The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2012-07-10 - AGENDA REPORTS - BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES (2)Agenda Item: 12 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT v NEW BUSINESS City Manager Approval: Item to be presented by: Darren Hernandez DATE: July 10, 2012 SUBJECT: BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES DEPARTMENT: Administrative Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council adopt a Resolution reappointing Mayor Pro Tem Kellar and Councilmember Weste to the Santa Clarita Board of Library Trustees for three-year terms through June 30, 2015. BACKGROUND Councilmember Boydston has expressed a desire to discuss the composition of the Library Board of Trustees. It is the recommendation of the Library Ad -Hoc Committee to continue to have the City Council serve as the Board of Library Trustees and to reappoint Mayor Pro Tem Robert Kellar and Councilmember Laurene Weste to new three-year terms on that body. California Education Code ("Education Code") sections 18910 through 18927 provides that a municipal public library "shall be managed by a board of library trustees" consisting of five members appointed by'the Mayor with the consent of the City Council. The Education Code empowers a Board of Library Trustees with the authority to: e Make and enforce all rules, regulations, and bylaws for the public library. e Administer trusts declared or created for the public library. • Determine the number of and appoint all officers and employees of the public library, and determine their compensation. • Prescribe the duties and powers of the officers and employees of the public library. • Purchase real property, and erect or rent and equip, such buildings or rooms as may be necessary. Each trustee holds office for a term of three years. Members of the Board of Library Trustees do Adopi:� a not serve at the pleasure of the City Council and, unlike other bodies appointed by the City Council, cannot be easily removed or replaced prior to the expiration of their term of office. On April 26, 2011, the Mayor and City Council approved the appointment of the members of the City Council to serve as the Board of Library Trustees. Subsequently, on June 28, 2011, Councilmember McLean was reappointed to a three-year term on the Board of Library Trustees which expires on June 30, 2014, and on May 8, 2012, Councilmember Boydston was appointed to complete the term of former Councilmember Laurie Ender, which expires on June 30, 2013. The Board of Library Trustee terms of Mayor Pro Tem Kellar and Councilmember Weste expired on June 30, 2012, and they continue to serve in that capacity until reappointed or replaced. The power granted by the Education Code to the Board of Library Trustees is considerable and comparable to that which the City Council has over the other operations of the city. By serving as the Board of Library Trustees, the City Council retains this authority. Conversely, by appointing non-Councilmembers, the City Council would delegate this authority to a separate Board of Library Trustees, and the City Council would retain only the authority to set the annual budget appropriation for the public library. By comparison, municipal services such as police, landscape maintenance, and public transit, which are performed by contracts similar to the libraries, are under the direct oversight of the City Council. The evaluation of the effectiveness of service delivery is similar, whether performed via contract or through municipal employees, and includes monitoring adherence to contract requirements, reviewing customer service complaints, and analyzing statistical data metrics related to service delivery. Such evaluations are routinely performed by City staff on behalf of the City Council to ensure effectiveness of services provided by both City employees and through contracts. On the issue of accountability to the public, a Library Board of Trustees composed of non-Councilmembers would be less accountable to the people of Santa Clarita. The City Council is elected by and directly accountable to the voters; a Library Board of Trustees composed of non-Councilmembers would not be directly accoutable to the citizens of Santa Clarita. City services under the direct oversight of the City Council are directly accountable to the people of Santa Clarita. In terms of comparable communities of the size of Santa Clarita, neither Glendale or Long Beach have a separate Board of Library Trustees. As charter cities, the Education Code does not apply to Glendale and Long Beach, and neither has chosen to institute a similar body through their city charter or by ordinance. As a result, the public library of each city is under the direct oversight of the city council of each city. Also, the Education Code does not require a Board of Library Trustees for counties; therefore, the governing and policy setting body for the Los Angeles County Library is the County Board of Supervisors. Since the creation of the Santa Clarita Public Library, effective July 1, 2011, there have been two items placed on the agenda that were unrelated to the construction of the Old Town Newhall Library and which required the consideration of the Board of Library Trustees, these being the Santa Clarita Public Library Strategic Service Plan on July 12, 2011, and the Revised Internet Use and Safety Policy on May 8, 2012. In addition, while the decision nearly two years ago to withdraw from the County Library and create an independent municipal library was marked by significant community debate, since the commencement of operations on July 1, 2012, there have been very few service complaints. This is particularly noteworthy, considering that during the past year our libraries had 704,402 visits, circulated (loaned) 1,063,739 items, and conducted 773 special programs that attracted 25,306 attendees. The Board of Library Trustee terms of Mayor Pro Tem Kellar and Councilmember Weste expired on June 30, 2012. It is recommended that the City Council adopt a Resolution reappointing Mayor Pro Tem Kellar and Councilmember Weste to the Board of Library Trustees for another term through June 30, 2015. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS Other action as determined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT None by this action. ATTACHMENTS Resolution RESOLUTION 12- A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, REAPPOINTING MAYOR PRO -TEM KELLAR AND COUNCILMEMBER WESTE TO SERVE AS TRUSTEES OF THE SANTA CLARITA BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita does hereby resolve as follows: SECTION 1. Findings. The City Council finds as follows: a. On January 25, 2011, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 11-2, establishing the Santa Clarita Public Library. b. Section 2.70.020 of the Santa Clarita municipal code provides that the Santa Clarita Public Library will be managed by the Santa Clarita Board of Library Trustees (`Board'). c. Section 2.70.020 further provides that the Board will consist of five trustees to be appointed by the Mayor, with the consent of the City Council. d. On April 26, 2011, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 11-27, appointing the Mayor and the City Council to serve as the five trustees comprising the Santa Clarita Board of Library Trustees. e. As required by the Education Code at the April 26, 2011 City Council meeting, and through a blind lot process, the Mayor Pro -Tem Kellar and Councilmember Weste drew the trustee term of office identified to end at the conclusion of fiscal year 2011-12. d. Concurrent to the end of current fiscal year, it is appropriate for the Mayor, with the consent of the City Council, to appoint individuals to fill the Board of Library Trustee seats scheduled to become vacant on June 30, 2012. SECTION 2. Appointment of Trustee to the Board. Mayor Frank Ferry hereby reappoints Mayor Pro -Tem Robert Kellar and Councilmember Laurene Weste to the Board for a three-year term, beginning on July 1, 2012, and ending on June 30, 2015, and the City Council hereby consents to this appointment. SECTION 3. Effective Date. This resolution will take effect immediately upon adoption. SECTION 4. Certification. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. I/- PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this day of 2012. MAYOR ATTEST: CITY CLERK DATE: STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss. CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) I, Sarah P. Gorman, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita at a regular meeting thereof, held on the day of 2012, by the following vote: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: CITY CLERK 2 ` S _ STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss. CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) CERTIFICATION OF CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION I, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of the original Resolution 12-_ adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita, California on 2012, which is now on file in my office. Witness my hand and seal of the City of Santa Clarita, California, this day of 2012. City Clerk By Deputy City Clerk