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Monique Désormeaux, Deputy CEO said the purpose of the report
is to approve recommendations aimed at adopting a Facilities Framework which
will govern investments in facilities, to direct which facilities priorities
will be developed using growth funding, and to confirm the branch renewal
priorities for 2016-2021. The Deputy CEO and Daniel Nixey, Danix Consulting,
provided a joint presentation of the Library Facilities Framework and Growth
Planning Study (LFIGPS). (Held on file with the Chief Executive Officer)
Key highlights of the
presentation:
·
Explained
that maintenance of library facilities is a key component to good stewardship
of the current facilities;
·
Detailed
that retrofit projects focus on fit-up of existing parts of branches to
better meet customers’ needs;
·
Explained
the renewal category, which focuses on existing branches by equipping them to
deliver modern day library services;
·
Provided
context for growth projects in new parts of the city where no library branch
exists;
·
Gave
an overview of the Library Facilities Investment and Growth Planning Study;
·
Gave
an overview of the study design, the growth projections, the needs
assessment, the facilities plan, and the investment plan; and,
·
Summed
up the key assumptions.
The Board heard from the
following delegations:
Councillor Jeff Leiper* thanked the Board Chair,
the CEO, and library staff for their guidance, advice, and generosity in
working with the community and his office. Mr. Leiper said that he and
members of the Rosemount Expansion and Development group (READ) are asking
the library to pause on the plan to move ahead with a renovation to the
Rosemount branch, pending one more year of business case development,
exploring re-location to provide the community with an expanded facility. The
Councillor advised that he hired a neutral facilitator and hosted two
consultations consisting of workshops, and online surveys, and he spent time
in the adjacent Parkdale Food Centre to talk with clients about how the
Rosemount branch served their needs. Mr. Leiper provided an overview of the themes
of the more than 60 page report summarizing the consultations. He asked that
the Board ensure that collaborative discussions continue, one more year be
given before the money proposed on renovation is spent, and a business case
be explored for moving the library to expanded space.
Trustee McKenney reminded the Board
that Rosemount serves the Kitchissippi ward, as well as a large part of
Somerset ward, especially west of Bronson. She thanked the members of READ
for their passionate approach to the library, and their advocacy on behalf of
the community to find a solution. She looked forward to a deserving outcome
for Rosemount.
Trustee Wilkinson indicated that
funding for a new branch may not be available for five years. Councillor
Leiper mentioned that he and his community are committed to being patient in
waiting for the results of a business case that would come a year from now.
He added he would be very supportive in seeking money from City Council and
anticipates voting yes to such a motion.
Chair Tierney thanked Councillor
Leiper for the many hours working together and for his professionalism.
Richard Van Loon, Chair, Rosemount
Library Expansion and Development Coalition, READ* is seeking a
resolution to the longstanding concerns of the Rosemount community,
emphasized in the consultations which Councillor Jeff Leiper described. Mr.
Van Loon noted the branch is heavily used, overcrowded, and obsolete. He
mentioned that during the process of READ’s monthly meetings for nearly two
years, a very productive alliance was formed with Councillor Leiper, who
provided financial assistance for public consultations. Mr. Van Loon
provided an overview of the consultation findings, which were posted on
READ’s website in June. He recommended the following:
·
That
OPL commence work as soon as possible in partnership with the local
councillor, with READ, and with the community at large, aimed at having in
place within five years, a new expanded library that provides a full array of
modern library services to the Rosemount catchment area (the branch should be
located very near to the current site and should take into consideration
recommendations from the community consultations);
·
That
OPL only complete such repairs at the current site to address immediate
concerns, keeping the focus on the finding and beginning work on a new
location;
·
If
at all possible, the current building be repurposed for another public,
community use but a functioning library branch is first and foremost the
concern;
·
Consistent
with the approach mandated by the Library Facilities Framework and Investment
and Growth Planning Study, that OPL Board direct its staff to develop a
business case for the relocation o the Rosemount branch;
·
That
the business case be completed within one year;
·
That
the capital funds presently reserved/requested for Rosemount branch
improvement/expansion be incorporated into the larger building initiative;
·
That
what remains of the $100K planning money be used for the development of the
business case and if at all possible, that the current building be repurposed
to retain its heritage significance (the only remaining Carnegie library in
Ottawa) and the new building incorporate some of the heritage aspects of the
current facility.
Knitted books provided by Deirdre
Foucauld, a READ member were distributed to the Board.
Trustee Wilkinson commented on
READ’s recommendations to have both a new location and to repurpose the
current branch, and inquired whether READ is willing to raise funds for a new
build. Mr. Van Loon pointed out that if it comes down to a choice between a
fully functional modern library or retaining the old site they would choose
the new library. As to raising money for the project, he said it would be a hard
sell when no other community in the City has been asked to raise money for a
library, however, that could be addressed in the business case.
Trustee Wilkinson commented that
other branches have been renovated to meet existing needs and that no other branch
has asked the Board to move ahead of what was planned to be done. Mr. Van
Loon said that READ is not asking for sooner; they recognize that patience is
required in order to get what the community wants. With respect to size, he
noted that should be reflected in the business case. READ is seeking a modern
facility that provides all the services which are consistent with a modern
branch.
Trustee Wilkinson acknowledged that
new branch can be simultaneously functional and be smaller because of some of
the new technology, as evidenced with Beaverbrook.
Emily Addison is a concerned resident
in the Rosemount community, a frequent customer of the branch, and a member
of READ who participated in the community consultations. She reiterated that
the Rosemount branch needs to be greatly expanded, not just renovated, providing
2014 OPL statistics with regards to circulation per square foot to illustrate
the need. She indicated that residents keep the outstanding library staff
incredibly busy as it is the fourth highest in terms of the number of
reference questions. She highlighted the diversity of the community, stating
that many of the residents depend on the branch and take advantage of all
that it has to offer. Ms. Addison said she and the public would be curious
to know how Rosemount is doing in OPL’s new measurement framework including
public computer use, WIFI use, and program attendance. She expressed
concerns with the growth of the area and provided percentages based on data
she received from the City of Ottawa. Ms. Addison acknowledged that the City
of Ottawa would like to ensure that areas of intensification continue to be
friendly to walking, cycling, and public transit, however, many residents in
the neighbourhood drive to other branches because Rosemount cannot provide
the needed services. She concluded that if the library is too small for the
current population, a renovation cannot make it a valuable branch for the future,
with anticipated intensification. The only option for Rosemount is to expand
the library at another site.
Joshua Nutt is a customer of the
Rosemount branch and a resident of the Kitchissippi ward who has followed
along with the work that READ has been doing. He attended the public
consultations and is interested in ensuring that the community has access to
the best library service possible. Mr. Nutt provided insight to what he
overheard at the community consultations. He said the overarching issue from
residents is that more space at the Rosemount branch is needed. He
referenced the consultant who asked residents to think about ideas for
renovating, and how to use the space in different ways without considering
the idea of expansion. He indicated that it became apparent that there were
too many limits on the current space and there was a shared realization that
significant expansion at the current building simply wasn’t possible. Mr.
Nutt said people at the consultations were generally open to the idea to
moving to a new location with a few caveats and conditions. The main concern
was ensuring any future Rosemount branch is close to the current location.
Mr. Nutt pointed out that it is important for OPL to continue to consult with
Councillor Leiper, READ, and the broader community, and to consider what the
library needs will be now and in the future. He spoke of the benefits of
leveraging existing relationships and forming new partnerships in order to
make sure that the best possible services are provided. He said that the
Rosemount branch can serve as a hub for community services and that it could
be an example of a great way to provide different services to a diverse
population in an intense urban environment. His emphasized that Rosemount is
vastly overused and needs more space.
[*Individuals / groups marked with an asterisk above
either provided comments in writing or by email; all submissions are held on
file with the CEO.]
Questions from the Board
were then put to staff.
In response to a question
from Vice-Chair Bergeron on whether staff is looking at options to include financing
the service gaps in the suburban area, and whether there are synergies with
the Parks and Recreation Department, Ms. Désormeaux advised that the LFIGPS
report looks at the existing fleet of facilities and the amount of space per
population; however, it does not look at synergies with city partners. She
said that the report identifies existing gaps, where the library should build
new facilities, and how best to maximize the dollars that the library
receives through development charges. In terms of how staff builds this into
the budget, Ms. Désormeaux mentioned that these are included in the three-year
capital plan and the long range financial plan. The 2017 OPL budget will see
funds for the development of architectural drawings for a branch in the Riverside
South community with future branches. Those costs will be built into the
long range capital plan.
Following up on a
question from Vice-Chair Bergeron with regards to growth in Cumberland and
whether staff is looking at potential sites in that area, Ms. Désormeaux
noted that staff is not looking to expand the existing facilities at this
point in time. Richard Stark, Program Manager, Facilities Development
advised that the City is in the early stages of the design to build an
expansion at the François Dupuis Community Centre indicating it was designed
to be able to accommodate a branch in the future.
Trustee Fisher thanked
staff and the consultant for an excellent report and presentation. She had a
question with regards to external funding outside of development charges and
at what point would the Board identify the desire to access federal or provincial
funding. Ms. Désormeaux answered that staff will work with the City to see
what funding sources are available as presented through the federal and
provincial budget processes. Other sources of funding would be to have
dedicated resources or fundraising opportunities.
In response to a question
from Trustee Higdon regarding the capacity to develop a business case as per
READ’s recommendation, given the work for the Central Library Development
project, Danielle McDonald, CEO confirmed that staff could carry out the
direction but it would be a matter of choice as staff couldn’t do many other
projects. The Rosemount expansion would become one of the priorities that
could be done as part of the facilities program.
Trustee Higdon asked
whether a Rosemount expansion would replace the renewal option that is being
presented as part of the 2017 budget. The CEO suggested the Board put
Rosemount at the top of the renewal list and bring forward a business case option
in the 2017 budget. The Board would have two options and make a decision.
Trustee Sweet said it is
important to clearly understand the need for staying within the development
charge cycle because that is the library’s primary source of new facility
funding. She asked staff to clarify the importance of taking advantage of
the development charge envelope. Mr. Nixey pointed out that if the library
does not proceed with expansion programs, it means that the average provision
per capita of space would decline, and the 10-year average be reduced. He noted
furthermore that going forward, it would be diluted to that new base, and so
it is a “use it or lose it” concept.
Trustee Sweet stated that
the City’s Planning Department target population projections have generally
been very accurate. She added that the two phases discuss the real need of a
catch-up in the suburban areas because of the amount of growth that has taken
place outside the Greenbelt. It is in the long term that the library would
see more opportunity for using development charges inside the Greenbelt. Mr.
Nixey acknowledged that both points were correct.
Trustee Wilkinson asked
if the Board did explore the option of looking at alternatives for Rosemount,
would staff look at what work may need to be completed in the short-term
versus what could wait until we can afford to build a bigger branch. Ms.
Désormeaux said that the library would have to maintain the current facility,
and that lifecycle costs would be reviewed. In the case of a business case,
the analysis would include the cost of construction, total cost of ownership,
buy/lease/sell options, etc.
Trustee Wilkinson said
that Rosemount is one of the most efficient libraries in the city and would
like a comparison of the cost of a building with one-storey compared to
two-storeys. She prefers to not renovate the Rosemount branch now if it
would be a new build in five to ten years. She asked if she understood
correctly that Rosemount would go as a first priority.
Chair Tierney indicated
that at the will of the Board, they could direct staff to consider including
the option to develop a business case for a new build Rosemount branch as
part of the 2017 budgeting process.
Trustee Wilkinson mentioned
that the new build could be attached to an existing facility, to avoid a land
cost, which would assist with timing. In response to a question from Trustee
Wilkinson regarding eligible percentages for development charges related to
existing buildings, Mr. Nixey advised that for the calculations, it would
depend on whether or not the facility that is being built or expanded meets a
legacy need and if so then that should have been dealt with. Trustee
Wilkinson said that the new build would be eligible for development charge funding
from those new residents through growth.
Trustee Wilkinson said
there are a lot of complexities in the funding but it can be looked at
through the 2018 budget. Chair Tierney reiterated the option for
consideration to come to the Board as part of the 2017 budget process. Ms.
McDonald clarified that the budget will be brought forward based on the
timetable. Once the Facilities Framework and Investment and Growth Planning
Study is approved, staff will bring forward a renewal estimate for Rosemount
as part of option 1 and as option 2, on conducting a business case for a new
build. Trustee Wilkinson asked if staff has enough time to include all that
detail in two months time. The CEO advised that they were planning on bringing
the renewal option in November so she did not foresee any concerns with
timing to develop the second option for consideration.
Trustee Wilkinson indicated
agreement with the Chair’s suggested direction.
Direction to staff:
That staff include an
option to develop a Business Case for a new build Rosemount branch for
consideration as part of the 2017 budget process.
There being no further
discussion, the report recommendations were put before the Board and were
CARRIED.
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