Ottawa Public Library Board Meeting

Minutes

Monday, 8 December 2014
5:30 pm

Champlain Room, Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West

Present:

Chair:  Jan Harder
Vice-Chair:  A. Bergeron
Trustees:  Amelita Armit, Jim Bennett, Keith Egli,
Christine Langlois, Danielle Lussier-Meek*, Shad Qadri,
Tim Tierney, Rose Zeidan, Marianne Wilkinson

*Trustee Lussier-Meek joined by teleconference.

Regrets:

Trustees:  Patrick Gauch, David Gourlay

DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST

No Declarations of Interest were filed.

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

Minutes of the Ottawa Public Library Board meeting of Monday, 17 November 2014, were confirmed.

REPORTS

1.

CHAIR’S VERBAL UPDATE

*The Chair’s verbal remarks are attached at the end of this document.

Staff provided the following additional information within the Chair’s verbal remarks:

c) - RAPP Packs: Alexandra Yarrow, Manager, Alternative Services provided a brief presentation, held on file with the Chief Executive Officer.

e) – Budget process and timeline: Monique Désormeaux, Division Manager, Corporate Services provided the following 2015 budget details:

Process: On December 10, Council will be receiving the budget directions and timetable drafted by the City Treasurer and reviewed and forwarded by Finance and Economic Development Committee of Council. As in the past, the City Manager will be working very closely with the Mayor’s office to table that draft budget.

Public consultation: Opportunities for the public to provide input before it is debated and adopted before Council. It will include budgets before the Ottawa Police Services Board, Ottawa Public Library, Ottawa Public Health, Committee of Adjustment and Crime Prevention Ottawa.

Budget directions and implications for the Ottawa Public Library: The report states that the Municipal portion of the property tax bill will not increase by more than 2% and so the budget envelope will increase by $1.28M. All City user fees and charges are going to be increased in accordance with the directions that are outlined in the fiscal framework and the long-range financial plan. Ottawa Public Library staff will be re-examining the meeting rental fees in accordance with this fiscal framework. The Capital program requirements for 2015 and forecast for 2016-2018 are to be developed in accordance with approved Council plans including the Transportation Master Plan, the Infrastructure Master Plan and the 2014 Development Charges background study. Staff will be developing a 4 year plan focusing on the board’s facility priorities that have been approved a few years back, the board approved growth plan; which was reviewed in March of this year, taken into account technology impacts, alternative services and any operational impacts at the long-range capital plan will bring forward.

Budget timelines and the consultation plan: the Mayor’s pre-budget consultation begins this month and will carry on through January. There will be tabling of the draft budget’s with Council on February 4^th and community consultation will occur at four city-wide meetings during that timeframe.

Board: Ottawa Public Library’s draft budget will be tabled at a meeting of the Board in January and the draft budget to be approved and forwarded to Council will occur sometime in February, while Council will approve the final 2015 budget on March 11. Staff have already began the planning process and started looking at the numbers and what that will mean for Ottawa Public Library, so we will be well positioned to bring this forward to the board in January.

MOTION No. OPL 20141208/1

That the Ottawa Public Library Board receive the verbal item for information.

RECEIVED

CONTENT AND TECHNOLOGY

2.

AUTOMATED MATERIALS HANDLING SYSTEM – MAINTENANCE CONTRACT

OPLB-2014-0112

In response to a query from Trustee Bennett with respect to a modification made to the document on the day of the meeting, Anna Basile, Program Manager, Planning and Board Support noted that the modification was minor accessibility edits to the formatting piece. She pointed out that the information is posted to both sites as they are now integrated together. Trustee Bennett said that staff should email Trustees if there are significant modifications made to documents in future.

Trustee Bennett questioned the increase of the full-service agreement from $162,743 U.S. dollars to $182,429 for this year and asked the number of times the vendor comes to make adjustments or repair the system above and beyond those four maintenance checks. Jennifer Stirling, Division Manager, Technology and Content pointed out that she doesn’t have the number of visits but would get back to Trustee Bennett. She noted that the contract covers all parts and labour and the vendor does make a lot of visits to the Tallwood site because the delivery depends on it running.

In response to an inquiry from Trustee Bennett on the number of smart bins expected to be needed when the RFID is fully implemented, and to estimate how much the contract will cost in the future, Ms. Stirling mentioned that staff will investigate.  Danielle McDonald, Chief Executive Officer noted that Trustee Bennett’s point is an interesting one and she would be interested in reviewing the contract with that in mind.

Chair Harder pointed out that they were going to try it out and see how it worked and not necessarily stay with the same vendor. Ms. Stirling advised that this contract is limited to the Automated Materials Handling System and are looking at piloting other options.

Vice-Chair Bergeron mentioned that they should keep in mind that when the prices are compared for an annual contract that is negotiated in U.S. dollars over the years, there will be an impact.

There being no further discussion, the report recommendation was put to the Board and was CARRIED, as presented.

MOTION No. OPL 20141208/2

That the Ottawa Public Library Board approve a Full Service Agreement (FSA) contract for the Automated Materials Handling (AMH) system (including 149 Smart Bins) in the amount of $182, 493 USD plus applicable HST, covering the period from January 1 – December 31, 2015.

CARRIED

3.

ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE FOR BOOKMOBILE SPRINTER

OPLB-2014-0113

In response to a question from Vice-Chair Bergeron on where the extra funds are going to be sourced from for the additional expenditure, Jennifer Stirling, Division Manager, Technology and Content noted that they are going to fund the $19,000 from existing capital from account 906401.

Chair Harder asked when the alternative service delivery report was going to be brought back to the Board and Danielle McDonald, Chief Executive Officer noted that the report is scheduled for the second quarter of the year.

Chair Harder pointed out that there needs to be a larger discussion about the cost associated for the sprinter versus bookmobile and that the process has to be more cohesive and have best practices in place before it is in the budget.

In response to a question from Trustee Tierney with respect to whether the gas is a bulk purchase, Brenda Gorton, Account Manager, Financial Services Unit stated that Ottawa Public Library is under the City fleet pricing contract.

There being no further discussion, the report recommendation was put to the Board and was CARRIED, as presented.

MOTION No. OPL 20141208/3

That the Ottawa Public Library Board approve the additional expenditure of $19,278.00 to increase the $110,000 approved envelope for the Sprinter van for Bookmobile Service.

CARRIED

CORPORATE SERVICES

4.

SUCCESSION PLANNING FOR THE SENIOR LEVEL

Monique Désormeaux, Division Manager, Corporate Services provided a brief presentation which is held on file with the Chief Executive Officer.

In response to a query from Trustee Qadri on whether staff was looking at other departments, Ms. Désormeaux advised that the Ottawa Public Library’s Human Resources department is looking across the entire corporation.

MOTION No. OPL 20141208/4

That the Ottawa Public Library receive this presentation for information.

RECEIVED

PLANNING AND BOARD SUPPORT

5.

BOARD GOVERNANCE ACTION PLAN AND AD-HOC WORKING GROUP UPDATE

OPLB-2014-0115

MOTION No. OPL 20141208/5

That the Ottawa Public Library receive this report for information.

RECEIVED

6.

2014 CALENDAR OF REPORTS, OUTSTANDING INQUIRIES, MOTIONS AND UNSCHEDULED REPORTS

OPLB-2014-0116

MOTION No. OPL 20141208/6

That the Ottawa Public Library receive this report for information.

RECEIVED

ADDITIONAL ITEM

With the consent of all members present and voting, pursuant to Section IX(9.12) of the Procedure By-Law (By Law May 13, 2013) the following Motion was moved to add this item for consideration:

MOTION No. OPL 20141208/7

That the Ottawa Public Library Board approve the addition of this item for consideration by the Board at today’s meeting, pursuant to Section IX(9.12) of the Procedure By-Law (By Law May 13, 2013).

                                                                                    CARRIED

7.

BOOKMOBILE TENDER

OPLB-2014-0117

Chair Harder provided background to outline the re-tender, staff brought forward a report several months ago asking for an extra $200,000 over and above what was budgeted for the tender that had come in for the Bookmobile and the Board wasn’t happy with that and asked staff to go out again to look at both a front and rear-end wheel drive vehicles to see if there was a difference in price. She thanked fleet staff and the Chief Executive Officer to have the information before the Board today to not lose any more time.

In response to questions from Trustee Wilkinson on having a surplus in the budget and a credit back from the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), Jennifer Stirling, Division Manager, Technology and Content stated that the tender has to include the HST for supply management to issue the purchase order and then the HST is credited back. Brenda Gorton, Account Manager, Financial Services Unit advised that it will be coming from the existing capital budget as there is some excess capacity. The funds will be transferred from another capital project that is not going to be spent and not from other projects that are unspent. She further added that this is part of the re-alignment of the tangible capital assets for the expenses that can’t be spent in capital anymore. Ms. Stirling noted that $254,000 will be coming out of account number 907051 and $11,000 will be coming from technology account number 907049.

There being no further discussion, the report recommendations were put to the Board and was CARRIED, as presented.

MOTION No. OPL 20141208/8

That the Ottawa Public Library Board approve:

1.            A conditional tender award (subject to further due diligence against bid terms, conditions, and specifications compliance) for supply and delivery of a Bookmobile to Harper Bus Sales, Mississauga, Ontario for $506,184.63 ($447,951.00 plus $58,233.63 HST); and

2.           The transfer of existing capital funds in the amount of $265,000   to ensure the necessary total funding to enable the purchase.

                                                                                    CARRIED

OTHER BUSINESS

Chair Harder thanked the Trustees for each of their role on the Board and stated that there have been many successes. She noted that the Mayor has made a commitment to the central library which is exciting news. She also thanked staff for the dedication.

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION No. OPL 20141208/9

That the Ottawa Public Library Board meeting be adjourned at 18:15.

NEXT MEETING

To be determined