City Council

SPECIAL COUNCIL CONFERENCE MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 23, 2008 CITY HALL – 5:00 PM A Special Conference Meeting of the City Council of the City of Trenton, New Jersey, was held on the above date at 5:08 p.m. in the Council Conference Room, City Hall. The meeting was called to order by Council President Paul M. Pintella. Council President announced that adequate public notice had been provided to the public specifying the time and place for this meeting in accordance with the Open Public Meeting Act. Notice was mailed to the Trenton Times and the Trentonian Newspapers, posted on the first floor bulletin board in City Hall, and filed in the City Clerk’s Office. The agenda for this meeting was mailed, posted and filed on September 19, 2008. (N.J.S.A. 10:1 et seq) ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Messrs. Bethea, Coston, Ms. Lartigue, Messrs. Melone, Segura, Ms. Staton, Mr. Pintella – 7. PRESENTATION: TRENTON PUBLIC LIBRARY UPDATE Appearance: Kimberly Bray, Executive Director Council President Pintella announced that this was a special conference meeting for the Trenton Public Library presentation. Mr. Pintella introduced Mrs. Kimberly Bray, Executive Director of Trenton Public Library. Mrs. Kimberly Bray, thanked Council for inviting her to appear before them and explain the situation with the Library. Mrs. Bray explained that her presentation was going to include the following information: • Time line of budget process • Three budget options • The Board Reserves and how funds were used • Going forward and future plans Mrs. Bray gave a brief report on her work history and how she came to be the Executive Director of the Trenton Public Library. She was hired in March, 2008 and began work on April 7, 2008. On April 9, 2008, at a Library Board meeting, Ms. Jane Feigenbaum City Business Administrator notified the board that all city departments had to cut 10% of their budget and the library would also be required to do the same. City Council Conference: Minutes September 23, 2008 1  The Library Board had several meetings to discuss where to cut the budget. On June 3, 2008 the Board met with the City Administration to discuss the preliminary budget. The Library was $1.2 million dollars over budget. They developed seven (7) budget options at a Library Board meeting on July 2, 2008. Following are three recommendations. Option 1: To keep only the Main Library open. Councilman Coston questioned the upkeep of the libraries buildings. Mrs. Bray stated that the buildings were owned and maintained by the City. Councilwoman Lartigue asked Ms. Jane Feigenbaum for an amount to upkeep the buildings and what the 10% budget cut amounted to. Ms. Feigenbaum stated that she would provide that information for Council members. She stated that the Library Board made the decision to close the four libraries. The 10% budget cut amounts to $350,000.00 for this budget year. Councilman Bethea asked administration if unused Capital Funds could be designated. Councilwoman Lartigue asked Ms. Feigenbaum for a detail worksheet on the amount City had spent on repairs to the Libraries over the last five years from the Capital Funds. Option 2: Main Library open, Cadwalader and Skelton split for 48 hours spitting one staffing team - share hours between Briggs and East Trenton for 35 hours with one staffing team – this budget is over by $411,000.00. Option 3: All the Libraries stay open • All Libraries will stay open • Technical Services will be closed • Restructuring of the staff • Lay-Offs • Increase assessed to the Trentoniana Room • Over by $946,000 Only 4% of the operating budget goes to materials it should be 13% – 15%. City Council Conference: Minutes September 23, 2008 2 Board Reserve Account – At the highest level it was $1.8 million on June, 2003. The reserves were used for the following budget years as follows: 2003-2004 - $423,000.00 2004-2005 - $230,000.00 2005-2006 - $475,000.00 2006-2007 - $250,000.00 2007-2008 - $120,000.00 Currently the Board has $347,000.00 in the Reserve Account. Mr. Linowitz, Certified Public Accountant, Library Board Accountant stated that the City had decreased their budget by 10% before. There is no Grant Writer on the Board, fund raisers were done by the Friends of the Library and the library received a grant from Gates Grant for computers. Councilwoman Lartigue asked regarding their last audit and requested a copy of it. Mr. Linowitz stated that their last audit was for the 2004-2005 budget year. Ms. Tracey Bond Wright, Accountant with Linowitz Company, stated that Bowman and Company is doing the audit, and there are no significant findings. Councilman Coston asked about the type of State Aide the Library received and the amount. Ms. Bond Wright stated that the State gives the Library from $104,000-$110,000. The amount is based on population. After the presentation a question and answer period ensued. PUBLIC COMMENTS: The following individuals spoke in support of keeping all City Libraries open: Paul Harris, Jr., 534 Centre Street Lurea C. McFadden, 947 Carteret Avenue Edward Hill, 537 Rutherford Ave. (On behalf of the West Ward Advisory Committee) Brunette Ramirez, 17 Girard Ave. (Citizen against the closing of the East Trenton Library) Susan L. Hartt-Perez, 41 Montgomery Place Terri Jones, 227 S. Cook Avenue (Library employee) Qawiyya Haqq, 87 Liberty Street (six years old) Hussane Haqq, 87 Liberty Street (Teacher turned in 23 letters from students) Susan Sternberg, 14 Devon Avenue (Library employee) Patricia Tunulty, 130 Sanhican Drive Patricia Stewart, 679 Lamberton Street Antoinette Shelton, 75 Highland Avenue City Council Conference: Minutes September 23, 2008 3 Donna J. Moors (Library employee) Bill Kearney, Jr., 1620 Riverside Drive Monroe Laremore, 1446 Stuyvesant Avenue Kate M. Esposito, 149 Farnsworth, Bordentown Rafael Valentin, 225 Kensington Avenue Keturah Monroe, 206 W. Hanover Street Steven L. Young (Activist from Atlantic City) Emmanuel Avraham, 107 School Lane (Fathers and Men United) Dion Clark, 323 Walnut Avenue – Sorry to hear that Director Santiago resigned from his position as Police Director; wanted to know if the City had meter maids; supports the City Libraries. Bea Perry, 26 Sylvester Avenue – Spoke in support of the City Libraries; Thanked the Departments of Traffic and Housing. James Fouse, 13 Cavell Avenue – Spoke concerning Director Santiago the “Law is the Law” Santiago refused to move into the City; supports the City Libraries and stated that the City will not close the libraries. They will come up with a library tax first. Frank Weeden, 56 Allen Street – Happy to hear that the Mayor and Director Santiago complied with the Court Order; Irving Bradley does not live in the City; supports the City Libraries; the City administration can be cut as there are positions we can do without; and city vehicles usage should be reduced. Joe Harrison, 15 Swan Street – Spoke on the Police Director resignation; read an article in the Uniform Crime Report from the Attorney General Office stating that crime had gone down except in the City of Trenton; water increase; the money spent defending Director Santiago and on the K Hovanian project. Lee Ingram, 39 Edgemere Avenue – Thanked Councilman Segura and Councilwoman Lartigue for their assistance and help; supports the City Libraries. CIVIC MATTERS: Council President Pintella announced that the last day to register to vote is October 14, 2008. The meeting adjourned at 9:16 p.m. Respectfully submitted ___________________________ __________________________ PAUL M. PINTELLA JUANITA M. JOYNER CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ACTING CITY CLERK City Council Conference: Minutes September 23, 2008 4