Budget Committee Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING
SILVER FALLS LIBRARY DISTRICTSilver Falls Library Program Room
410 S. Water St., Silverton, Oregon
Committee Members Present:
Michael Milhausen Jeff Gunter
Chris Childs Bill Wilson
Kathy Beutler Ingrid Green
Christine Mayou Doug Tedrow
Ralph Sorensen Dmitry White
Staff Present: Board Members Absent:
Christy Davis, Director None
Stacy Higby
Public Present:
CALL TO ORDER
President Milhausen called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m.
Introductions: new committee member Dmitry White
Selection of Budget Committee Chair – Kathy nominated Doug Tedrow. Michael seconded.
Vote: Unanimously selected.
REVIEW OF AGENDA
No changes.
Budget Message and Presentation
Possible cuts/reductions to consider:
Review of Proposed Budget
Discussion of the proposed budget included the following, based on questions from the Committee:
Resources
Requirements
Public Comment
No members of the public present.
Approval of Proposed Budget and
Approval of Tax Rate of $0.5748 per $1000 of Assessed Value
Motion: To approve the proposed FY 2020-21 budget totaling $1,953,784 as presented, and approve the Tax Rate of $0.5748 per $1000 of Assessed Value.
(Motion by: Chris Childs. Second by: Kathy Beutler).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion: To adjourn the meeting at 6:29 p.m.
(Motion by: Ralph Sorensen. Second by: Jeff Gunter).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
__________________________________________
The next Library Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 30 at 2:00 p.m. in the library program room
Approved: _________________________(date)
_______________________________________
Michael Milhausen
President, Library Board of Directors
Silver Falls Library District
BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING
SILVER FALLS LIBRARY DISTRICTSilver Falls Library Program Room
410 S. Water St., Silverton, Oregon
Committee Members Present:
Michael Milhausen Jeff Gunter
Chris Childs Bill Wilson
Kathy Beutler Ingrid Green
Christine Mayou Doug Tedrow
Ralph Sorensen Dmitry White
Staff Present: Board Members Absent:
Christy Davis, Director None
Stacy Higby
Public Present:
CALL TO ORDER
President Milhausen called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m.
Introductions: new committee member Dmitry White
Selection of Budget Committee Chair – Kathy nominated Doug Tedrow. Michael seconded.
Vote: Unanimously selected.
REVIEW OF AGENDA
No changes.
Budget Message and Presentation
- The budget proposed represents the best case scenario, but we know it’s probably going to be more dire than that.
- Increased Prior Years Taxes revenue in 2016-2019 is due to Comcast settlement and unlikely to remain high.
- Interest revenue is also expected to decrease as rates are down 1% from this time last year.
- Reviewed tax receipts from 2006 forward, looking at recession years for an idea of what to expect. Tax receipts continued to go up, even during the recession years.
- Housing market remains strong.
Possible cuts/reductions to consider:
- Retirement vacancies may be filled from within or not filled. Employees who fill those positions from within will not be replaced.
- Longevity and performance reviews will be taken into account, but layoffs will probably be whoever is newest in any department.
- Personnel Services is the biggest expense and will likely have to be reduced.
- Materials expenditures could be cut up to 50% but most Periodicals spending is on 2-yr contracts, so no significant changes can be made.
- Limiting the Library’s hours may be considered after reopening. Sunday hours historically begin in September but could be postponed or canceled. The Library also may close earlier in the evening to reduce costs in personnel and utilities.
- Conference, travel, minor equipment could be cut significantly.
- Programming budget could be reduced if necessary.
Review of Proposed Budget
Discussion of the proposed budget included the following, based on questions from the Committee:
Resources
- Starting July 1, if we continue spending at our current rate out of the new budget, it will be 4.5 months before we get an idea of what the tax revenue will be, and we will have spent money that may not be replaced. There’s no way to predict that now, but we can be extremely frugal with spending from July 1 through November, and some immediate reductions from retirements will help.
- Summer library usage is complicated to predict because we usually see lots of kids in the Summer Reading Program (SRP), but ALA and the State Library have recommended moving to an online format for SRP, which we have done. Until new guidelines are released from the governor, we don’t know if we’ll be allowed to open or how many people would be allowed in the building.
- The amount budgeted for Fines and Fees income has already been reduced, but with overdue fines suspended during this time, and the recent switch to automatic renewals, this amount will likely be even lower. CCRLS has recently decided that the couriers are essential workers, and the directors have been asked to consider when courier service should resume. This decision will likely be made at a meeting of PYM (Polk-Yamhill-Marion) directors on May 8.
- We don’t know if CCRLS Reimbursement income will also be reduced as a result of lower county tax revenue.
- If relief money is received, it will be added to the budget through a budget resolution and documented on a separate or sub-line.
- The State has indicated they expect a 25% reduction in revenue, so the Board and Library Director will be very careful about spending and oversight.
- The best-case scenario budget does not put us at a disadvantage as we will not be able to spend any revenue received above our expectations without a budget resolution, so the consensus is that it’s better to approve the budget as presented, with the knowledge that significant cuts in spending are expected.
Requirements
- Two levels of spending curtailment if revenue is less than anticipated are 1) action by the Board, and 2) action at the administration level by the Library Director.
- Increased costs for delivery service include $150 annually for insurance, and up to $50 per week in mileage reimbursement. Staff hours are not increased, but the service is labor intensive so we don’t plan to continue providing it any longer than necessary.
- The expense for email service migration is due to CCRLS no longer providing the service to member libraries.
Public Comment
No members of the public present.
Approval of Proposed Budget and
Approval of Tax Rate of $0.5748 per $1000 of Assessed Value
Motion: To approve the proposed FY 2020-21 budget totaling $1,953,784 as presented, and approve the Tax Rate of $0.5748 per $1000 of Assessed Value.
(Motion by: Chris Childs. Second by: Kathy Beutler).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion: To adjourn the meeting at 6:29 p.m.
(Motion by: Ralph Sorensen. Second by: Jeff Gunter).
Vote: Unanimously in favor.
__________________________________________
The next Library Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 30 at 2:00 p.m. in the library program room
Approved: _________________________(date)
_______________________________________
Michael Milhausen
President, Library Board of Directors
Silver Falls Library District
