COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - - - Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:50 a.m. - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - - - FY 2007 OPERATING BUDGET HEARINGS - - - PRESENT: ANNA C. VERNA, President BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN JAMES F. KENNEY JUAN F. RAMOS FRANK RIZZO FRANK DiCICCO JANNIE L. BLACKWELL MICHAEL A. NUTTER DARRELL L. CLARKE JOAN L. KRAJEWSKI DONNA REED MILLER MARIAN B. TASCO - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 2 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06
Good morning, everyone. We regret the delay. This is a continued Public Hearing of the Committee of the Whole. And I would ask Mr. McPherson to please call our first witness. MR. McPHERSON: The Free Library.
Good morning. Welcome. Kindly identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, President Verna. I am Elliot Shelkrot, I am President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Joining me this morning at the table is Mr. Bill Wilson, who is a member of the library's Board of Directors. Unfortunately, Wilson Goode, who is Chair of our Board of Trustees, is out of town and couldn't join us today. But as we proceed, there are other members of my staff who I will be sure to introduce. But I also want to mention that here this morning in the chambers are two 3 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 other members of our Board of Trustees. Well, one is a member of the Board of Trustees, Herman Mattleman, and Marsene Mattleman is a member of our Foundation Board of Directors. Also here this morning is Amy Dougherty, President of the Friends of the Free Library. And I am very pleased that she is here, as well as several of the stewards from District Council 47. The friends and the stewards and the union was so very, very much involved in championing the Free Library's budget last year. I am pleased to report to you that the Free Library of Philadelphia is indeed thriving. The doors are open, the staff is delivering meaningful service to citizens of our city, and most important we are now able to reopen and have reopened every single branch in our library system, 53 locations in the city. This is the first time in four years that we have been able to deliver this level of service. 4 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 City Council's restoration, with the support of the Mayor, of 3 and a half million dollars for this year's budget made this possible. On behalf of all of the users of the library and the staff and volunteers and friends and our Board members, I just want to make sure that you know how appreciative we are. Fiscal Year '07. The Free Library is requesting -- and I should say, I am going to paraphrase the written testimony, rather than read it literally. The testimony was submitted. Fiscal Year '07. The library is requesting just under 39 and a half million dollars in city general funds. We are also seeking $13 million in grant revenue funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, comprised of the funding for the Library For the Blind and Handicapped, the Mayor's Commission on Literacy, and the grant money for public library support. Our request will allow for 739 5 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 full-time General Fund positions, the same as the goal for this year. At the beginning of the current year, in July, the library had only 626 employees. As of February 28, the end of February, we had reached 709. By the close of the fiscal year, we expect to reach our target of 739. I want to say that this has required an extraordinary recruiting effort. And I want to thank Linda Orfanelli of the city Personnel Department, Dianne Reed in the city Budget Office, and all of their staff, and our own Personnel Department for their hard work. I think when I tell you that we have hired 132 new people in the last, well, now, eight months, we consider that a major accomplishment. Because of retirements and other normal turnover, we now have 89 staff in place. With this added talent -- 89 new staff in place. With this added talent, we have been able to restore the high level of service 6 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 Philadelphians expect from their branch libraries. Specifically, we have resumed Saturday hours in every single library in the system; meaning the 49 branches are open six days a week, and the three regionals are open, plus the central, are open seven days a week. The library has restored full opening hours to the ten libraries that a year ago this time were only open in the afternoons. The library had reopened the three branches that had been long shuttered for much-needed repairs and renovations. President Verna and Council Members, earlier this year the library announced a new award-winning logo, emphasizing the word "Free" in Free Library.
And I would like you, members of Council, to be the very first to have the new library cards with this logo emblazoned on it. And you will see an envelope at your place with that new library card. And there is a statement on it that 7 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 I hope you will notice. It says, "This card enables you to exercise your freedom to be informed. " At your seats, in addition to the card, we have placed a bright red T-shirt emblazoned with this new logo. The new logo celebrates the library and our libraries throughout the city as free public places. Located in the city where freedom was born, we're free, where the free exchange of ideas is encouraged and where there is free access to information and knowledge for everyone. And many Philadelphians take advantage of that. The Free Library boasts more than 6 million visitors annually, making it one of the most widely used educational and cultural institutions in the city. As you have heard me say before, once again, the use of our libraries, this use in-person and online and in other ways, means that we see more people at our libraries than the combined attendance of the Phillies, Flyers, 76ers, and Eagles. 8 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 There are nearly 500,000 registered borrowers and over 350,000 children and adults that attend more than 18,000 free programs offered annually. We also have a growing number of virtual online users, as the Free Library adapts and becomes the Free Library of the future. To this end, the library plays a critical role in bridging the digital divide. The Mayor's Office of Information Services estimates that between 55 and 75 percent of our citizens do not have access to the internet at home. In this day and age, that means that as many as three-quarters of our citizens are severely restricted in their ability to search for jobs, to submit applications even for the positions that do not require computer skills. The library is the largest provider of technology and free internet access in the city. We have 750 public computers throughout our library system, all of which were upgraded this last year. 9 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 We also have 117 specifically designated pre-school work stations that do not have internet access, but do have 5 different learning software packages to help 6 the youngest of children prepare to read. 7 Our activities for young people is 8 always a special focus, and we are pleased to 9 say that there's 57,000 teenage library 10 cardholders in this city. 11 Additionally, we offer innovative 12 programs; such as, a teen author series, an 13 annual poetry slam, school success workshops, 14 a reading Olympics, Books Aloud which is a 15 program for daycare centers, and LEAP, the 16 award-winning after-school drop-in program for hope work help, which is now supplemented by Homework Help online, available in every single one of our branches and now available to any youngster at any computer as long as they have a library card. A final initiative I want to bring to your attention takes a special importance because of the many tragedies we have witnessed in the past few weeks and months in 10 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 our city. The Free Library is partnering with the House of Imoja, a WXTN FM, and the Atwater Kent Museum in seeking federal funds for a project entitled Philadelphia Partnership for Peace, a multi-facetted approach to the crisis of youth violence. Using various media, introducing alternative strategies for conflict resolution, and building on the strengths of the four partners, we hope to help address this crisis and provide our young people with the support and tools they need. In conclusion, I ask for your support for one more thing, your help in encouraging the state legislature to support Governor Rendell's full appropriation for public libraries. I think you will recall that state funding was cut nearly in half three years ago.
This year the Governor has proposed a budget for '07 which calls for over $75 million across the state, slightly higher than it has ever been before. 11 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 In Philadelphia, we will use those funds for our budget for books and other materials, which has taken a big hit over the last several years. Restoring these dollars will go along way towards providing the citizens of Philadelphia with the resources that they ask for at the library day in and day out. And, again, my thanks for your time and attention. And, if I may, I would like to ask Bill Wilson, a member of the Free Library of Philadelphia's Board of Directors, to address the Council regarding the new central library and a progress report.
Great. Thank you, Mr. Wilson for coming in. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed.
My name is Bill 21 Wilson, member of the Board of Directors of the Free Library. Thank you, Council President Verna and members of the Council. Let me first say that the main reason I am here is Elliot said that unless I 12 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 gave a speech, I wouldn't get one of these free T-shirts. So please let the record show that, whether you like the speech or not, I want my T-shirt. My speech will be very short. And thank you very much. There are four things I would just like to mention. One, when the current library was erected in 1927, there were just over a million books in the library. Today, there are over 7 million items in various forms. Two, computers were not even contemplated in 1927. Today, the Free Library is the largest provider of internet access and technology in the city, and there are still waiting lines to use the library's computers. Three, the lecture series featuring both local and world-renowned authors has been hailed as the region's preeminent forum for writers and ideas. Because of the size of the library's auditorium, we regularly turn people away. And, four, not only does our space 13 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 need for the new building, we think, provide a compelling case, but so does the potential to transform the Free Library of Philadelphia into the library of the future, and it will be the catalyst for the Avenue there. And, in closing, there is an economic benefit that can derive. We did some research into the Seattle library, the new library. Not only did it do a better job of serving its residents, but also attracted out-of-town visitors to the new structure. We are very, very confident about what's been designed and getting it done, and it is underway. And, with that, I will yield to Councilman DiCicco. Hopefully that was short enough, I get my T-shirt. Thank you very much.
You are welcome, Mr. Wilson. Can you tell us when you expect to break ground on the expansion of the new library?
Right now, really mid '08. We are in the design development phase 14 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 of documentation. We have one more phase, which will be the construction documents. At that point in time, we will narrow down or figure out exactly the cost and a guaranteed maximum price. But the mid '08 would be the construction start.
Excuse me. In my confusion with fiscal years, I gave Mr. Wilson the wrong figure. I mean, as we -- we anticipate doing this -- and it is my fault, I just gave you the wrong cue -- it is actually in mid '07 that we were planning to do this. It might be by the beginning of Fiscal Year '08, but that's not our target. So it was my slip.
What is the status of the parking issue for the project?
Yes. Within the last month or two a study was released that was under the auspices of the City Planning office, as well as the city Commerce 15 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 Department. It identified several locations for the parking that is needed. And one of those is the Granary property, which is just north of the library, right across Callowhill. Recently I met with the new owners of the Granary property. They were very, very much aware of our plans for building and what we were doing. I believe they are considering retail on the street level and condominiums and, of course, parking. And when I talked to them about our needs, they said, "We are very interested in accommodating the needs of the library and the community with our parking." So I am looking forward to more dialogue with them, because that would be an ideal place for additional parking for the library.
Well, I do know that that's Councilman Clarke's district. And I am certain that he will be working very, very, very closely with you to make sure that 16 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 this parking issue is going to be addressed. I have several other questions on the library issue, but I will leave them up to Councilman Clarke. Mr. Shelkrot, does your FY '07 proposed budget that the Administration has recommended allow you to operate all branches and staff them with librarians at the same level as in FY '06?
Can you tell us, how many emergency closings do you expect to have in FY '06?
I don't have that myself. I wonder whether -- we can get that for you. The number has been so drastically diminished from where it was the previous year, but we can get that for you.
While you are checking on that, I would also like you to tell us what you anticipate that same number would be in FY '07.
Thank you. 17 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 I have been informed that, after last year's budget hearing, the library formed a security task force; is that correct?
The security task force was actually in place well before that. It was put in place after the little girl was hurt in one of our branches, and we put that task force in place immediately. So that would be a year and a half ago -- well, I forget which year that was now, although the incident is emblazoned in my mind. But it was -- it is now two years that that task force is in place.
Well, with that being said, it is our understanding that the task force has issued a report and that the report recommends the following -- you are frowning. You don't know anything about the report?
You were frowning. I thought maybe it was something new to you.
No. I am concerned 18 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 about what -- okay.
Okay. Alarms on all exit doors, including the front door -- excluding, I am sorry, excluding the front door, surveillance cameras, and relocating the guard's desk in order to have better visual control of those entering and leaving. They also recommended training of staff for dealing with security issues. Thirdly, they also recommend building maintenance requests that deal with safety and security issues; such as, lighting. What funding has been included in your FY '07 operating and capital budgets to address these issues?
I am going to ask Kevin Vaughan and -- okay, Bill Flemming, excuse me, to come to the table. As he is doing that, let me say that we have -- and I know Bill will say -- we have been implementing those recommendations using our Operating Budget. That was so important that we didn't wait for a new Capital Budget. But I will be happy to turn it over 19 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 to Bill.
Good morning. My name is Bill Flemming. I am the Administrative Services Director for the Free Library. The report isn't necessarily very fresh in my mind, each detail. But I will go through some of the things that strike me.
No, that's okay. Let me just go into the ones that I am very confident in. We are in the process of -- all of our branches are alarmed, every one of them. And I can say that not every exit/entrance is necessarily alarmed. I mean, you do come across the occasional one. We did some renovation about a year ago at Paschalville, and never followed up on putting an alarm there. We are in the process of doing that now. But, as far as I know, all of our doors, exit doors, currently are alarmed. 20 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 In terms of guard stations, this refers specifically to the central library. Because in the branches, they have their own configurations. Guards are generally in the front of the library, where the check-out is. At central, we continue to look at better ways to do this. This requires what I consider to be a major reconfiguration of the front. And although we are looking at that pretty much daily, it probably will be part of an overall improvement when the central library project gets underway to reconfigure where the stations are. Right now we have a lot of roving guards in central library, it gives us better coverage. So we think that issue is covered by the roving guards. We always train staff to be aware of the security concerns. In fact, they could train us, they're so aware of their surroundings. So we're pretty confident the staff, as part of their normal training that they get 21 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 when they come onboard the library, will address the security concerns. And we are constantly looking to better that training. At all of our branches, we have installed mirrors, beveled mirrors, in places where librarians say that they can't see certain corners. So we try and position them where the librarians have said they needed them, and that project is complete. And if there are further requests for additional mirrors, we do put them in. Lighting concerns. We address lighting concerns when they are brought up by the branch. I'm not -- no specific concern comes to my mind right now, but we may have already handled the concern that was mentioned in the report. But we try and put in lighting, especially outdoor lighting, where it is requested.
Security cameras at 22 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 central, we put cameras in central, we locate them strategically so we can see certain areas of the building. We have cameras outside the building, both in front and the back. And we feel like -- we feel pretty confident we have most of that area covered where we need to see. In terms of the branches, that becomes a little more difficult. We would need an overall plan, a strategic plan, to figure out where to put those cameras, if we thought they would benefit security in any way. Right now we haven't done anything in terms of putting security cameras in the branches.
I am sorry, I was distracted. Do we have any indication as to what the surveillance cameras would cost for the branch libraries?
Well, the cameras themselves aren't overly expensive; it is the wiring and the additional communications lines 23 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 that go with it. That hasn't been worked up yet.
So you have no 5 indication as to what the cost would be?
Let me, if I may, we can put some cost estimates together on that. As we discussed with a variety of security people, experts, it was, you know, questionable. At some branches it may not be needed. And, of course, with security cameras, the other side of it is, we are most interested in prevention, that's what we're after. And to watch -- we would also need, you know, the people to watch those screens. So we can very well put a full report together, but the staffing cost of watching the screens and the monitors and where they would be would also be part of that. But we can certainly do that, if Council would like it.
Thank you very 24 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 much. Mr. Shelkrot, can you tell us what your patron expulsion policy is?
I cannot quote it in detail. I can tell you that we have a new patron expulsion policy in place, new as of about a year ago. Kevin, would you like to respond to that in detail.
Excuse me, Kevin. Please identify yourself for the stenographer.
My name is Kevin Vaughan, I am the Associate Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Good morning.
Our expulsion policy calls for situations where -- we have a policy of behavior, a standard behavior policy, acceptable behavior policy, in the library. When that policy is violated, and individuals are identified to us, depending on the particular violation, there are levels of suspension that they can get. And different people in the library 25 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 are authorized to suspend people for a day, a week, a month, or longer, depending on the severity of the violation. At the most extreme violations, it comes to me to sign off on for that person to be expelled from the library. And there is an appeal -- from every library across the system. And there are appeal processes for those people who come back and ask to be heard, if they think that they have been expelled for an inappropriate reason.
And I am led to believe that if a person is expelled, that a photo is not taken; is that correct?
We don't -- no, a photo is not taken of the person. I mean, the person may not be there when -- in other words, I will send them a letter telling them they are expelled from the library. They may not be in front of me at that time.
Then my question, Kevin, would be, how does the library staff FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 know that a person who has been expelled has entered a library?
We send out the information across the system of the name of the person. And when they come in to use the system -- for example, if they want a computer, they have to sign up with their library card. That will trigger us knowing that that individual is somebody who has been expelled from the system.
Very well. Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. Good morning, everybody. I have a number of questions for you. Let me first start with the services for young people. My early years here in Council, particularly my first term, there was a big push and a lot of emphasis and involvement with after-school programming. 27 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 What's the status of that at the Philadelphia Free Library today?
I'm pleased to say -- and I believe I mentioned it in my testimony -- we still have one of the largest after-school programs in the city. We have -- every single one of our branches has a drop-in after-school program. The numbers are -- well, Kevin.
There are about 86,000 children who participate in our after-school program every year.
Any linkage with DHS, Safe and Sound, or the Philadelphia Department of Recreation so that there is some thread that exists with all the after-school programming?
Not in the coordinated way that I think you are asking the question. But we do work with Safe and Sound, we do work with DHS. There is communication between all of those organizations. But we don't -- our programs are all separate programs, run by those departments, 28 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 and not cross-over.
Yes. The programs DHS has or Safe and Sound has would be run by those organizations.
Because there is quite a discussion on a need to have some sense of consistency in program development and quality of programs, after-school programming, across the board. So I raise that question for that reason.
We have been very much involved in that process. And Hedra Packman, who is here with us, has been on that task force with them. There are some important, and we think valuable, distinctions; in that, our program is a drop-in program, it is not a program that one signs up for and follow through on. And we find that to be filling a 29 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 very, very significant need in the city. But Hedra has been very, very much involved in working with those standards
And, you know, if you would like, we can set up a meeting at another time on that, or we can get some information to you.
I think that would be valuable. You should know that I am going to attempt to facilitate that kind of sit-down. On of your testimony, you discuss One Book One Philadelphia, and you mention a number of partners. Are there any linkages with any or all of our Philadelphia public schools, Catholic schools, charter schools, independent schools, towards that end?
Oh, yes. Absolutely. The school system is a major, major partner. They are involved in the planning and the development of the program. The charter schools are very much a 30 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 part of our outreach from the -- that our staff do, visiting all the schools in the neighborhoods, not just public schools. There is a very close tie-in.
Okay. On of your testimony, you give discussion to 370 high school and college students. Give me a breakdown of those students. What high schools are we talking about? Give me a sense of the composition of that 370 high school and college students.
You know, I do not have with me a specific breakdown. I would be happy to provide that. But I can tell you that we hire -- there are over 200 high school students from schools all over the city. And I know that we -- some of the youngsters are referrals from the courts, as long as they are not such, you know, egregious situations that we can't handle it. We do our best to not hire the cream of the crop. We want people who this work experience at the library can really make a 31 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 difference in their lives. But if you would like a breakdown of the numbers of -- from different schools --
If you would afford that to the Chair, that would be appreciated.
In your testimony, there is no mention of the advocacy groups that I have come to love and respect, the Friends of the Free Library. What is the relationship with the Friends of the Free Library?
Well, I can tell you that the Friends of the Library are extremely important to the Free Library. I have often said, you know, if there were no Friends, I would figure out a way to help create one. And we are working, I would say, right now to enhance that relationship. There is a committee made up of 32 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 Board members from the Friends and Board members from the Free Library, with the specific goal to work on ways of enhancing the relationship between the library and the Friends group.
The committee is working on that. You know, I don't have anything -- the committee was set up by the Board Chairs, and I can't tell you what that means until the committee does its work.
All right. Let me ask this question: Based on my homework, it appears -- and this is if my homework is correct -- that the funding or financial support to the Friends has decreased. There's been a cut of approximately $15,000 to this group. Share with us the rationale behind that management decision.
Sure. Well, first of all, if I may, with all respect, correct that a little bit. 33 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06
It was cut two years ago. This year it was increased to that former level, the year we are in right now. So we have -- you know, it has been increased this year. Part of the discussions that have happened so far have talked about how the friends can be as strong as they can be and work together with the library, and that's the nature of the discussion.
They are housed on the Free Library property, right across Wood Street.
And going forward with your new building, should we presume or assume that there will be space for the advocacy group, as well?
Last year there were questions raised about persons of color in positions of leadership and responsibility 34 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 at the library. Please tell me the number of the next-tier managers that you have. What is the number?
Whatever you define the next level of management to be, what is the number?
That's what I didn't know. There are approximately to 16 people in the next tier, which I regard -- 17 which is our communications council 18
Senior 22 managers, if you will. 23 Of that, how many of those senior 24 managers are people of color? 25
I -- you know, if I 35 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 were to try to give you a count right now, that wouldn't be fair. I can tell you that we have some very senior management people in the library who are people of color; you know, men and women.
I am going to get to the women question. You know that; right? That would be next.
So can you provide to the Chair the, I guess, table of organization which would speak to the next tier of managers, and then the breakdown of persons of color and women, and whether or not they are appointed or civil service?
Absolutely. Let me make sure that I do understand. Is it specifically women of color or women in general?
What is the composition of the Board? 36 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06
Let me just say, across the country, there is a major challenge of -- there is a major challenge in librarians. There is a shortage of librarians across the country. It is even more severe with minority librarians. But we have taken an initiative on our own, through a grant that we applied for through the federal government, to take employees of ours who do not have a college degree, and to provide the resources and the time for them to get their college degree.
And I will tell you that the numbers -- the minority people in that group are far, far in excess of others. And there is a significant number of women in that, too. The problem that we are facing is one that's shared with everyone across the country, but we have decided that we need to 37 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 do what we can to take the matters into our own hands.
Is that what you are referring to on of your testimony, Growing Our Own?
You certainly are to be commended for being proactive in, A, recognizing it; and, then, B, growing professionals and getting them in the pipeline so that they can move to positions of leadership and responsibility. So I certainly commend you for that. But I do know, since I have been here, I have raised that question every year.
And that matters to me and a number of persons on this Council, that the leadership of city departments reflects the makeup of the city.
Finally, we all are anxiously awaiting the advent and passage of legislation in this body with WiFi. And 38 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 you speak to that on of your testimony. And knowing that we are in the formative stages of WiFi, have the leadership and membership in your shop given any discussion to the opportunities that will exist with the ultimate advent of Wireless Philadelphia, and what you are currently doing at the library?
Well, you know, the advent of WiFi in Philadelphia will be a great benefit to everybody, and part of that is their ability to access the library and its databases. We have -- you know, our program to have access to computers and better and faster access is something that's very important to us. We have some -- I wish I could remember the number; I was just given it yesterday, but I forgot to write it down -- the number of online access to the Free Library that we are seeing every month. It is 7 million hits to our website every month. The advantage to the WiFi will be, 39 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 that number is going to go up substantially because of the well-documented number of people who do not have access to it. Now, let me just say, in addition, when you use the libraries -- and this isn't competitive; this is just in any way -- but we have many databases that we purchase that are only available to people with library cards. It is just part of the contract. We have other databases that we subscribe to that are valuable for people who are doing serious research -- and I am including high school students in that serious research -- where, by the license agreement, we can only make it available to computers in the library. And I think that's a plus side. But the wireless component that the city will have is -- we are working closely with MOIS on that, and it will be a great boon to everybody.
of your testimony, you mention, and I quote, Philadelphia Partnership for Peace. Just share with us briefly what that is, 40 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 multi-facetted approach to the crisis in youth violence.
Yes. That is a proposal that I mentioned also in my oral testimony that we are applying to the federal government, the Institution of Museums and Library Services. And it is a program that will enable us, along with the other organizations, to have a very aggressive program promoting the appropriate use of anger and controlling violence. Kevin, do you want to present more information about that?
Yes. We will -- if we are funded for that program, we will be working with the House of Imoja and with WXTN to have story-tellers work to put together stories for kids that will run on WXTN's children show on a regular basis that will talk about how to pursue peace. We will be working in neighborhoods with House of Imoja, who will be doing a peace pledge as part of that. But also to provide 41 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 space in some of our libraries for mediation, should there be the need in a community for people to come together and, hopefully, avoid a violent confrontation; as well as the opportunity to have special collections in our libraries based -- special collections based on mediation and bring information about how kids and families can use mediation, rather than violent activities. So we are really trying to think of ways in which together as organizations we can promote less violence in the neighborhoods.
We will cross our fingers and toes for that. Because we know, given what we see every day in the news, that's sorely needed.
Let me add to that, there are two other initiatives in that same area that we are working on. One is to put together a resource collection not just of books, but of other things, that can be a resource to people who are working on the -- you know, how we can reduce the incidence of this violence; and 42 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 looking for the special resources, looking for special research, so that we can help disseminate the best practices in that area. As well as, we anticipate some time later this spring having a panel in a newly created series called Talk About It at the central library. A panel of people talking about youth violence and interacting with the public. This series called Talk About It at the central library is a -- you know, it is usually a panel discussion in format, but at least half the time is interaction with the audience. We have had one of those already which focused on cartoons, how far is too far. We have another one that is coming up in April on gambling. And the next one, if I am not -- and also this spring we are looking to put one together on the violence issue.
Okay. And I should assume that groups like Men United For a Better Philadelphia, mothers -- help me out, Mothers in Charge, and the breadth of 43 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 community-based organizations will be informed? They are reaching for these types of opportunities to help --
You know, if we could meet with you or somebody on your staff to make sure that we have identified as many of those organizations as possible on all of these initiatives, that would be great.
I would welcome that. Finally, on reflecting on our interests in a world at the Free Library that reflects the world of Philadelphia -- and, yes, it is true and it is important to grow librarians -- my followup comment would be, for manager-level-type positions, they are not library positions, these are professionals who come with other areas of expertise; correct?
No, that's not always the case. No. We have very few -- I mean, Kevin is one of the exceptions. Most of our senior management people are librarians.
I see. Okay. Well, thank you for your testimony. 44 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 And I will look forward to the information you forward to the Chair. My staff will follow up with you with regards to how we can maximize the awareness of the series you just talked about.
Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Sorry, Madam President. Good morning, Mr. Shelkrot and Mr. Vaughan.
First, thank you for the library card. I needed to renew mine. Thank you. I need to ask you about a particular situation. It involves the George Institute Branch library, which, by the wonders of 45 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 redistricting, technically is not in the 4th District anymore, but had been for all of my time until the last redistricting took place a couple of years ago. As you know, the George was slated as a part of the 53 or, I guess, 54 some-odd branches for renovation, closed for such renovation, and has not reopened. Can you tell me as a library director what is your understanding of the status of that particular facility?
I'm going to turn that over to Kevin. Kevin has been working on that. And, so, Kevin Vaughan, will you respond.
Councilman Nutter, my understanding at the moment is that the Public Property Department of the city has pursued including that building as part of their inventory of vacant properties for the city.
Okay. Well, let's go back. What is your understanding of why that branch was not renovated and reopened? 46 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06
Bill Flemming, who is with us today, handled most of the renovation issues on that building. But in general, my understanding is that the building initially went out to bid for renovations, and the bids came back higher than the amount of money that was in the Capital Budget available to renovate the building. It went out a second time for bids to, again, try to find out if we could have it come in within the budget of the Capital Programs Office. And after the second bid, again the bids came in higher than the money was available to do the renovations, and it sat waiting for some resolution to that situation.
It was in 2003, the second bid package went out and bids came back slightly higher than the amount of money we had in the Capital Budget. 47 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06
And what steps did you take to try to get the additional money?
Well, in terms of getting additional money for this project, we had come to Council on three different occasions for money for this branch. I believe it was Fiscal 2000 we had some money, about 417,000; 2001, we got an additional 100,000; and in 2002, an additional 775,000, which we had hoped --
Well, actually, it was through the Capital Budget process. City Council does have hearings on that and then approves whatever money is in there. 48 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 At that time, that gave us appropriations of $1,292,000. We did apply for a grant from the state, a Keystone Grant, that we were awarded, that was about 113,000, to put a ramp or an elevator in the building to make it ADA accessible. Even with that funding and some small amount of private funding, we still weren't able to bring this project in under budget. After the first bid, we got the architect and Capital Program Office -- I say we got them together, but they got themselves together -- to come up with a redesign to try and get this building in under budget. Even with those modifications, the project still came in, with rising construction costs at the time, over budget. And it didn't look to us like there was any solution at the time, other than to come back and ask for additional funds. How much and what kind of design we would have wound up with, it was already the kind of design that was the minimum acceptable 49 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 for this branch. Because I think it had a total of 3,300 square feet in the existing building, and we were going to try and add 4,000 with the addition on the back. We already scaled it down to get to the second bid process and didn't know where we could save additional funds. The project has been managed by Capital Program Office. We didn't see any solution at the time to try and bring this modest, very modest-sized branch in under budget. We would probably need, I estimated, probably about $800,000 to bring this project in over the next couple of years after that second bid.
Hold on for a second. Your earlier statement was that the project was over the budget by $35,000. That was my recollection. Isn't that what you said?
Well, factoring in delays in the project. Inflation definitely plays a key here. Identifying -- technology was being installed at the time.
At the time you were $35,000 over budget, did you or anyone else think to possibly be in touch with me and ask me for $35,000?
Well, $35,000 would have got us to a point where we had enough money at that time, but didn't allow for any contingency in case anything happened which would cause us to have to spend a lot more money to get that project done. It just wasn't acceptable and was too risky.
Well, did anyone, whether out of your office or any other office, at some point in time decide that you were going to tell me what the status was?
I believe that there 51 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 were times -- I think Capital Program Office, and even I attended one of those meetings, met with you about the status of where we were.
And, you know, I didn't intend any more than that one meeting. But Capital Program generally does our project management. And it's my impression that we didn't feel like we could get the job done in that branch, considering, number one, it is an old building, and very small.
It looked like we weren't going to get much branch for the money we were going to spend, either.
I understand that. So when was the decision made not to proceed or to, basically, close the branch?
Yes, we were notified by the Public Property Department, I guess, in the last nine months that that was their 52 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 intent. It was --
So Public Property told you that they were going to close one of your branch libraries?
We met with them to say, hold off. I mean, we wanted to further understand that decision. And basically --
My further understanding at that point was that the money was not available from the Capital Programs Office, and that the decision had been made to put it in the Public Property's hands.
Well, who from 53 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 the library, then -- who would be the appropriate person, I guess, at that point from the library to tell me that someone told you that they were going to close your branch library?
You know, this was a decision that we had been told had been made in the Managing Director's Office, and that they would take care of the communications.
Well, that didn't happen. But you are the Director of the Library; right?
And you have occasion from time to time to be in touch with me about any manner of things?
Do you think I would like to know that you were going to close one of my branches?
I was told that the Managing Director's Office would take care of those communications. 54 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06
You know, when something -- when that is made, you know, when that is stated, in essence, yes, I was told it isn't necessary for me to do that.
Councilman, if I might. At the time that we were told this, it was in the 3rd Councilmanic District, and they were going to -- I was told the communications would take place with that Council person.
And, so, the current Managing Director, who has also shared that the decision was made by his predecessor, indicates to the letter to me recently that the neighborhood around George Institute is currently served by two branch and one regional libraries. 55 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 Would you be so kind as to identify the two branch and regional libraries around the George?
Certainly. Yes. Kevin's just given me the list. The Haverford Avenue branch is at 55th at Haverford Avenue.
About 1 mile. The Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library at 52nd and Sansom, is 1.3 miles away. The Wynnefield branch, 5325 Overbrook, is a mile and a half from George. The Haddington branch at 446 North 65th is also about a mile and a half.
And, to your knowledge, what's the average distance between branches?
It would depend on what part of the city you are talking about. In the Center City part of the city, 56 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 or in the West Philadelphia, the average branch is closer to each other in relation to each other than they are in the Northeast, where there is greater, much greater distances between branches.
The remaining capital funds, which is the funds left after paying the architect for his design and redesign services and some property acquisition and soil testing and the like, those kinds of expenses, they are still in an account for the Free Library, in the Capital Budget, and they remain there pending a resolution.
I think Capital Budget would have a better handle on how much. I am thinking it is probably on the order of 800,000.
And what was the communication to the neighborhood out there, that had participated in an extensive process and was so obviously excited about the 57 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 prospect of having little old George Institute Branch Library renovated like all the other branch libraries throughout the city, who let the community out there know that they were not going to have a library?
As Kevin Vaughan indicated, when we became informed of all the decision-making, it was then in Councilwoman Blackwell's district. I did meet with her about it. She had some ideas. She has had some interest from community and other people about the library being in a different location. And that's the extent. She was in discussions with various community people.
Okay. Well, just so you understand, while the physical location is no longer technically in the 4th District, there are many 4th District constituents who were involved in the genesis of that renovation and had looked for that for a long time. You may recall one lady by the name 58 FY '07 OPERATING BUDGET HEARING - 3/22/06 of Marie Jones.
Lives on 57th Street. Still asks me about the George Institute. And I think some small manner of decency, regardless of which agency tells which agency what to do, the Free Library should at least be in touch with those community people and those advocates that you have known over the years and have the decency to tell them that a decision was made, what the reasons were, and put them on that kind of notice. And, so, for myself and for my own records, I would like a letter from you explaining exactly what happened, over what period of time, and that you have made this decision.