North Adams Finance Committee Peruses Library Budget
 Superintendents James Montepare, left, and James Brosnan meet with Finance Committee members Michael Bloom and Alan Marden. Member David Bond was absent. |
Last week, Chairman Michael Bloom had questioned the amount of staffing and expenses in the North Adams Public Library's $343,000 budget at last week's meeting. By the time Moon was done, Bloom shook his hand and sent him off, "I feel better about it ... you're free to go."
Moon told Bloom and committee member Alan Marden that part of the problem is the job classifications aren't up to date. "These categories do not reflect what these people are doing at the library," he said.
(Mayor Richard Alcombright said an updated classification and compensation will be presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting.)
Plus, he said, the retirements of Library Director Marcia Gross and children's librarian Marion Grillon left vacancies as Moon and Kim DiLego moved into those positions, respectively.
"I lost about 70 hours of manpower," said Moon. "We are open 52 hours a week. Multiply that by three (circulation, reference and children) departments. I have to schedule 156 hours of open time at the library. ... It gets a little crazy when people are sick. We're actually in cross training across multiple departments."
The staff is made up of full- and part-time staff, with attempts to keep at least one full-time staff member capable of making decisions on the two-man circulation desk.
Some of the budget is offset by revenues, such as fines, grants and state aide. State funding, however, is dependent on the library spending at least 16 percent of its operating budget on new materials - books, periodicals, DVDs, etc. But that match got cut by 64 percent; where it once got $32,000 it now gets $11,000 in matching funds.
At the same time, the use of the library has grown from 94,000 visitors to more than 100,000; some 236,000 items have been physically touched by the staff this fiscal year. "You wouldn't think a small library like that would handle that many items," said Moon. "It's amazing. We see 300 or 400 people a day."
The department is adding two more computers to its current eight through a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant. Computer use is high but it's considering dropping its $1,200 subscription to Ancestry.com because only a couple dozen people use it.
While Bloom and Marden both recommended the library budget, Marden balked at the $940,000 Northern Berkshire Vocational School District assessment, voting not to recommend it as a "personal protest."
The amount is up nearly $100,000 over this year, while the total budget for McCann Technical School is up barely a percent, from $7.9 million to $8 million this year.
Over the past few years, Superintendent James Brosnan said the school has found efficiencies in heating and electric costs by partially switching to natural gas and changing lighting fixtures. Maintenance costs are also down and the incoming freshmen class is down 15 to 20 students.
However, health insurance costs continue to rise (the school is part of the Berkshire Health Group with other local school districts) and regional transportation funding is still questionable. Brosnan said the district had received about $183,000 of the $260,000 in state funding this year; the 2011 budget reflects level funding but that could change.
Still, the city's assessment is up almost 10 percent — and Brosnan said he couldn't explain why because the calculations are from the state and based on data including population and community property values derived from the Department of Revenue.
"You used to be able to be able understand it a little better but now it's mostly smoke and mirrors," said North Adams Superintendent James Montepare in agreement.
Marden said he couldn't recommend it. "We're here with a $100,000 increase. You can't explain it, [Brosnan] can't explain but we're going to get whacked ... It'll be on the taxpayers."
Both members recommended the $15.8 million North Adams school budget, up 1.4 percent from last year. Montepare said some $750,000 had been trimmed from the budget by not filling 4 1/2 teaching positions, two aide slots and 2 1/2 custodial spots. Some of those workers will be able to slip into jobs that are opening because of retirements. The school department is also pursing a Reading Is Fundamental grant that would maintain to two teaching positions, thereby reducing unemployment costs.
It also includes the slashing $125,000 in supplies and taking into account a switch from oil to natural gas at two schools and a reduction of $135,000 in residential placement costs. The district also had to account for expected step raises for the coming year, expected to come out of the school choice funds. The number of school-choice students is increasing, said Montepare, but the couple dozen coming in don't yet match the 40 or so who choose to go elsewhere.
The City Council will be presented the $39.6 million budget at Tuesday's meeting. The budget sheet and comparisons of tax rates for surrounding towns as well as revenue options that will be discussed on Tuesday are available below.
NABudget Final 2011
