RUPERT J.
SMITH LAW LIBRARY OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, INC.
Meeting
Minutes
Honorable
Trustees Attending: Honorable Burton C. Conner,
Paula A. Lewis,
Trustees
Absent: None
Others
Attending: Nora
J. Everlove, Librarian and Lynn T. Atkinson, Secretary
I. October Minutes:
Mr.
Wilder moved approval of the October Minutes, Mr. Walker seconded the motion
and it was carried unanimously.
II. Welcome Anthony Guettler to the Board
of Trustee:
Judge
Conner announced and welcomed Anthony P. Guettler to the Board of
Trustees. Mr. Guettler is the Port St.
Lucie Bar Association appointee to the Board.
III. Annual Audit/Financial Report Fiscal
Year Ending 2005:
Ms. Atkinson provided everyone
copies of the Financial Report prepared by Jay Gaines, CPA and stated that she
is mailing out the original and a copy to the Auditor General and to the
Department of Financial Services. Judge
Conner asked that Ms. Atkinson inform the Trustees of any comments by the
accountant. Ms. Atkinson informed the
Trustees that Mr. Gaines expressed concern over the fact that the expenditures
were over income. Ms. Atkinson explained
that this was due to the fact that this was the 2004/2006 Fiscal Audit which
was when Article V, Revision 7 Funding went into effect. Ms. Atkinson also noted for Mr. Gaines that
there is a new funding source for the Law Library so hopefully things should be
looking up.
Additionally there was a billing and
reimbursement question concerning Everlove & Associates. Ms. Everlove has been informed of the
question and is currently researching the matter. Ms. Everlove says it looks as if Everlove
& Associates were reimbursed twice for an expenditure on behalf of the Law
Library, but her records reflect that this was credited back to the Law
Library. She is working on the
documentation. Judge Conner suggested
that the financial report be put back on the agenda for December’s meeting
after everyone has had time to review the report and it was agreed to.
IV. Additional
Hours for the Law Library:
Judge Conner announced that the
Sheriff has agreed to provide additional security for the evening hours
effective
V. Public Service Announcements/Seminars:
Ms. Atkinson advised the Trustees
that at the previous meeting it was decided that the issue of public serve
announcements be tabled until the October, 2006 meeting so that Ms. Everlove
could be present. Mr. Walker advised the
Trustees that this issue was discussed at the Friends of the Law Library
Meeting and the group as a whole had difficulty coming up with a consensus for
a specific plan. Mr. Walker stated that
the Trustees have heretofore approved one or more courses in concept and Mr. Walker and Ms. Everlove thought to go
ahead under the rubric of that approval and put together a final plan, a
detailed plan for Trustee approval. Ms.
Everlove stated that Mr. Walker is actually speaking about the seminars
themselves and not the public service announcements.
Judge Conner reiterated that what
was being discussed now was a strategy to get the word out to the public that
the Law Library is now expanding its hours to be open two nights per week until
Judge Conner asked it anyone had any
ideas on who to contact to do a visual work up on a poster. Mr. Wilder suggested Wendy Dwyer who does
work for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. If
Ms. Dwyer is unable to help out, then Judge Conner suggested that IRCC be
approached as he assumes that they have a graphics design program. Perhaps a student would like to take this on
as a class project. Mr. Wilder agreed
that this would probably be even better.
Judge Conner asked if Mr. Wilder would be comfortable preparing the
informational flyer as well. Ms.
Everlove agreed to do contents if Mr. Wilder would do the layout.
Judge Conner asked if the Trustees
have ever adopted a logo. Mr. Walker
stated that they had not. Judge Conner
suggested that whoever is going to work up the poster could work up logo for
the Law Library might want to use. The
logo could be used on the informational flyer as well. Mr. Walker stated that he felt it would be a
good idea in concept if the Law Library could get some nice looking
proposals. Ms. Everlove stated that she
has seen a couple of logos that other Law Libraries have and she will bring
samples to the next meeting. Ms.
Everlove further advised that the Florida State County Court Law Libraries
meeting is next week and she’ll get an e-mail out to the group and ask them to
bring their goodies.
VI: Financial
Statement:
Ms. Everlove reported that the Law
Library will definitely make money this year, not a lot, but we are definitely
in the black, which considering our position 18 months ago, is thrilling. Ms. Everlove prepared a proposed budget for
fiscal year2006/2007. She feels that the
beginning balance will be around $280,000.00 and she thinks that this coming
year the Law Library will have revenues in excess of $300,000.00. The year end close out balance for FY
2006/2007 she estimates will be about $265,000.00. Ms. Everlove reported that the report does
not show any revenues for October of 2005.
We are behind a month on the revenues, so what the report really
reflects is 10 months worth of income and when the close out this year there
will be an extra month of income.
In preparing the new budget Ms.
Everlove stated that we have 10 months of revenue and she divided kind of into
quarter. She did the first quarter and
then the second quarter really has 4 months in it and then she looked at the
last 3 months and our income is going up close to $2,000.00 a month per
quarter. So we made $6,000.00 more the
second quarter compared to the first quarter and another $6,000.00 this last
quarter compared to the quarter above that.
This is really turned out to be better than hoped. In putting in the projection for next year
Ms. Everlove used the last 3 months as her model, what was averaged during the
last 3 months, she multiplied that by twelve to get to the $312,000.00 in
revenues. Ms. Everlove stated that she
couldn’t be sure that revenues would keep going up s they have been so she was
conservative in estimating the revenues.
Likewise, Ms. Everlove stated that she was probably heavy handed in
estimating expenditures. Law Library
funds are carried over year to year.
Ms. Everlove stated that she had built in $8,500.00 for additional
security costs, but since the Sheriff has agreed to staff this at no additional
expense to the Law Library for FY 2006/2007, it appears that this will not be
an expense. Judge Conner inquired as to
the expense for additional staff from Everlove & Associates. Ms. Everlove informed the Judge that she had
included $8,000.00 for that staff and an additional $5,000.00 for marketing
costs.
Ms. Everlove asked if the Friends
could be asked if they would help with poster, flyer and marketing costs to
advise the public of the additional Law Library hours. Mr. Walker stated that he felt that this
would fall well within the scope of the Friends Charter.
Ms. Everlove in noted that
Subscriptions and Law Books will do nothing but get more expensive. At this time the Law Library spends approximately
$12,000.00 per month on WestLaw, between the WestLaw contract and the book
contract. Ms. Everlove stated that she
has allowed a multiplier of about 18%.
It went up 15% this year so Ms. Everlove thought she should figure high
and hope that it is less. Phones and
postage are about the same. Insurance
costs have increased. Ms. Everlove
stated that she would provide Mr. Walker with a packet since he is attending by
phone.
Mr. Walker advised Mr. Guettler that
the Trustees had approved replacement of the portrait that hangs in the Law
Library of the Judges. The expenses for
the portrait is traditionally sponsor by the Bar Association. Mr. Walker has asked that the St. Lucie
County Bar Association sponsor have of the cost with the understanding that the
Port St. Lucie Bar Association sponsor the other half. Mr. Walker asked that Mr. Guettler approach
the Port St. Lucie Bar Association about sponsoring the other half of the cost. An estimated cost for each Bar would be
$500.00 for each Bar. Mr. Guettler
agreed to bring this matter before the Port St. Lucie Bar Association at its
next meeting.
VII. Port St. Lucie Law Library Annex:
Ms. Everlove informed the Trustees
that there was an accident at the Port St. Lucie Law Library Annex. There was a water leak in the Library and
some books were damaged. Pictures were
taken for an insurance claim. At this
time it appears that there are only 12 books that are damaged, but time will
tell. Mold is a very great concern.
VIII. Hospice Donation for Portia Smith:
Ms. Everlove reported that Hospice
had sent a letter of thanks and acknowledgment for the Trustees personal
donation in honor or Portia Smith.
IV. Books and CLE Tapes:
Ms. Everlove informed the Trustees
that she has ordered Florida Statutes.
She further stated that she would like to order some new CLE tapes as
the Library only has 4 that have not expired and they will expire before the
December, 2006 meeting. Further
discussion was had in this matter and expenditure on the CLE tapes was
approved.
As there was no further business the
meeting was adjourned.
Dated: December , 2006
________________________________________
________________________________________
James T. Walker, Trustee
________________________________________
Jim Wilder, Trustee
________________________________________
Paula A. Lewis, Trustee
_______________________________________
Anthony P. Guettler, Trustee