[EBR Library Board of Control on March 21, 2024.]
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I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE MARCH 21ST EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH LIBRARY BOARD OF CONTROL MEETING TO ORDER.
AND MS. KATHY, CAN YOU SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FOR US? PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
ALLEGIANCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, OF AMERICA INTO REPUBLIC FOR WE STANDS, ONE NATION, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
NEXT, WE WILL HAVE THE ROLL CALL BY MS. ANTOINETTE HERE, PRESENT HERE.
LET THE RECORD REFLECT WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
NEXT IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY 18TH, 2024 AND FEBRUARY 15TH, 2024.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? WE APPROVE.
ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTIONS HAVE BEEN, I MEAN, THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS SPECIAL ORDERS.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO REPORTS BY THE DIRECTOR.
THE FINANCIAL REPORT WILL BE READ BY MS. PENNETT FOR 2023.
OPERATING EXPENDITURES ROSE TO 87.78% OF THE OPERATING BUDGET.
THIS NUMBER IS NOT FINAL, THOUGH, AS ADJUSTMENTS AND CHARGES WILL CONTINUE TO BE RECORDED FOR ANOTHER ONE TO TWO MONTHS FOR 2024 BECAUSE YEAR END WORK ON 2023 CONTINUES.
VERY FEW EXPENDITURES HAVE BEEN RECORDED AS OF FEBRUARY 29TH.
EXPENDITURES ARE $6,065,453 AND 15 CENTS, OR 11.51% OF THE OPERATING BUDGET THROUGH FEBRUARY.
WE SHOULD HAVE SPENT NO MORE THAN 16.67% OF THE BUDGET.
CASH COLLECTIONS FROM PROPERTY TAXES FOR 2024 ARE SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THOSE COLLECTED IN 2023, AS WE ARE APPROXIMATELY 3.4 MILLION AND 6.8100000000000005% AHEAD OF THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
CASH COLLECTIONS FOR 2023 WILL BE FINALIZED WHEN FOURTH QUARTER INTEREST EARNINGS ARE FINALLY POSTED, WHICH AGAIN, MAY TAKE ANOTHER ONE TO TWO MONTHS.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL REPORT? THANK YOU.
NEXT ON, ON THE AGENDA, ASSISTANT REPORTS W WHICH WILL BE READ BY MS. MARY STEIN.
I FIRST WANTED YOU TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WE PUSHED OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA LAST MONTH ONCE WE GOT NUMBERS IN.
UH, AND I WILL SAY THIS WAS A SHAMELESS COPYING OF WHAT OTHER LIBRARIES ARE DOING AROUND THE, THE STATE AND AROUND THE WORLD.
UH, IF YOU ADDED UP THE COST OF ALL THE BOOKS THAT WERE CHECKED OUT BY OUR PATRONS LAST YEAR, IF OUR PATRONS HAD HAD TO PURCHASE THOSE BOOKS, IT WOULD'VE COME TO MORE THAN $26 MILLION.
THAT DOES NOT EVEN INCLUDE THE EBOOKS, BECAUSE WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT, I WAS LIKE, THAT DOESN'T SEEM ENOUGH, DOES IT? SO WHEN YOU THINK, WHEN YOU ADD TO THIS NUMBER, THE VALUE OF THE EBOOKS, THE MILLION PLUS EBOOKS THAT WERE BORROWED BY OUR PATRONS IN 2023, AND THEN YOU START TO THINK OF THE OTHER LESS CONCRETE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, WHICH IS PEOPLE ATTENDING A STORY TIME, PEOPLE COMING TO A MOVIE, P PEOPLE GETTING A REFERENCE QUESTION ANSWERED.
PEOPLE GETTING CAREER COUNSELING, PEOPLE GETTING RESUME WRITING ASSISTANCE, PEOPLE ATTENDING A CONCERT OR THE BALLET.
AND THEN PEOPLE USING OUR MEETING ROOMS FOR PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.
THE OUTREACH SERVICE, DELIVERING MATERIALS TO THE PRESCHOOLS AND THE LEARNING CENTERS AND THE RETIREMENT CENTERS.
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JUST GONNA GO UP AND UP AND UP AND UP.SO THIS IS A DIFFERENT WAY TO THINK ABOUT THE LIBRARY.
WE DON'T ALWAYS HARP ON IT, BUT I WANT TO PRESENT IT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
YOU WILL SEE US HARP ON IT A LITTLE BIT MORE AS THE YEAR GOES ON.
THE STAFF HAVE RETURNED FROM A SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO SHREVEPORT, WHERE WE ATTENDED THE LOUISIANA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.
UM, I WENT, OUR NEW DIRECTOR WENT, UH, SEVERAL MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF PRESENTED.
AND THERE YOU SEE JENNA JARI PRESENTING, UH, UH, THE LATEST TRENDS IN ADULT FICTION.
YOU SEE TARA, DURING OUR CHILDREN'S COORDINATOR PRESENTING THE LYRIC CHOICE BOOKS FOR THE K THROUGH SECOND GRADERS.
YOU MAY RECALL US TALK, TALKING ABOUT LYRIC BEFORE.
THAT IS THE LOUISIANA'S YOUNG READER'S CHOICE PROGRAM, WHICH IS A STATEWIDE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE BEEN PART OF THAT PROGRAM SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY WHAT STARTED AS A WAY TO HIGHLIGHT THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE.
AND TEEN LITERATURE HAS NOW BEEN FULLY ACCEPTED BY SCHOOLS ALL OVER THE STATE TO THE POINT WHERE SOME SCHOOLS EVEN GET VOTING MACHINES DELIVERED TO THE SCHOOLS AND THE CHILDREN READ THE BOOKS AS PART OF CLASS OR MAYBE FOR SUMMER AS A REQUIRED READING, AND THEY VOTE FOR THE BOOKS OF THEIR CHOICE.
AND THEN IN THE FALL AT THE LOUISIANA BOOK FESTIVAL, THE NUMBER ONE AUTHORS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.
AND WE ARE JUST SO HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THIS SERIES, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HARD TO CRACK CROWDS OF THE TEEN READERS, THE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL READERS WHO YOU JUST REALLY HAVE TO WOO.
SO I WILL SAY THAT YEARS AGO, WE, WE JUST BORROWED HARRY POTTER FROM BEING ON THE LIST.
HE, BECAUSE HE WOULD'VE WON EVERY TIME, BUT IT'S THE NEW BOOKS FROM TWO YEARS AGO, BECAUSE IT TAKES THAT LONG FOR THE BOOKS TO GET INTO THE SCHOOL MARKET AND FOR THE BOOKS TO BE AFFORDABLE IN PAPERBACK FOR MOST, MOST CHILDREN OR SMALL LIBRARIES, BECAUSE OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO GET A BOOK THE FIRST YEAR IT COMES OUT.
BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA GET 50 OF, OF A HARDBACK BOOK FOR CHILDREN.
WE'LL WAIT UNTIL IT COMES OUT IN PAPERBACK, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO, UH, IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER, YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT WHERE WE STEPPED AWAY FROM THE BOOK.
AND THERE YOU SEE WESLEY MORGAN, WHO IS ONE OF OUR STEM LIBRARIANS DEMONSTRATING SKILL MILL.
NOW, I'VE TALKED ABOUT SKILL MILL BEFORE.
THAT'S THE ONE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WEAR THE OCULUS GLASSES, BUT IT'S SURE MORE FUN IF YOU DO.
YOU CAN USE A JOYSTICK, YOU CAN USE YOUR FINGER, YOU CAN USE YOUR MOUSE, BUT YOU HAVE TO USE A COMPUTER OF SOME KIND.
AND THIS IS TRAINING FOR TRADES, AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, SOLAR POWER, UH, MAINTENANCE OF LARGE BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE OF SMALL BUILDINGS, SAFETY.
AND THIS IS A FABULOUS RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE BEEN PUSHING OUT FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.
AND HE WAS DEMONSTRATING IT TO OTHER LIBRARIES AROUND THE STATE.
UH, SHALL I SAY, SOME OTHER LIBRARIES HAVE FOLLOWED OUR LEAD SINCE WE FIRST GOT THIS AND STARTED BRAGGING ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT FEELS SUCH A WONDERFUL NICHE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT BASED ON THE, THE, I WANNA SAY READER RAVES, IT'S NOT READERS, THE ENGAGEMENT OF OUR PATRON CITIZENS WHO HAVE DONE THIS AND BUILT THEIR CONFIDENCE, UM, GOTTEN CERTIFICATES THAT THEY COULD THEN PRESENT TO THEIR EMPLOYERS, UH, IN HOPES OF UPPING THEIR CAREER PATH.
OR ACTUALLY FIGURE OUT IF THEY WANT TO BE A PLUMBER OR AN ELECTRICIAN OR A SOLAR POWER PERSON BEFORE THEY WASTE THE TIME AS AN APPRENTICE.
UM, SO BASED ON THAT, WE ARE EXPLORING HEADSET TRAINING RIGHT THIS MINUTE.
IN FACT, I JUST PASSED THE CAREER CENTER PRACTICING WITH, UM, HEADSET FOR CAREER PATHWAYS, WHICH GOES IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION BECAUSE THIS IS FOR THE SKILLED TRADES.
BUT WE WERE ASKING, WELL, WHAT ELSE IS THERE? AND THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS.
SO WE'RE EXPLORING SOMETHING CALLED
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TRANSFER.UM, AND IT'S A SIMILAR MODEL, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE, UH, SIMULATIONS IN HEALTHCARE.
UM, SOME EDUCATIONAL, UH, CERTIFICATIONS.
NOW REMEMBER, WE DON'T, WE DON'T ISSUE A CERTIFICATE, THE KIND THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO GET.
WE, WE CAN'T TAKE THAT COST, BUT WE GET 'EM READY FOR IT AND THEN CONNECT 'EM WITH WHO THEY NEED TO BE TO, TO GET THAT PROPER CERTIFICATION.
SO THIS BUNDLE THAT WE'RE INVESTIGATING HAS EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND SOME BASIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UH, OUR CAREER CENTER STAFF, WE'RE, WE'RE TESTING IT OUT.
THE REFERENCE STAFF HAS ALREADY PLAYED WITH IT, BUT INCLUDES AUTOMOTIVE Y'ALL, INCLUDING DIESEL AND AVIATION.
AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO WITH CTECH COMING UP.
IT ALSO INCLUDES MANUFACTURING AND THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
SO THAT WOULD PRETTY MUCH COVER A LOT OF BASES IF WE COULD OFFER THIS.
IT'S THE SAME KIND OF THING, A SEAT MODEL AND, AND YOU, YOU USE IT OR YOU LOSE IT.
UH, UH, ARE WE TIED IN, IN ANY WAY WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WELL HAS THIS KIND OF, UH, THEY DO NOT, BUT THEY KNOW WE HAVE IT.
AND JACKIE JONES, WHO IS THE DEAN OF LIBRARIES, THERE WAS SO EXCITED WHEN WE ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE GETTING IT.
AND SHE IS SENDING US STUDENTS.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE, I MEAN, IT'S, UH, YOU, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SHOULD HAVE IT, BUT THAT, WELL, I MEAN, WE HAVE IT AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'LL GET IT.
BUT, UM, IT WOULD JUST BE, UH, AN ENORMOUS PROGRAM.
RIGHT? AND SINCE WE ALREADY WORK AND PARTNER WITH CTEC, WHICH DOES AUTOMOTIVE, AND OF COURSE THEY'RE TRAINING HIGH SCHOOL KIDS AS WELL AS BRCC KIDS, UM, THIS WILL TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO GET THE FEEDBACK FROM THE REFERENCE STAFF AND THE CAREER STAFF ABOUT THIS NEW PRODUCT.
'CAUSE WE KEPT ASKING SKILL MILK, ARE YOU GONNA DO CARS? ARE YOU GONNA DO CARS? AND THEY INVESTIGATED IT.
THEY WERE RESPONSIVE TO US, BUT IT'S BEYOND THEM RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, ANDREW FOUND THIS OTHER GROUP.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
ALRIGHT, SO WE WENT, WE SAW, WE MET PEOPLE AND WE HEARD ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, INCLUDING SOMETHING THAT'S AT YOUR DESK.
UM, YOU HAVE AN INVITATION IN FRONT OF YOU FOR BREAKFAST AT THE BARRACKS OR LUNCH AT THE STATE LIBRARY ON APRIL 9TH.
THE R OR IS IT ANN? YOU CAN COME TO BOTH.
UH, UH, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HAS INVITED US TO JOIN HIM FOR BREAKFAST AT THE BARRACKS ON APRIL 9TH.
UH, THIS WILL BE DURING NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK, AND IT'LL BE LEGISLATIVE DAY AT THE CAPITOL.
SO YOU WOULD GO STAY AS LONG AS YOU WANT.
BUT AS, AS, UH, ON MY OWN TIME, TECHNICALLY WE FEEL THAT WE COULD GO ON WORK TIME, BUT WE LIKE TO KEEP IT A LITTLE CLEANER THAN THAT, JUST IN CASE ANYONE WOULD HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT IT.
UM, SO WE'LL GO AND REPRESENT OUR LIBRARY AND OUR PARISH AND ASK QUESTIONS OF OUR CONTINGENT, OUR COHORT, OUR LEGISLATIVE COHORT.
THEY'LL ALL BE INVITED TO THIS.
I INVITE YOU TO INVITE THEM TO MEET YOU AT BREAKFAST OR LUNCH.
LUNCH WILL FEATURE A SPECIAL PRESENTER, DR.
AND WE HAVE HAD HIM AT THE LIBRARY BEFORE, AND HE'S MARVELOUS ABOUT BUILDING YOUR BRAND.
SO HE'S, HE'LL BE THERE AS THE LUNCHEON SPEAKER.
AND IN BETWEEN BREAKFAST AND LUNCH, WE WILL BE AT THE STATE CAPITOL.
SO, UH, WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THAT FROM THE STATE LIBRARIAN AT LLA.
AND WE'RE KIND OF GETTING OUR DUCKS IN A ROW FOR THAT.
Y'ALL, WE HAVE HAD SUCH GOOD, GOOD FUN, GOOD DELICIOUS DELECTABLE, DELIGHTFUL FUN WITH TASTING HISTORY.
THE KICKOFF PARTY, IN SPITE OF THE DREARY DRE WEATHER.
AND PEOPLE PASSED A GOOD TIME, AS WE SAY.
UH, THERE YOU SEE RJ AND ZYDECO
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MOVE.AND HERE YOU SEE RJ AND ZYDECO MOVE.
I LOVE SEEING THE YOUNGEST DANCE.
SO WE PUT THE BAND IN HERE, WE PUT THE VENDORS EVERYWHERE, AND WE ASKED A LOT OF FRIENDS TO COME THERE.
AND, UH, THERE'S ONE OF OUR PARTNERS, REDICK SPICE MADE SPECIAL.
IT WAS ONE BOOK, ONE COMMUNA, TTEA.
DELICIOUS FOOD, INCLUDING THOSE ALL.
THOSE ALLIGATOR POPS WERE DELICIOUS.
AND THEN OUR FRIENDS WITH THE FARMER'S MARKET AND THE STATE MUSEUM, THE RURAL LIFE MUSEUM TASTE OF MID-CITY, UH, MANSHIP THEATER CAME BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING FOOD, UH, FILMS. UM, LSU, RURAL LIFE, HERB PEOPLE.
AND THEN MY FAVORITE EDIBLE BOOK FEST.
THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN HAVE COMMUNITY.
ONE OF OUR WINNERS WAS, UM, THE ROMAINE OF THE DAY.
THEN WE HAD RAUL DOLLS, THE BLT, WHICH WON FOR MOST DELICIOUS.
THEY GOT OUT OF THE ROOM WITH THAT.
UM, THE MOST HORRIBLE LOOKING ONE TO ME WAS 20,000 LEGUMES UNDER THE SEA.
THEY SLICED OPEN A HOT DOG AND MADE THAT MIMIC THE OCTOPUS ON THE COVER OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S VERSION OF JULES VERNE'S CLASSIC.
UM, MY FAVORITE WAS, UM, MOBY DIP.
IT WAS, OH, THEY WERE, THEY DIDN'T GET OUT WITHOUT THAT BEING EATEN.
AND I ALSO WAS ESPECIALLY FOND OF ONE FLEW OVER THE COUS COUS NEXT.
UM, THERE'S ONE OF OUR YOUNG PRIZE WINNERS, BECAUSE REMEMBER, YOU COULD BE OLD, YOU COULD BE YOUNG, YOU COULD HAVE A TEAM.
WE HAD FAMILIES ENTER, WE HAD, UH, ROMANTIC PARTNERS ENTER, WE HAD LIBRARIANS ENTER, AND WE HAD PEOPLE WHO, WITH VERY TWISTED SENSES OF HUMOR, ENTER, INCLUDING A TALE OF TWO CHILIES.
AND Y'ALL, THIS IS THE GUILLOTINE.
SO WE HAD 29 ENTRIES AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE VOTED.
SO IT, IT, EDIBLE BOOK FESTIVAL NUMBER THREE WAS A BIG SUCCESS.
WE ARE KEEPING UP WITH THE EXPLORING FOOD WAYS.
JUST A FEW DAYS AGO IN THIS ROOM, CHEF PERA, WHO SAID, IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, EAT 'EM.
THAT'S THE GENTLEMAN WHO'S ON A MISSION TO, UH, GET RID OF INVASIVE SPECIES LIKE NUTRIA BY COOKING THEM UP FOR DINNER.
SO WE'VE ALREADY HAD HIS NUTRIA GUMBOS.
SO THIS TIME HE BROUGHT WILD BOAR.
AND WE'LL BE HOSTING THE INTERNATIONAL TASTE FAIR HERE AT THE LIBRARY THIS COMING SUNDAY.
AND ON THE AIRWAVES, THE ADVOCATE FOOD EDITOR, JAN RICHER, HAS BEEN DOING A PODCAST FEATURING SOME OF THE RECIPES FROM THE BOOK, AND OF COURSE, ALSO GAVE US SOME, UM, REAL NICE, UH, COVERAGE IN THE DAILY ADVOCATE.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT SHE'S DOING.
WE HAVE SOME MORE THINGS COMING UP.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA JUST CALL HER POET LAUREATE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU EVER STOP BEING A POET LAUREATE ONCE THEY'VE LAURE LAUDED YOU.
UH, MONA LISA
WE'LL DO A PROGRAM ON TEA AND LITERATURE, AND HER TEA WILL RANGE FROM JANE AUSTEN TO MAS WAY OF, UH, AND THE BUSH TEA.
ALL KINDS OF TEA USED AS A DEVICE OR AS A, AS A, AS A PLOT DEVICE.
THROUGHOUT WONDERFUL LITERATURE, MAX MILLER WILL BE HERE HIMSELF ON OCTO, I'M SORRY, APRIL 20TH IN THIS ROOM.
AND JUST REMEMBER, READ ONE BOOK.ORG IS WHERE ALL THE EVENTS GO.
WE HAVE EVENTS FOR CHILDREN, WE HAVE EVENTS FOR TEENS.
SOME OF THEM ARE COOKING, SOME OF THEM ARE EATING.
SOME OF THEM ARE MAKING CRAZY, CRAZY THINGS.
WE DID HAVE SOME OTHER GOOD TIMES AT THE LIBRARY RECENTLY.
THE ROOM WAS SO FILLED WITH CANINE LOVE.
THERE WERE, I WANNA SAY 53 DIFFERENT DOGS INSIDE.
SO WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO GO OUTSIDE.
AND THERE YOU SEE THE CANINES DEMONSTRATING WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
BUT BIG DOGS, LITTLE DOGS, DOGS
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THAT WERE VERY WELL TRAINED, AND DOGS THAT NEEDED SOME TRAINING, BUT, UH, THE CHILDREN AS WELL.AND, UH, PEOPLE COULD FIND OUT WHAT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BREED WERE, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA GET THE WRONG DOG FOR YOUR FAMILY.
UM, AND, UH, JUST FOR FUN, I WAS TWEETING ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT OUR READING DOGS BEING USED BY THE CHILDREN THE THOUSANDS OF TIMES LAST YEAR, WHERE THE CHILDREN CAN PULL DOWN THE STUFFED ANIMAL DOG AND READ TO THEM WITH NO JUDGMENT, NO JUDGMENT.
HAD A LOT OF MUSIC THIS SPRING AND MORE TO COME, UH, BECAUSE IN HONOR OF MARCH 17TH, WE WENT CELTIC WITH LADY CHOPS AND MADAM DULCIMER, AND THEY WERE HERE AND THERE AROUND THE PARISH, OUT FRONT OUT.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD A CHOIR OUTSIDE.
AND IT, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE WEATHER COOPERATING.
BUT THE UNIVERSITY HIGH, UM, LAB, SCHOOL CHOIRS, DIFFERENT CHOIRS CAME OUT AND PERFORMED.
IT WAS WONDERFUL, CHARMING MUSIC.
SWEET, SWEET MUSIC, FILLED THE AIR AND INSIDE BECAUSE OF THE STRINGS.
UH, WE HAD THE CIVIC ORCHESTRA JUST A FEW DAYS AGO.
AND AGAIN, MORE TO COME, JUST LOOK IN THE NEWSLETTER.
UM, AS WE HEAD TOWARDS THE APRIL THAT SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHDAY, HE'S, UH, HE AND DR.
SEUSS, YOU KNOW, SNS THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH THE BIG NAMES FOR LIBRARIES.
AND WE CELEBRATE BOTH OF THEM IN THE, IN THE SPRING.
SO, SHAKESPEARE IN THE LIBRARY, HERE'S SOME IMAGES FROM, UH, UH, A PERFORMANCE HE DID IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE PARISH.
HE WAS HEADING TO DELMONT RIGHT AFTER THAT.
SO, I, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS PERFORMING ARTS GROUP.
THEY REALLY MAKE IT REAL FOR THE KIDS.
IT IS BEEN BUSY THESE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS TO WELCOME WILL HILL AND BRENT BACK TO THE LIBRARY TO CELEBRATE THE, UM, THEY'RE NOT GRANTEES AND THEY'RE NOT EVERYONE'S A WINNER, BUT THE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO HAVE COMPLETED THIS MILESTONE OF READING AND RECORDING 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN.
UM, WE KEEP PREACHING JUST 15 MINUTES A DAY.
AND THE CHILD WILL HAVE THE VOCABULARY.
THEY WILL HAVE AMASSED AT LEAST 2000 WORDS.
THEY'LL BE READY TO BE READY TO LEARN.
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN.
SO THIS YEAR, THIS IS A SECRET EVENT.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN THE NEWSLETTER.
WE DON'T INVITE YOU TO COME UNLESS YOU'RE ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE KNOW JUST FINISHED.
SO, UH, LIKE I SAID, WE'LL TELL YOU ABOUT IT AFTER THE FACT, BUT IT'S NOT THE KIND THAT WE OPEN THE DOOR AND SAY, COME ON, COME ON.
THE CHILDREN RECEIVED THEIR CERTIFICATE.
THEY RECEIVED A SIGNED AUTOGRAPHED BOOK BY WILL BRT, AND HE ALWAYS DRAWS SOMETHING.
HE'S SO GENEROUS WITH HIS TIME.
THE PARENTS, OF COURSE, WHO'VE DONE THE WORK GET ALL THE PRAISE AS WELL.
AND THEN SOMETIMES HE TAKES THEM OUTSIDE IF THE WEATHER IS GOOD, AND THEY GO WALK THE GARDEN STORIES.
AND WE'VE MADE SURE TO FILL THEM WITH ONE OF HIS BOOKS.
SO WE LOVE WILL AND, AND HE HAS ALLOWED US TO USE HIS IMAGES, COPYRIGHT FREE FOR THE LIBRARY CARDS THAT THE CHILDREN GET FOR THE MASCOT BEAR, FOR THE ARTWORK THAT GOES WITH A THOUSAND BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN.
HE'S JUST BEEN SO GENEROUS WITH HIS TIME AND HIS TALENT, AND WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF WONDERFUL COMMUNITY HELPERS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED WITH OR WHO HAVE ENGAGED US.
SOME TOOK PLACE IN THIS BUILDING.
AT THE TOP, YOU SEE, UH, KIND OF A DIFFERENT ORGANIZING PROGRAM.
IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, OUR CERTIFIED ORGANIZER, ALYSSA CLAIRE, PRESENTED A PROGRAM ON HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE FOR HEALTH.
ALL THE MEDICAL HEALTH STUFF YOU HAVE TO ORGANIZE, AND THEN HOW TO CREATE TIME IN YOUR LIFE TO BE ON THE FRONT END OF WELLNESS INSTEAD OF ON THE BACK END OF ILLNESS.
UM, WE ATTENDED PROGRAMS. THIS ONE WAS, UH, THE GEOGRAPHY OF OPPORTUNITY, A RECENT STUDY BY THE BATON ROUGE AREA FOUNDATION, TALKING ABOUT WHERE THINGS ARE AND WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PEOPLE.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL PATHS THAT JUST ARE SCREAMING TO BE FOLLOWED? AND WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO SEND STAFF TO A PROGRAM DONE BY SOME HEALTH, UH, PROVIDERS ON THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS.
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WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT OUR STAFF SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS.A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, WE'VE HOSTED THE PUBLIC SAFETY ROUND TABLES.
UH, TWO DAYS AGO I WENT TO SAVE HOPEFUL HEALTHY AT THE RIVER CENTER BRANCH.
WE'VE, UM, GONE OUT AND BEEN PART OF THE LOUISIANA STEM NETWORK.
THE 19TH JDC FIRST APPEARANCE FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER HAS CELEBRATED ITS SECOND ANNIVERSARY.
THEY MEET ON FIRST TUESDAYS AT THE RIVER CENTER BRANCH, AND HELP FAMILIES WHO ARE FACING SOME JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE KIND OF NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM AND KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
WE HOSTED THE BIKE, UH, FREE BIKE HELMET GIVEAWAY, PART OF THE BATON ROUGE BIKE SHARE REIMAGINED PROGRAM HERE AT THE LIBRARY.
AND KATRINA SPOKE AT THE ROTARY, UH, NOT TOO LONG AGO.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF HOW WE'RE GETTING OUT THERE FOR BUSINESS AND CAREER.
WE HOSTED THE SMALL BUSINESS MATCHMAKING SESSION AT THE RIVER CENTER BRANCH WITH HUNDREDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES AND LARGE BUSINESSES THERE TRYING TO MEET, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE, THE B2B MATCH.
WHO WORKS, WHO NEEDS WHOM, BECAUSE WE NEED EACH OTHER.
UH, WE HOSTED SUITING 1 0 1 OUT THERE IN THE PARKING LOT AND OUR CAREER CENTER'S OPERATING ON ALL CYLINDERS.
UM, HOW TO BECOME AN EXXON MOBIL OPERATOR IS ONE OF THE BIG ONES THAT PEOPLE REALLY LIKE.
MASTERING THE JOB INTERVIEW, HOW TO SUCCEED AT A JOB FAIR.
PLEASE DON'T SHOW UP IN YOUR SHORTS AND YOUR BLUE JEANS, AND HOW TO LOOK AT THE SKILLS AND THE INTEREST THAT YOU HAVE TO PICK THE RIGHT CAREER FOR YOU.
PERSON FOR THIS MONTH WAS ALSO IN A CAREER BENT.
WE CHOSE A GENTLEMAN WHO STARTED HIS BUSINESS RIGHT HERE IN THE LIBRARY MEETING IN OUR SMALL ROOMS, USING SOME OF OUR ONLINE RESOURCES TO THE POINT WHERE THEY WERE ONE OF, UH, VOTE.
THEY WON SOME MAJOR AWARDS AS, UH, A GOOD GROWING BUSINESS AND AN EXCELLENT BUSINESS TO WORK AT WITH HUBLEY.
AND THE FUN THING FOR US IS IT'S GONE FULL CIRCUIT, FULL CIRCLE, AND THEY ARE ONE OF OUR VENDORS NOW.
SO THEY ARE A SMALL BUSINESS WHO FIGURED IT OUT, WORKED THROUGH THE PROCESS, GREW AND GREW, AND NOW THEY'RE GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND SERVING OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AS THEIR BUSINESS.
UH, OUR SPONSORED CONTENT IN THE BUSINESS REPORT WAS ALSO SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS AT THE LIBRARY.
AND I'M SHAMELESSLY PLUGGING THE FACT THAT WE'RE OFFERING HOURS, OPEN HOURS EVERY THURSDAY UPSTAIRS, NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED.
BUT IF FOUR TO SIX ON THURSDAY IS NOT CONVENIENT FOR YOU AS A SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR, THEY'LL MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND THEY'LL MEET YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO MEET AT A TIME THAT WORKS FOR YOU.
VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALKS, JUST, IT'S LIKE WE PLANNED IT.
UH, THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN TABLE IS ONE OF OUR APRIL SPEAKERS.
IT'S, IT'S LIKE THEY SAW THAT WE WERE DOING TASTING HISTORY FOR OUR ONE BOOK, ONE COMMUNITY AND PICKED SOMETHING THAT WENT ALONG WITH THAT.
SO I'M KIND OF STOKED ABOUT THAT.
STRICTLY BUSINESS OPERATING ON ALL CYLINDERS.
AND MY REMINDER TO PUT APRIL 20TH ON YOUR CALENDARS.
NOW I'VE INVITED YOU TO LEGISLATION DAY.
I'VE SHARED THE FACT THAT STAFF'S OUT AND ABOUT DOING THINGS, MEETING PEOPLE, SHARING THE GOOD NEWS THAT THE LIBRARY HAS THINGS FOR THEM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? DID YOU, ARE YOU ABLE TO TASTE THE BUSH TEA FROM THE LADY'S DETECTIVE AGENCY BOOK? YES, SHE IS GOING TO.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF, UH, FOLKS KNEW WHAT THAT WAS FROM.
THEY'RE LIKE A WARM BATH, AREN'T THEY? IS IT, UH, IS IT IN BOTSWANA? YES, IT'S IN BOTSWANA.
BUT I AND MA UE, UH, IS, IS OUR DETECTIVE, UH, WHO OWNS THE LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY.
TO THE SHOCK OF HER, IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE SHOCK OF HER FATHER IF HE HAD BEEN ALIVE TO SEE HER DO IT.
BUT WE WILL BE TASTING SEVERAL DIFFERENT TEAS AT THE, AT THAT EVENT.
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COME THIRSTY.AND, AND REDICK IS ALSO, UH, USING TASTING HISTORY FOR THEIR CURRICULUM FOR SOME OF THEIR PRIVATE COOKING CLASSES THAT THEY'RE OFFERING.
SO A LITTLE BIT HERE AND THERE.
A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS ARE PLAYING WITH SOME OF THE RECIPES.
MOVING ON TO OTHER REPORTS, THE MAINTENANCE AND ADDITIONAL CAPITAL REPORTS WILL NEXT.
THE REPORTS WILL BE READ BY PATRICIA HUSBAND.
SO ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES IS WORKING ON AN RFP FOR BOILER REPLACEMENTS FOR EDEN PARK AND GREENWALL SPRINGS.
UH, THE ELEVATORS AT RIVER CENTER ARE ALL FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.
UM, THE BOILER IS NOW WORKING AT DELMONT, AND I MEAN, IT HAS BEEN WORKING.
AND THEY GOT A, A REPRESENTATIVE, A MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE OUT THERE TO LOOK AT IT AND DO SOME ASSESSMENTS AND HELP WITH THAT.
AND THEN AT CARVER, THE WATER LINE'S BEEN FIXED, BUT WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THEM TO POUR THE CONCRETE.
UM, FOR THAT TO FINISH UP THAT LAST BIT OF THAT PROJECT.
AS FAR AS MISCELLANEOUS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UM, FOR OUTREACH.
AS A REMINDER, THE AC UNITS ARE SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE IN MARCH.
AND I SAW SOMETHING COME ACROSS MY EMAIL JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO THAT SAID THAT THEY WERE GONNA START WORKING ON THAT SUNDAY, OR THEY WERE TRYING TO GET CONFIRMATION THAT THEY WERE GONNA START WORKING ON INSTALLING THOSE AC UNITS SUNDAY.
AND THE CHANGE ORDER SUBMITTED TO THE COUNCIL HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND THE CONTRACTOR'S BEEN NOTIFIED.
UM, AT THE ROOFING REPLACEMENT, THE CONTRACTOR HAS DEMOLISHED THE LIMESTONE AROUND THE CUPOLA AT JONES CREEK AND HAS FRAMED IT UP.
AND WHEN I TALKED TO ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES, UM, THE, THE PERSON ON THAT CONTRACT, UH, SAID THAT THE SHEATHING AND THE BUILDING WRAP MAY BE UP FOR WATER CEILING, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A DATE FOR THE WINDOW INSTALLATION.
SO THEY'RE GONNA REWRAP THAT AND PUT, UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE STUCCO ON THERE.
AND THEN THE INSIDE, THEY'RE GONNA REPLACE THE WINDOWS.
AND WE'VE GOT THAT AREA ROPED OFF RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO JONES CREEK IS STILL OPEN, BUT WE JUST HAVE THAT AREA ROPED OFF.
UH, WE HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED, ACTUALLY, I THINK NEXT WEEK TO REVIEW THE PROGRESS, UH, ON THIS AND ON OTHER ITEMS IN THIS PROJECT.
UM, TRANSITIONS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN THE MEETING ROOMS AT JONES CREEK, WHERE WE PUT SOME TILE AT THE DOOR ENTRANCE.
AND, UM, WE'RE WAITING THE ARCHITECT'S REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF IT.
WE HAD SOME ROOF LEAKS LAST WEEK AT DELMONT AND BLUEBONNET AND THE CONTRACTOR'S GONNA ADDRESS THAT.
AND, UM, THE HANDRAILS, THAT BLUEBONNET STILL NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED.
AND THE CONTRACTOR IS WORKING ON REPAIRING LEAKS, AS I SAID, UM, EITHER ON THE ROOFS OR THE GUTTERS.
AND, UM, AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES, HELP WITH THIS AND OTHER PROJECTS AS WE WORK THROUGH THEM.
UM, FOR THE MULTI BRANCH IMPROVEMENTS, THE CHANGE ORDER HAS BEEN SIGNED AND WE'LL GO BEFORE THE COUNCIL AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
AND THAT'S THE CREDIT FOR ONE LIGHT AT PRIDE AND WINDOW REPLACEMENTS AT DELMONT AND REPLACING OF THE FLOORING IN THE COMPUTER AREA AND, UM, REPAIR OF A COUNTERTOP CARVER.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING I HAVE IS THAT, UM, BLUEBONNET, UM, THE PEOPLE IN BRANCH SERVICES, MY ASSISTANTS, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, LET ME PUT IT THAT WAY.
AND I WENT OVER THE, UH, BLUE BONNET FLOOR PLANS TO SEE WHAT HAD BEEN UPDATED AND WHAT HADN'T BEEN.
WE SUBMITTED THOSE COMMENTS TO ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES AND, UM, THEY'RE GONNA SUBMIT THEIR COMMENTS BACK TO THE ARCHITECT AND WE HOPE TO GO OUT BID SOON ON THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT'S SHORT AND SWEET, BUT THAT'S ALL I GOT.
ANYTHING, ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? OKAY, GREAT.
MOVING ON TO MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY ON THIS THING? 'CAUSE I KNOW I'M A LITTLE SHORT HERE.
UH, I HAVE BEEN THROUGH QUITE A NUMBER OF MEETINGS IN THE SEVEN WEEKS THAT I'VE NOW BEEN ON THE JOB
[00:35:01]
KNOW OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR LIBRARY BRANCHES, AS WELL AS OUR, THE INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES AND WE SERVE, BUT ALSO WITH CITY PARISH OFFICES, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AS WELL AS THE CONSTRUCTION MEETINGS, WHICH HAVE BEEN VERY FASCINATING.IT'S VERY EXCITING TO BE, UH, PART OF BUILDING NEW LIBRARIES, UH, IN ORDER TO BRING MORE SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
UH, VERY QUICKLY, I JUST WANT TO MENTION, UH, AS SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE AWARE OF THE CITY PARISH WIDE JOB STUDY THAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, ALL OF OUR LIBRARY STAFF HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE.
HR AND THE MANAGEMENT ADVISORY GROUP SCHEDULE HAVE, UH, TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED THIS REPORT TO BE PUBLISHED IN JULY, I BELIEVE IT IS.
UH, WE ARE PREPARED TO MAKE THE NECESSARY BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS SHOULD THE STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE SALARY INCREASES AND THE CITY PARISH APPROVES.
UH, I WAS, UH, VERY, CAN I, CAN I MAKE A QUICK COMMENT ON THAT? PARDON, SIR? SO I'M THE LEAD FOR THAT PAGE STUDY.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY A PAGE STUDY THAT I PUT IN PLACE.
SO THE, THE ONE THING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS WHEN THIS THAN, UH, OTHER PAGE STUDIES IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT CIVIL SERVICE, UH, AND IN WAY IT STARTED, UH, WAS DPW AND SOME OTHER FOLKS, BUT WE BROKE IT DOWN WITH THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THEY WERE SPENDING ABOUT 11 MILLION BUCKS, UH, TO OUTSOURCE 84 JOBS.
UH, UH, ESSENTIALLY 84 JOBS TO JACOBS.
AND THE NUMBERS, WHEN I DID THEM AT THE, ON THE PAPER AT THAT TIME, CAME OUT TO ABOUT 136,000 PER HEAD.
AND THEY WERE ACTUALLY ONLY GOING TO DO 42, UM, PEOPLE TO REPLACE THE 84 THAT WE HAD.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THAT, WE'RE WILLING TO SPEND MORE FOR SOMEBODY ELSE THAN TO PAY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WORK HARD FOR OUR CITY PARISH EVERY DAY.
UM, AND BASED ON TRADITIONAL CORPORATE MODELS, THEY COULD LITERALLY PAY SOMEBODY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A JOB THAT THEY WERE PAYING 50 OR 40 FOR.
SO THAT'S HOW MUCH MONEY WAS ALREADY BUILT INTO THAT.
AND SO WHEN I, UH, I HAD A LEGISLATIVE AID THAT LEFT IN DECEMBER, AND THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE, HER PAY WAS 53,000 PLUS SALARY WAS 35.
I'VE NEVER SEEN 40% IN BENEFITS IN MY LIFE.
AND SO THIS STRUCTURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT BE PREPARED TO ADJUST AND PAY, YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO, OUR GOAL IS TO LOOK AT THE HEAVY BENEFIT PACKAGES, RESTRUCTURE THEM TO LOOK AT A MODEL FOR BOTH 401K, ONLY 401K AND PENSION HYBRID, AND THEN PENSION ONLY DEPENDING ON WHERE SOMEBODY IS IN TERMS OF VESTING INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO NOT GETTING RID OF PENSION, BUT OFFERING OTHER OPTIONS SO THAT IT'S NOT SO HEAVY THAT, SO THAT THE ADDITIONAL MONIES THAT ARE ALREADY BUILT INTO YOUR SALARY, SALARY CAN ACTUALLY BE TAKE HOME PAY.
SO I JUST WANT TO CLEAR THAT UP FOR YOU.
UH, AS MARY MENTIONED EARLIER, WE, UH, SEVERAL OF US ATTENDED THE, UH, LOUISIANA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE EARLIER THIS MONTH.
UM, IT WAS THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE.
I'VE ABSOLUTELY ENJOYED SEEING THE PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS, UH, MEETING MANY OF MY LOUISIANA COLLEAGUES.
I WAS, UH, TOLD BY SEVERAL THAT MANY, UH, HAD WORKED HERE PREVIOUSLY AT EBRL AND ALL OF THEM HAD NOTHING BUT GOOD TO SAY.
SO IT WAS VERY, VERY NICE TO HEAR FROM THEM AS WELL.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT, UH, WELL THE LAST THING I HAVE TO MENTION HERE IS, UH, MARY HAD RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM BOARD MEMBER RONNIE PIERCE EXPRESSING HIS WISH TO, UH, ATTEND THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE IN SAN DIEGO, THE END OF JUNE, BEGINNING OF JULY, AND HAS ASKED THE LIBRARY TO COVER HIS TRAVEL EXPENSES.
UH, WE CONSULTED WITH THE CITY PARISH FINANCE DEPARTMENT, THEY RESPONDED THAT WHILE CITY PARISH DEPARTMENTS MAY COVER A BOARD MEMBER'S TRAVEL EXPENSES TO A CONFERENCE, IT'S NORMALLY DONE.
SO UNDER EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES, I BELIEVE WAS THE PHRASING, UH, SUCH AS SEEKING CANDIDATES FOR A NEW DIRECTOR.
UM, BUT THAT BOARD MEMBER MUST FILL OUT A TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION FORM AND STATE THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP AUTHOR.
THE AUTHORIZATION FORM ITSELF WOULD, UH, NEED TO BE SIGNED BY THE BOARD PRESIDENT AS I CANNOT AUTHORIZE, UH, TRAVEL FOR A BOARD MEMBER.
AND ADDITIONALLY, BECAUSE THE BOARD MEMBER IS NOT ON PAYROLL, UM, THEY MUST FRONT THE, UH, TRAVEL EXPENSES AND THEN FILE A REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
I'M GONNA MAKE ANOTHER COMMENT ON THAT.
AND THIS WHAT I ALWAYS ASK, I'M JUST A SOMEWHAT OF A REBEL IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT, BUT EITHER ASK, IS IT A BEST PRACTICE OR IS IT A LAW? WELL, THERE'S, I TOLD 'EM IF WE DIDN'T CHANGE, UH, THE RULES WOULD STILL BE IN SLAVERY.
SO THAT MEANS BEST PRACTICES CAN HAVE BETTER PRACTICES, SO JUST GO PUSH BACK ON THEM.
AS LONG AS IT'S NOT THE RULES, IT'S YOUR MONEY, IT'S IN YOUR BUDGET.
[00:40:02]
SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT THAT, UM, THAT SAME OFFER WOULD BE, WOULD APPLY TO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS IF THERE WAS AN INTEREST YES.MY REASON FOR ASKING TO ATTEND WAS TO GET A BOARD MEMBER'S PERSPECTIVE ON NEW TECHNOLOGY.
I, I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE FOR A BOARD MEMBER TO HAVE THEIR OWN INPUT OR, OR A BOARD MEMBER'S INPUT INTO THE, UH, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF BUDGETING, THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO SEE THE THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND TO OBSERVE AND, AND FIND OUT WHAT OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS ARE DOING.
OO OTHER DEPARTMENTS DO THE SAME THING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUSTIFY THAT IF YOU WANNA MAKE THE LIBRARY BETTER AND GO SEEK BEST PRACTICE AS YOU SHOULD.
SO THAT SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE.
UH, REALLY MY ONLY CONCERN IS, UH, NORMALLY SPEAKING, WHEN IT'S A STAFF MEMBER, I SIGN OFF AS, UH, AUTHORIZATION ARE THE, WHAT, WHAT DOES THE FORM SAY EXACTLY? I QUITE CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER.
IN THIS CASE, THE, WHAT MY CONCERN IN THIS CASE WAS, UH, AM I THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY OVER A BOARD MEMBER? HOWEVER, WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING THAT TO THE BOARD PRESIDENT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING WE WOULD HAVE TO, TO CHECK.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HEARING IT.
RONNIE HAS NEVER BROUGHT IT UP THAT, THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA FOR THE, ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, SOUNDS AS IF HE SPECIFICALLY WAS TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF IN THAT REQUEST.
BUT, UM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT I THINK WOULD BE, WOULD'VE BEEN GREAT TO JUST KIND OF, UM, TALK ABOUT AT THE MEETING OR TALK ABOUT WITH EVERYBODY TO SEE, YOU KNOW, BUT I, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS GONNA BECOME WHAT IT HAS BECOME.
OH, I THOUGHT I WAS JUST MAKING A SIMPLE REQUEST.
LOOK, I'M GONNA EMAIL THE, UH, PARISH ATTORNEY AND JUST GET A LEGAL RULING ON IT AND THEN THAT SOLVES EVERYTHING ELSE.
THE REST OF THE STUFF IS JUST, UH, RHETORIC.
I'M JUST, I HATE Y'ALL, NOT IT.
AND, AND ONE OF MY, IF IT IS NOT A LAW AND THE MONEY'S THERE AND YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT, IF THERE'S NOT A LOT THAT RESTRICTS YOU TO COVER ANYBODY ON THE BOARD 'CAUSE OF METROPOLITAN AIRPORT BOARD DOES IT AS WELL.
THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT RULES, BUT I'LL SEE.
I'LL JUST, I'LL SEND A QUICK EMAIL TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY, WE'LL GET IT TAKEN CARE OF.
AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT A MATTER OF MONEY BECAUSE I DID AN ANALYSIS AND OVER THE PAST, I THINK I CITED 11 YEARS, WE SPEND AN AVERAGE OF ONLY 52% OF THE TRAVEL AND TRAINING BUDGET.
SO A LOT OF THAT MONEY, FOR WHATEVER REASON, IS NOT USED ON TRAVEL AND TRAINING.
NOW, IN MY ANALYSIS, I DID EXCLUDE THE YEARS OF 2020 AND 2021 BECAUSE OF COVID AND THE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES THAT IT, UH, IT REQUIRED OR, OR TURNED INTO, LISTEN, WE DO THIS AS A COUNCIL, THEY DO IT AS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
THEY AIRPORT THE NO, NO NEEDED, NO NEEDED EXPLANATION.
AT LEAST TO ME, THEY DO IT ALL OVER CITY PARISH.
REALLY WHERE I'M COMING FROM IS I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE FILL OUT THE PROPER, UH, FORMS AND PAPERWORK.
I THOUGHT THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS.
PROBABLY MORE FOR PRESIDENT THAT WOULD'VE TO SIGN OFF ON THAT, OR WOULD IT BE THE METRO COUNCIL THAT IS THEIR APPOINTING AUTHORITY? WELL, I'M, I'M GONNA ASK THAT AS WELL.
SO I'M EMAILING THE ONE, ONE OF THE PARISH ATTORNEYS RIGHT NOW TO FIGURE OUT AND, UH, JUST TELL 'EM, AND LOOK, I'M BAD WITH NAMES.
TELL ME YOUR NAME ONE MORE TIME.
DOLORES, I KNOW YOU, I KNOW YOUR NAME.
AS SOMEBODY WHEN I WAS, UH, WITH JUST ATTEND LIBRARY BOARD MEETINGS, THAT'S JUST A, A, A CITIZEN, OFTEN THE, UM, THE PRESIDENT OF THE LIBRARY BOARD PERHAPS WOULD GO, UH, TO THESE VARIOUS NATIONAL MEETINGS.
AND SO THAT WAS, UH, I, I THOUGHT, UM, UH, UH, THAT PERHAPS THEY DID.
NO, WHEN IT WAS IN NEW ORLEANS, WE GOT EXHIBIT PASSES FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO GO TO GO.
AND ONCE, WHEN WE WERE THINKING ABOUT DOING JOB INTERVIEWS IN THE SUMMER,
[00:45:01]
THE BOARD PRESIDENT WAS PREPARED TO GO AND THEN ULTIMATELY DID NOT GO.AND THEN WE'VE HAD, UM, OF COURSE WHEN LLA IS IN BATON ROUGE, WE MAKE SURE YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT IT AND IT WILL BE IN BATON ROUGE NEXT YEAR.
AND THERE IS A SPECIAL LUNCHEON FOR TRUSTEES, WHICH IS WHAT A BOARD MEMBER IS.
AND WE TRY TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE GENERALLY THERE'S A PROGRAM OF INTEREST TO YOU.
AND, UH, WE WANNA OF COURSE MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS ALL OUTLINED IN A NEW BUDGET BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO LINES FOR THAT.
AS RONNIE POINTED OUT, WHEN WE CAN SUPPLEMENT WITH FREE WEBINARS AND MINIMIZE THE TRAVEL, WE CERTAINLY DO.
SO WE HAVE RECORDED LESS EXPENSES THAN WE BUDGETED FOR IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
SO, SO WE JUST KNOW THAT TRAVEL CAN BE A HOT BUTTON TOPIC FOR THE MEDIA AND MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY, AS MS. WATTS SAID, UM, SO THAT IT'S VERY OBVIOUS THAT THIS WAS AN ORGANIZED THING, UM, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN ANOTHER PARISH THAT WE DON'T WANNA READ ABOUT IN THE ADVOCATE.
AND I'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE OF THE MEETINGS, UH, MID, MID-WINTER MEETING AND, UH, OTHER MEETINGS AND THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD STUFF GOING ON THERE.
BUT I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT WE USUALLY HAD SOMEONE THERE REPRESENTING US IN THE MEETINGS THAT I WENT TO, UH, THAT WERE GETTING THE INFORMATION THAT THAT, THAT WE NEEDED.
I WAS ALSO CHECKING OUT WHEN YOU WENT ON YOUR OWN.
I WENT ON MY OWN, DON AND, AND MARY, I JUST SENT IT TO COURTNEY HUMPHREY, BUT I COPIED YOU ON IT.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS UNDER REPORTS BY DIRECTOR? YEAH.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE UNAPOLOGETIC AND NOT CARE ABOUT PUBLIC OPINION IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
AND I'M JUST, THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT ON IT.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO A CONFERENCE TO, EVEN IF IT'S THE NETWORK BILL BEST PRACTICES, NOBODY THAT'S GETTING PAID ON THE LIBRARY.
NONE OF Y'ALL EMPLOYED BY THE LIBRARY.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA OPEN YOUR OWN LIBRARY.
SO ANY KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU GAIN, YOU'RE BRINGING BACK, AND MOST OF THESE CONFERENCES, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE SPONSORS AND PARTIES AND OTHER STUFF.
THAT'S KIND OF SOME OF THE HOOK TO GET YOU TO COME AS WELL.
BUT IT'S OKAY TO HAVE FUN DURING THE DAYTIME AND WORK YOUR BEHIND OFF AND GO TO A DINNER OR PLAY AT NIGHT.
UH, WHATEVER SOMEBODY HAS, WE DO IT AS A METRO COUNCIL ALL THE TIME.
THEIR STAFF GOES ON A THOUSAND TRIPS.
SO I JUST DON'T WANT Y'ALL TO WORRY ABOUT PUBLIC PERCEPTION AS LONG AS YOUR INTENT IS IN THE RIGHT WAY AND YOU'VE WRITTEN THE SCOPE OF WORK OR, OR REASON FOR WHY YOU WANT TO TRAVEL AND YOU CAN JUSTIFY IT.
AND I BELIEVE MAYBE FOR THAT, WE CREATE SOME SORT OF RULE FOR THE BOARD WHERE YOU SUBMIT THE REASON, IF YOU DO HAVE A BOARD WHERE YOU WANNA TRAVEL TO, I MEAN A, AN EVENT, AND AS LONG AS THE BOARD CAN, YOU CAN PRESENT AND JUSTIFY IT, AND THE BOARD VOTES TO APPROVE IT, THEN YOU'D HAVE A CONSENSUS.
SO IT WOULDN'T JUST BE ONE PERSON ON AN ISLAND.
IT MAKES WHAT YOU DO WORTHWHILE SOMETIMES AND, AND THE BEST PRACTICE AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU GET FROM 'EM, YOU CAN'T GET IN BATON ROUGE.
IF YOU COULD, YOU WOULDN'T GO TO THE CONFERENCE.
YEAH, WE, WE PROBABLY NEED TO, I THINK ABOUT THIS IS, I THOUGHT AT ONE POINT, UH, WITH LIBRARY STAFF, UM, GOING TO THE, TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCES AND TO THE LOCAL CONFERENCES THAT, UH, YOU MIGHT, UH, SELECT THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE OR, OR FIVE PEOPLE TO GO WITH WITHIN THE WHOLE LIBRARY SYSTEM AS NEEDED.
UH, AND THAT IS FROM THE STAFF, UH, PERSPECTIVE, UH, FOR TECHNOLOGY, YOU MIGHT, UH, WE MIGHT LOOK AT THE SAME THING IF, UH, IF BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO ATTEND LIKE TWO BOARD MEMBERS OR ALTERNATE, UH, BOARD MEMBERS IF THEY WANNA GO TO NATIONAL CONFERENCES.
BUT, UM, WE CAN JUST DISCUSS IT AS WE GO ALONG.
IT DEFINITELY, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, THAT NATURE THAT WE WANT TO CONSIDER, IT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF AND THAT WE HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT MAY BE BECAUSE, BECAUSE EVERYONE ISN'T GONNA BE CONCERNED WITH THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE MAY AND JUST, I BELIEVE IN DOING THINGS THE PROPER WAY, HAVING POLICIES IN PLACE BECAUSE I MEAN, WE'RE KNOWN FOR THAT.
[00:50:01]
WE HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE.WE'RE NOT JUST, UM, SUBMITTING REQUESTS, UM, YOU KNOW, ME TO GO HERE OR THERE.
LIKE I, I WOULD LIKE ALL MY BOARD MEMBERS TO KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS A GOOD IDEA AND WE COME UP WITH, OR THE STAFF, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING THE STAFF WORKING TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A POLICY ON HOW WE HANDLE THOSE SITUATIONS.
SO IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, THAT EVERYONE IS WANTS TO TALK FURTHER ABOUT, I, I'M OPEN TO THAT FOR SURE.
AND AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE.
IT, IT JUST DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME THAT IT WOULD BECOME THIS BIG OF A DEAL.
MY ASSUMPTION ALL THIS TIME HAS BEEN THAT A MAJORITY OF BOARD MEMBERS ARE STILL WORKING AND SO THEIR VACATION TIME IS LIMITED AND THAT THEY WOULD PREFER TO SPEND THEIR VACATION TIME WITH THEIR FAMILY AS OPPOSED TO TAKING A LIBRARY TRIP.
BUT SINCE I AM RETIRED, UH, I, I DO HAVE THE TIME IF THE BOARD AND THE, UH, STAFF APPROVES IT.
AGAIN, NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE, MAN.
WHAT YOU ASK FOR IS EXTREMELY REASONABLE AND IT'S DONE EVERYWHERE ELSE.
I JUST THINK IT'S NOT DONE AS FREQUENT IN THIS BODY, BUT IT'S DONE EXTREMELY FREQUENTLY IN OTHER BODIES.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU ASK FOR IS GREAT TO ALLOW YOU TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO BRING RESOURCES THAT WE DON'T HAVE BACK TO EAST PATRIDGE PARISH.
SO I, THAT, THAT WASN'T FOR ME, IT WASN'T A, THAT'S NOT EVEN A BIG DEAL, HONESTLY.
IT'S JUST I DON'T THINK, UM, NOT AS FREQUENTLY DONE HERE.
JUST LIKE YOU SAID, THE POLICY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE.
I DON'T THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE USING THE PHRASE OF A BIG DEAL, IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CONSIDERING THE PROPER WAY.
AND THAT'S WHY, UM, KATRINA BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION SO THAT EVERYBODY'S AWARE AND OF WHAT, UM, THE REQUEST IS AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS REGARDING, UM, ANY OF THE REPORTS BY THE DIRECTOR RAISE? SEEING NONE, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS BY, UH, UNDER REPORTS BY THE DIRECTOR? MOVING ON TO REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
WHAT IS, WHAT COMMITTEES DO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF KNEW THIS LIKE MY THIRD MEETING, SO, SO SOMETIMES WE'LL HAVE LIKE, LIKE WHEN WE HAD THE SEARCH COMMITTEE FOR THE DIRECTOR, WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, COMMITTEES THAT ARE APPOINTED AND THEN THEY WOULD, UM, PRESENT ON THAT SECTION OF THE AGENDA.
SO I, IT, IT WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER IF I SAID WE HAVE NO SPECIAL COMMITTEES AT THE TIME.
UM, NEXT IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS UPDATE ON THE SOUTH BRANCH LIBRARY.
IT'S LOOKING VERY GOOD, BY THE WAY.
SO, UM, IT DID MAKE THE PAPERS ON MARCH 10TH, AND SO THERE'S A PICTURE OF THE, UM, THE LIBRARY AS IT'S GOING UP.
UM, I'M GONNA KEEP THIS SHORT AND SWEET.
UM, SO OVER THE PAST MONTH, THE CONTRACTOR HAS, UM, INSTALLED FLOOR DRAINS SETTING THOSE IN PART OF PARTS OF THE BUILDING.
WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS STARTED AT THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND THEY CONTINUE TO INSTALL THEM LIKE THEY'RE GONE WEST AND THEN ACROSS EAST TO WEST.
AND THEN THE EAST SIDE, UM, THEY HAVE, UH, SET FORMS AND THE SLAB FOR THE EAST WEST CONNECTOR.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE BRANCH, THERE'S THE TEEN SIDE, THE TEENS, AND THE ENTRANCE AND THE MEETING ROOMS. AND THEN THE EAST WEST CONNECTOR IS WHERE YOU HAVE A CORRIDOR FOR COLLECTIONS AND BROWSING FOR ADULTS.
AND THEN YOU COME TO THE ADULT SIDE WITH THE CHILDREN'S, UH, SIDE AS WELL.
UM, THE STEEL ROOF DECKING HAS BEEN INSTALLED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND ON THE EAST WEST CONNECTOR.
AND, UM, THE SLAB FOR THE EAST WEST CONNECTOR HAS BEEN POURED.
AND THE POUR FOR THE EAST WING IS SET FOR THIS WEEK.
WEATHER PERMITTING, STRUCTURAL STEEL JOISTS AND STRUCTURAL STEEL AND JOISTS ARE BEING INSTALLED.
AND THE NORTH AND SOUTH CANADA PIECE HAVE BEEN FRAMED UP.
THE BATON ROUGE WATER COMPANY HAS REMOVED THE WATERLINE ON THE EAST SIDE THAT WAS INTERFERING WITH THE POSSIBLE FOUNDA POSSIBLY INTERFERING WITH THE FOUNDATION.
THE FIRE AND DOMESTIC WATER HAS BEEN RUN TO THE BACKFLOW PREVENTER, AND THE TREE WAS TRIMMED LAST WEEK AS PART OF ITS ANNUAL MAINTENANCE.
SO, UM, AND THEN ON FEBRUARY 22ND, UH, THE LIBRARY STAFF ALONG WITH ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES AND THE ARCHITECT MADE A SITE VISIT AND WE REVIEWED AN APPROVED BRICK AND METAL PANELS AND SPAND GLASS SELECTIONS.
[00:55:01]
SO WE COULD SEE THE FLOOR BOXES BEING UNDERSTOOD, UH, UH, INSTALLED.AND THE BUILDING WAS REALLY STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE, BUT IT'S TAKEN MORE SHAPE SINCE THEN.
AND THEN, UM, AFTER WE MET WITH THE ARCHITECT TO MAKE OUR SELECTIONS, UH, THE ARCHITECT MET WITH RUAN ARCHITECT TO REVIEW AND APPROVE, AND THE ONLY CHANGE HE MADE WAS TO THE COLOR OF THE SPANDREL GLASS.
SO INSTEAD OF A DARK BLUE, WHICH KIND OF LOOKED LIKE IT WAS JUST REFLECTING AND NOT REALLY, YOU REALLY COULDN'T SEE THE COLOR IN IT, UM, WE'RE GONNA USE A WHITE SPANDREL GLASS.
WE CONTINUED TO HOLD WEEKLY, WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH THE INTERIOR DESIGNER TO FINALIZE THE FURNITURE PACKAGE.
I DON'T HAVE A CHANGE IN THE ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'LL HAVE A DIFFERENT REPORT NEXT MONTH.
UH, SO I WANTED YOU TO SEE THAT WE HAVE, UM, LET'S SEE.
WE HAVE, YOU CAN SEE THE STRUCTURAL STEEL GOING UP, AND THIS IS TWO DIFFERENT VIEWS OF, OF IT.
UM, THIS IS THE, THIS LOOKS LIKE THE GALLERY, UM, THE MEETING ROOM SIDE OF THE BUILDING AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM THE SOUTH, AND THEN SOME INSTALLATIONS OF THE STORM DRAINS AND THE TIE-INS.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE THEY ROUGHED IN THE FLOOR BOXES.
AND SO THE FLOOR BOXES IN CONDUITS AND BRYCE WENT OUT TO LOOK AT WHERE THE FLOOR BOXES AND CONDUITS WERE.
THIS HAS KIND OF CHANGED FOR US, UH, IN THE PAST.
WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT, BUT WE'RE STARTING TO DO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE BOXES AND THE CONDUITS ARE WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE.
UM, THIS, UM, THE LOWER RIGHT IS THE CANOPY FOR THE SOUTH ENTRANCE, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE ROOF DECKING IS BEING INSTALLED.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THIS LOWER PICTURE THE EAST WEST CANOPY WHERE THE SLAB HAS BEEN POURED.
SO THERE IS PROGRESS AND THE FLOOR BOX IS ALREADY IN THERE.
AND THEN THAT'S THE NORTH CANOPY AND THE DROP OFF THAT'S ON THE SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT.
SO WE HAD AERIAL PHOTOS LAST TIME.
WE HAVE AERIAL PHOTOS THIS TIME.
SO THIS IS THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 23RD.
AND, UM, THESE ARE TWO PICTURES FROM A DRONE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE STRUCTURAL STEEL STILL GOING UP.
UM, HERE YOU CAN SEE ON BOTH OF THESE PICTURES, THE ROOF DECKING GOING IN, AND THAT'S AN OVERHEAD VIEW OF THE SAME THING.
AND NOW ON MARCH 8TH, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ROOF DECKING INSTALLED.
ONE FROM THE NORTH AND ONE FROM THE SOUTH.
AND THIS IS KIND OF AN OVERVIEW.
UM, THE, THE, THE ROOF THAT'S CLOSEST, UH, FOR MOST FOREMOST FOREFRONT IN THE, THE PICTURE IS WHERE THE, THE LARGE CANOPY AND DROP OFF IS FOR THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
SO IT IS TAKING SHAPE, IT'S, UH, MOVING ON.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR THE SOUTH BRANCH.
UH, WE DID HAVE A, A MEETING WITH THE TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANTS ABOUT THE INTERACTIVE MONITORS AND THE BLOCKING AND, AND THE INSTALLATION OF THOSE.
AND SO THE CONTRACTOR AND THE, UM, THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER AND OUR TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANT AND THE ARCHITECT ARE GETTING TOGETHER ABOUT DETERMINING WHERE THE BLOCKING HAS TO GO FOR THOSE MOUNTS.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, IT IS COMING ALONG.
SO I DON'T HAVE A CHANGE
SO THAT KIND OF MAKES IT REAL.
UP UPDATE ON THE SCOTLANDVILLE.
SO I'M GONNA TELL YOU THE SCOTLANDVILLE DOESN'T HAVE QUITE AS MANY PICTURES, UM, BUT FOR THE PAST MONTH, THE CONTRACTOR HAS INSTALLED THE DOMESTIC WATER AND FIRE LINE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
SO THE FIRE LINE FOR THE, THE WATER, FOR THE FIRE, FIRE, UH, SUPPRESSION SYSTEM AND THE DOMESTIC WATER, HE'S INSTALLED THE DRAIN LINE TOWARDS THE COURTYARD AREA.
HE'S FARMED UP AND POURED THE FRONT PAVEMENT AREA.
IF YOU RECALL, THERE'S THE BUILDING AND THEN THERE'S A LARGE DRIVEWAY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THAT BUILDING.
AND THEN THERE'S A, A PARKING SPACE, A SPACE FOR STAFF PARKING BEHIND THE ARCHIVE BUILDING ON THE WEST SIDE.
SO, UM, THEY'VE POURED UP THE FRONT PAVEMENT AREA.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT, THIS IS THE, I'M GIVING YOU THE LAST PICTURE FIRST.
UM, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THEY'RE GRADING THE SIDE, THE WEST SIDE DRIVEWAY.
SO THEY'RE GETTING READY TO POUR IT.
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GONNA BE GRADING IT AND FORMING IT.THEY DID FORM THE WEST SIDE PAVEMENT AREA.
UM, AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO POUR, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO POUR TOMORROW, WEATHER PERMITTING.
AND THAT RAIN TODAY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA DO TOMORROW, BUT, UM, WE'RE, YOU CAN SEE THAT SLAB IN THE BACKGROUND.
THAT'S THE, THE ARCHIVE BUILDING.
UH, HERE'S, THEY'RE INSTALLING THE MAIN POWER AND LIGHT CONDUIT.
AND THEN, UM, THIS IS WHEN THEY POURED THE FRONT PAVEMENT AREA.
SO THAT'S THE AREA THAT'S GONNA REACH TO THE, THE EXISTING DRIVE AT SCOTLANDVILLE.
AND THEN, UM, SO THAT'S THE CONCRETE ON THE FRONT PAVEMENT AREA.
YOU CAN SEE THE BUILDING IN THE BACK, THE, THE LIBRARY IN THE BACKGROUND.
AND HERE'S WHERE THEY'RE FORMING UP THE WEST DRIVEWAY.
AND WHEN I, THE WEST DRIVEWAY IS WHAT'S GONNA BE BEHIND THE, THE ARCHIVES.
AND THEN HERE'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE FRONT.
SO THAT PAVEMENT, THE CONCRETE IN THE FRONT IS THE PAVEMENT, THE FRONT OF THE DRIVE.
AND THEN THAT LARGE SLAB IN THE BACK IS THE ARCHIVE BUILDING ITSELF.
UM, THE METAL BUILDING IS GOING TO BE, UH, DELIVERED APRIL 11, APRIL 3RD.
AND THE INSTALLER'S GONNA BE ON SITE TO RECEIVE THE COMPONENTS AND START INSTALLATION IMMEDIATELY.
AND MOST OF THE PICTURES THIS MONTH ARE OF GRADING AND CONCRETE DRIVEWAYS.
WE SHOULD HAVE MORE INTERESTING PHOTOS NEXT MONTH ONCE THE BUILDING STARTS TO BE ASSEMBLED.
UM, THE PROJECT HAS A NEW COMPLETION DATE OF OCTOBER 25TH OF THIS YEAR.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE ALL THAT CONCRETE THAT THEY HAD TO REMOVE, BUT THEY'VE, THEY'VE MADE A LOT OF HEADWAY WITH THAT, AND I THINK THEY'VE PRETTY MUCH FINISHED ALL THAT.
SO, UM, IT'S GETTING THERE SLOWLY BUT SURELY.
ANY QUESTIONS MS. PATRICIA? WHAT, WHAT WAS THE START DATE FOR THAT PROJECT? NOVEMBER 3RD.
WAS IT NOVEMBER 3RD? IT MIGHT'VE BEEN A LITTLE EARLIER.
I HAVE TO LOOK UP THE EXACT ONE.
I'LL GET IT FOR YOU AND I'LL SEND IT TO YOU.
IT'S NOVEMBER 3RD WAS OUR, OUR GROUNDBREAKING.
ANY, UM, ANY BOARD COMMENT UNDER UNFINISHED BUSINESS? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT UNDER UNFINISHED BUSINESS? SEEING NONE, MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS.
ANY NEW BUSINESS? I HAVE NONE.
ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THE LIBRARY BOARD OF CONTROL? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST ADD, UM, JUST THINKING AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING, JUST TO KIND OF THANK YOU TO THOUGH, UM, RONNIE FOR WILLING, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO HELP MAKE THE LIBRARY SYSTEM BETTER AND TAKE OUT THE TIME YOUR, THAT YOU CAN BE ON THE BEACH TO HELP OUT.
UM, SO DON'T THINK WE DON'T APPRECIATE THAT.
I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT PUBLICLY.
AND I JUST WANNA APOLOGIZE FOR, UM, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, I'M FROM NEW ORLEANS, BORN AND RAISED, AND I'M VERY MUCH A PART OF THE, UH, MARDI GRAS ZULU THERE.
SO I WAS AT HOME AND WHEN I GOT BACK THAT WEDNESDAY BOARD MEETING WAS THAT THURSDAY.
UM, BUT I WAS FEELING LOUSY AND I WAS WAITING ON SOME, UM, UH, REPORTS BACK FROM A TEST THAT I HAD TAKEN.
IT WAS ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, IF YOU, ALL YOU GUYS EVER NEED, NEED ME AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO DO SOMETHING VIRTUAL.
ANY, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOIN MOTION? I SECOND.
ANY OPPOSED? WE ARE ADJO ADJOIN.