Public Library Board April 17
Revenue to date for BCPL Is $9,022,000. Expenditures are still under the budgeted amount. District expenses for the month were $630,000. Nothing unusual was reported regarding the expenditures.
There was a staff presentation on Youth Services and Outreach. The goal is being a community of literacy. Regarding outreach, they utilize the library bus. It’s somewhat hard to measure the success of this outreach but they’ve used Project Outcome to analyze outcomes. They were able to measure kindergarten readiness, which has been deemed a success.
The director requested funds to either take over a building close to the main library or build a separate facility to house the 14 administrative staff as the Archive & History section is rapidly eating into more and more of the main library’s space. Expenditure for this could range from over $1 million to as much as $2.9 million if they build from scratch. Such an expenditure will have to be approved by the fiscal court. The Board will consider.
The Boone/Florence Water Conservancy is very interested in putting a water tower by the Hebron library. However, the site they are looking at is behind the library itself which will largely be hidden from the public. They are looking into easements at this time. The 3 acres across North Bend Road that the library owns has been appraised at $77,000. This is considered low; however, as previously noted there are no water or sewage lines currently on this acreage and no cut-in or easy access. They will notify the individual who was interested; this lot adjoins his property and he is interested in purchasing it to keep it as is. If he waives the offer, the library will look elsewhere to sell the 3 acres. Motion was passed to sell the property.
With regard to the library’s strategic plan, which is still in progress, 3 additional target markets for measurement have been identified: early childhood development, local history and life experiences/life skills. This would be interpreted as the library assisting in providing life skills such as balancing a checkbook, filing taxes, financial literacy, health literacy, etc. Motion was passed to add these targets to the strategic plan.
HB5 was passed during the 2023 regular session of the General Assembly:
Amend KRS 132.140 to allow an exemption of the property tax on distilled spirits stored or aging in barrels located in a bonded warehouse or premises; amend KRS 141.389 to allow the distilled spirits income tax credit only to taxable years beginning prior to January 1, 2024, but allow the accumulated credit to be claimed after that date; prohibit the Department of Revenue from considering any settlement agreement between the department and any taxpayer having distilled spirits in a bonded warehouse to be null and void; allow the agreement to be renegotiated; require the renegotiated agreement to be promulgated in an administrative regulation following the renegotiation process.
Apparently this affects the library system as they receive a portion of this tax, which now will be reduced or eliminated (reporter unsure which) but the director indicated she’ll need to research the potential adverse impact of HB5 on the library system.
Discussion to expand tuition reimbursement to library employees and the strings that would be attached to it.
The Foundation received a $ 2,000 grant.
The library received its certification to be a GED testing site.
KDLA approved records the library is receiving to store for the county clerk’s office.