upward of $35,000, among the other costs.
Beach Library Director Leroy Hommerding indicated the actual construction is moving along well with underground conduits in place, a dewatering permit having been granted and a new transformer expected to be in place shortly after the Fourth of July holiday. He also reported on a blockage in the two storm basins on Bay Road.
“That’s no surprise to us at all. We knew there was a reason why this road was flooding,” said Hommerding. “Our consultants have cleaned out those two basins.”
The library director explained the blockage comes from a tree root within the 80 feet of pipe that flows to where the storm water should be draining down into Matanzas Pass.
“It’s completely blocked with a root that has grown in there over the years. I understand that the Town’s consultant should be coming here this week to replace those 80 feet of pipe,” he said.
The Town of Fort Myers Beach, which owns side streets including Bay Road, will pay for the cost of the replaced pipe.
“Public Works has worked with us so far,” said Hommerding. “We’ve made a good team.”
Hommerding, who was applauded by his board members for being very hands-on during the construction, provided an update on the temporary ramp to be put in on the Bay Road side of the building.
“It’s in the hands of the County. They said the first ramp needed to be longer than the manufacturer did,” he said. “We’re hoping that within a few days, we will have a permit for that.”
Library officials then reviewed past correspondence with Town officials, including a June 17 dated letter stating the board’s facilities report is not in compliance, needs to be corrected within a 10-day period.
“When you get right down to it, (Town Manager Terry Stewart) asked for two pieces of information. So, I wrote him a letter with those two items of information and said it was supplied to you as a courtesy,” said Corning. “The facilities report stands as filed with the County.”
The Board president disclosed the information requested to be the capacity of the current library and the expected usage when the facility is finished.
Library Attorney Anne Dalton, former Town attorney, stressed the Town “does not have jurisdiction over the facilities report and (Town Attorney) Mr. (Jim) Humprey’s opinion is irrelevant to the library because they have their government and you have yours.”
“This is strictly just additional information and we accordingly gave them an additional copy of the facilities report, which was properly filed and presented to the necessary authorities,” she added.
“I assure you that we are in the right, we’ve always been in the right and we are handling it as professionally as we can,” said Corning, who reported the library has contributed $75,687 in various permit fees to the Town.
Under public comment, Beach resident Sam Lurie called for a survey to all 7,000 registered voters, made reference to E-books usage and made reference to the library mission statement regarding the commitment of the mission in “pursuing a responsible and cost-effective matter.”
Beach resident Pat Smith replied to Lurie’s comments saying there had been a survey taken. “We’re in the middle of construction now, and it makes no sense to spend any money in my opinion,” she said. “This construction should be celebrated.”
The Beach Library Board of Directors will have a public budget workshop in the library conference room on Tuesday, July 12, at 3 p.m. Their next monthly meeting will be July 26, at 6:30 p.m.