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Library Board Meeting

Highlights

  • 🆕 Councilor Erin Dumbrell joined as the new council ex-officio, introducing herself to the board and sharing her love of small-town libraries (her first was a bookmobile).
  • 🗳️ Consent agenda (March minutes + current agenda) approved unanimously.
  • 🗺️ Library Director Robin Dodie presented updated WCCLS service-area maps showing where North Plains checkouts originate—revealing that many borrowers live east of Highway 26 (Roy, Helvetia, Jackson School) because Jenne-Wright and Ferrey Ridge students drag their parents to the library.
  • đź’° Robin also previewed how WCCLS funding works (local-option levy + county general fund) and how the upcoming levy recalculation could reduce the city’s general-fund subsidy.

Notes

  • Introductions

    • Board members (Tim Shalik, Bridget Sorenson, Donna Medinger, Larry Gonzalez, David Hatcher) reintroduced themselves for Erin, highlighting their volunteer history and how the library anchors community life.
    • Erin emphasized she’s eager to learn how the board operates and help spotlight priority needs at council.

  • WCCLS Maps & Funding

    • Robin shared heat maps of physical checkouts and “home library” designations:
      • North Plains remains the home library for most patrons west of Hwy 26 and south past Pumpkin Ridge due to student cards at Jenne-Wright/Ferrey Ridge.
      • East of Hwy 26, many households list Brookwood or Shute Park as their home library; that’s fine (same card), but the data underscores how arbitrary the old service boundaries were.
    • The WCCLS consultant may redraw boundaries using larger “tax code areas” instead of tiny census blocks; board will stay engaged so the new line reflects actual usage.
    • Current library budget (FY 23–25): ~$1.4 M
      • City general fund still covers the majority (blue slice), with WCCLS allocation (orange) and Friends/grants (green) filling the rest.
      • If the levy increase passes, WCCLS’s share should rise, easing the burden on the city general fund.
    • Countywide, WCCLS spends roughly $40.5 M every two years; about $13 M goes toward central services (Libby/OverDrive, courier vans, IT infrastructure). That’s why local assessments fund so much more than just the North Plains staff.

Follow-Ups

  • Staff

    • Keep the board apprised of the levy timeline and how any new allocation formula would affect the FY 25–27 budget (especially staffing requests).
    • Share updated service-area drafts once WCCLS circulates them for comment.

  • Board

    • Continue outreach to east-of‑26 neighborhoods (Roy, Jackson School corridor) so those patrons feel welcome at the North Plains Library even if Brookwood is closer.
    • Consider flagging any budget needs (e.g., programming, building maintenance) in advance of the levy conversation so council can plan accordingly.