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| Library |
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| Long Term Capital Strategy
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 | The Library seeks to maintain the existing physical facilities to provide a safe, comfortable environment for the public and staff.
Over the next seven to ten years, Boise City has the opportunity to put an effective branch library system in place to serve our neighborhoods. The Mayor and City Council approved the Mayor's recommendations for branch library facilities and the Master Library Facility Plan on November 14, 2000. This action provided the direction to the Library to develop four branch library buildings over the next seven to ten years as the highest priority to serve existing Boise City neighborhoods and to work with Ada Community Library in partnership to serve newly annexed areas in the southwest, with construction of a new main library building on the present Capitol Boulevard site planned for ten or more years in the future. The Boise Public Library Board of Trustees affirmed their agreement with Mayor and Council at the Library Board meeting of December 6, 2000. The original time line for these projects has been delayed. However, the Library Board of Trustees approved the FY04-05 library capital project budget request, including the six-year CIP plan and projects beyond that six-year window at their meeting of April 2, 2003.
Two of the branch libraries originally identified as a regional branch library of 40,000 sq. ft. (28,000 sq. ft. for public service; 12,000 sq. ft. for support services relocated from the main library) and a community branch library of 18,000 sq. ft. were approved as re-budgets to the FY02-03 budget. However, the failure of the City of Boise's efforts in September 2002 to obtain judicial confirmation of debt for the police headquarters building project as ordinary and necessary expense has put the funding mechanism for the branch library facilities in question.
The timing of the joint service partnership with Ada Community Library was recognized as being dependent upon future annexations that may impact the library district. For purposes of this CIP budget process a joint service partnership with Ada Community Library is projected as occurring in FY08.
The optimistic view now is that FY06 is the earliest date that these projects could be funded by either a serial levy or a bond election. One of the previously approved branch library facilities (West Boise) is now shown in FY06 as a 33,000 sq. ft. building; the second (SE Boise) in FY07, as 28,000 sq. ft. for library space plus 3000 sq. ft. for a proposed police substation. However, depending upon the City Council's choice of funding options these suggested dates will change.
Cost estimates for branch library development are based on those developed by Providence Architects and Boise City Public Works staff in September 2002. Operational costs are based on those in the Master Library Facility Plan expressed in FY03 dollars. The community branch library planned for Area 3 (northwest Boise) is in the CIP plan for FY09. The community branch library planned for the far edge of Area 1 (Southeast Boise) is beyond the six-year window of the CIP plan.
| | | The existing Dynix Integrated Library System (ILS) was upgraded in FY03. It will be essential to fund a full replacement of the ILS in FY07 to allow for new technology and service expansion for branch library locations.
| | | Boise City has the opportunity to remodel the area on the first floor of the main library that will be available once the support services are relocated to the West Boise branch library. This space could be converted for public use by utilizing the former Acquisitions and Technical Services division space for public use, relocating the present "Entertainment Express" materials and checkout to a more secure area. A key question is : How much money does the city want to invest in the main library facility given the plan to replace it in ten to twelve years? An alternative use for the space if it is not remodeled for public use is to provide additional staff office space, relieving currently crowded conditions in Circulation and Youth Services office and workroom areas.
| | | Two elements of the Master Library Facility Plan are projected to occur in the next seven to ten years. First, the last of the planned community branch libraries approved by the Boise City Council is proposed for construction in the far southeast (Area 1) of Boise City . Then, once all four Boise City branch libraries and a jointly operated or contract operated replacement library facility in the southwest (Area 5) are in operation, the new main library project is to be addressed. Library building consultant Providence Associates, Inc. used multiple focus groups and an open community meeting to gain public input to branch and main library development during FY00. The results were used in developing both the building program for the new main library and for the Master Library Facility Plan, which addresses branch library needs and the need for a replacement main library building.
The estimated costs are based on those provided by Providence Associates architect Brad Waters and reviewed by Ron Redmond of the City of Boise Public Works Department in September 2002. The regional branch libraries (approximately 28,000 to 33,000 sq. ft.) should be budgeted at $8 million (SE) and $9 million (West Boise) exclusive of relocation and opening day collection costs. No specific cost estimates for the northwest Boise and the far edge in southeast Boise community branch libraries (18,000 sq. ft.) were developed in September 2002 but an estimate of $6.5 million each, exclusive of the land acquisition planned for FY04 has been extrapolated from the information provided for the larger library buildings.
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| Two Year Highlights
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| FY04: Replacement of rooftop HVAC units was previously approved by the City Council during FY01 as part of a larger project to upgrade safety and building systems for the Main Library. The architect's error in estimating costs meant that bids for F/B 02-01 came in at more than double the projected costs, so this project had to be postponed. Repair/replacement of selected wall HVAC units is also a necessary action to improve performance of the HVAC system.
| | | FY04: Replace the sidewalks between 8th Street and Capitol Blvd. along Battery Street, and a small portion along Capitol Blvd. The sidewalks have multiple cracks, deep settling, frost heaves, and tree root damage posing a safety liability for the library and the City.
| | | FY04: The demolition of the former Ridley's grocery store building request is included for FY04 in the event that the library's efforts to secure design/build bids for demolition, asbestos and PCB removal, and minimal site remediation for the Ridley's grocery store building failed in FY03.
| | | FY04: Current parking surface exhibits pavement break-up and "alligator" patches. This estimate of $32,000 for front, side, and back parking lots immediately adjacent to the main library building is based on current fuel and asphalt prices (FY03).
| | | FY04: Land acquisition costs for two future 18,000 sq. ft. community branch library buildings and one future 30,000 sq. ft. regional branch library building are included for FY04-05 in the belief that purchasing them now will save money as appropriate sites become more difficult to locate and purchase over time. One of the two sites for an 18,000 sq. ft. community branch library is to be in northwest Boise (area 3) ; the other is to be at the far edge of southeast Boise (Area 1); the one site for a proposed 30,000 sq. ft. regional branch library is to be in southwest Boise (area 5) potentially to provide a site for a jointly operated or contract operated replacement for the present Ada Community Library building.
| | | FY05: Carpeting at the Main Library is currently 14 years old on the first, second, and third floors of the library and is showing considerable wear and tear after 14 years of heavy patron traffic. Ninety-thousand dollars was approved in the FY00-01 budget process and was deferred. The Library Board requested $100,000 for the re-carpeting of the second and third floors as a capital request in FY03, but this request was not funded.
| | | FY05: A safety upgrade system proposal including an electronic locking system for our exterior doors that would be compatible with the citywide system; a color security camera system and video recorders, and motion detectors.
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| Revenue Notes |
| The Library Board and Boise Public Library Foundation will be asked to initiate a capital giving campaign to raise funds for branch library facilities and in the future a new main library building.
| | | The Friends of the Boise Public Library have raised over $200,000 for branch library projects, exceeding their initial fund-raising goal. The Friends of the Library continue fund-raising opportunities for library projects through book sales, and a used book store in the main library.
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