By Jeff Kenney Citizen editor
The Culver-Union Twp. Public Library has gathered some information about its probable income loss as a result of recent property tax caps imposed by the state of Indiana, according to library director Carol Jackson. As of now, it appears that the grand total loss of income for the library in 2010 – when the caps are instituted in full – will be $159.
At the library board’s April 1 meeting, Jackson noted that other libraries are expecting far more dramatic losses in tax-derived income, citing nearby Bremen, whose library stands to lose $14,000 in 2010. She referred board and audience members to www.citiesandtowns.org, a website that details projected losses in communities across the state, and added that the Kenley proposal is the accurate guide on that site. “So,” Jackson said, “(this is) good news for us.”

Also at the meeting, the board once again discussed some details of its upcoming children’s room renovation. Specifically, the board discussed reinstituting a carpeting change in the renovation that had been struck from the plan at the last meeting.
Board member Dave Campbell explained that he and Jackson met with the architect, who pointed out that the old and new carpeting have a different pile height, and that the older carpet is likely to wear out sooner and need replaced. “He convinced me it would be better to put (the new carpet in full) in,” said Campbell, “that it’s a false economy to leave it out. The $1,600 we save now will kick us in two or three years…if we get down the road and find out we need to replace the old carpet, it’s cheaper to do so while we have things torn apart.”
Board members discussed various possibilities for leaving the old carpeting in, but eventually agreed to the probability of a total replacement. Board member Carol Saft suggested that the architects need to bring in more carpet samples. “The one they showed us was hideous…I think we need to look at something different.”
Audience member Alfred Nyby, during the public comment portion of the meeting, presented the board with a printout based on annual reports from the state board of accounts from 2005-2007 for the library.
“In 2005,” said Nyby, “the library took in receipts of $25,000 more than it spent. On Dec. 31 of 2005, the library had over $1 million in the bank. The library exceeded its receipts by $207,000 in 2006, and in 2007 by $256,000. It looks like this year you’ll exceed $300,000. That’s going to put the cash in the bank at $300,000 or less. Do you have any plans for when the library is broke, how to keep going and pay the bills?”
Jackson said that the state library did a seven-year comparison of the Culver library’s finances from 2000 to 2007, which she had already handed out to the board at the beginning of the meeting.
Nyby added that the library’s balance at the beginning of 2007 is off by over $100,000 from the end of 2006. In response to a question from board member Saft, Jackson affirmed that the state audited the library last year. “Did the state board find anything?” asked Saft.
“Some things went on,” Jackson replied. “It was noted in the audit.”
Saft said she would like to look into Nyby’s figures. “I’d be concerned, too,” she added.
Mike Fitterling, from the audience, stood and thanked Saft “for her questions and concerns.”
Fitterling asked the board members to stand up and identify themselves by name. “I normally don’t get involved in these things,” he continued, “But I wanted to see who had the deep pockets, the money burning a hole in their pockets. We’re spending so freely.”
Audience member Bobbie Rhunow questioned the choice of purple and orange as carpet colors in the renovation. Saft joined Rhunow and the audience in chuckling and assured her that the colors look better than they sound, joking that she would keep an eye on the tastefulness of the color scheme.
Marlene Mahler, from the audience, asked about the library’s pledge to memorialize the two workers who died during construction of the renovated portion of the library in the early 2000s, saying she asked about the memorials six or seven months earlier.
Jackson answered that the memorial plaques were finished and there was debate about where to place them.
In response to an audience question about trees as memorials, Jackson said she was waiting for the library parking lot to be sealed (it was repaved last year) before moving ahead with landscaping, but that she has been in touch with Culver’s Tree Commission. Dave Campbell added that the board had originally decided on plaques, but then considered trees, and had then decided to do both.
“This is six or seven years ago (that the men died),” said Mahler. “I just want something so when somebody comes in, they can see that the people in this community (care) that their family members were killed building (the library).”
Carol Saft asked where the audience wanted the plaques, and when some consensus seemed to be reached that they should be placed by an existing plaque upstairs near the elevator, Saft said, “Then let’s put them by the elevator plaque…and get that done.”
During the treasurer’s report portion of the meeting, Saft asked why there was a negative number in the children’s gift fund, to which Jackson replied that she would have to find out. Saft noted that there was a negative number there last month as well, with Jackson replying that the library accountant can shift money from one fund to another if needed. “But even in the general fund, you don’t have enough to cover the deficit,” Saft noted.
“It may be he’s applied some things to the gift fund that should have been taken out of the operating fund,” said Jackson.
Saft also asked why the library had a deficit of $31 in the Public Library Access Card (PLAC) fund. Jackson said she would investigate.
Saft asked Jackson if there was any news on money for the library’s Rainy Day fund, which Jackson reported last month was to be redistributed. Jackson said that the library did receive the money back for that fund, adding that the library received $16,000.
Saft also asked Jackson to correct any money that went into the library’s general operating fund instead of the debt services fund.
Jackson asked to point out, for the record, that the library’s monthly budget is calculated by dividing the annual budget into 12 categories. “Any yearly contract or annual fee, if we pay it out one month, may put us $100 over for that month, but we’re still totally under budget for the annual. If you look at 2008, where we are now, we should have spent about 25 percent or less of our budget, so we are well within budget.”
Saft noted several times that she would like to have financial reports before the meeting, so she can examine them in more detail and ask questions.
Board member Campbell asked Jackson about the library’s subscription to Playaway, a take-home audio book format that uses MP3 technology similar to that of an iPod. Jackson reported that the library has a one year subscription to Playaway and has about 15 of the items in stock now, with usage “starting to take off.”
Jackson also reported that the library’s new meeting room, on the lower level, is finished, adding that the children’s area will temporarily relocate to that space while renovations occur in the children’s area.
She also reported that the library parking lot, west of the building, which had been repaved one year ago, will be sealed and repainted at a cost of $2,475 which will come out of the Library Improvement Reserve Fund as a building expense.