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Library District News FORT COLLINS REGIONAL LIBRARY DISTRICT, CITY AND COUNTY APPROVE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT Tuesday night the Fort Collins City Council and the Fort Collins Regional Library District entered into an intergovernmental agreement designed to finalize the public library's transition from city library to library district. The agreement was also unanimously approved by the Larimer County Commissioners Tuesday afternoon. Executive Director Brenda Carns brings in the "New District" The city, county and the new library district, which was established through a citizen initiative at the beginning of 2007, worked together on the details of the agreement. The agreement lays the foundation for an ongoing relationship between the city, county and district; provides for the future of property, buildings and materials associated with library services; and outlines the transfer of library staff from city employees to district employees. "This agreement is the result of much collaboration, and we are pleased that the terms will enable the district to move forward in providing enhanced library services to our community," said Mary Atchison, president of the Fort Collins Regional Library District Board of Trustees. "The agreement terms are a natural extension of the taxpayers' initiative which created the district a year ago, and represent the completion of our transition." Library staff celebrate a New Year a New Library! Under the agreement, the city will transfer the title of the Main Library at 201 S. Peterson St. to the district on Jan. 1, 2008. In addition, the city will transfer ownership of the park surrounding the Main Library, with the exception of the adjacent playground, parking lot and Carnegie Library Building, which all will remain city property. District ownership of a large portion of the park area will allow for possible future expansion of the Main Library. The city also will convey all library books, materials and real property, including computers, fixtures and furniture, to the district. The city will retain ownership of the Poudre Creamery property located on the northwest corner of Laporte Avenue and Howes Street, and originally purchased as a possible site for a larger downtown library. "This is a win-win agreement for the City, the Library District, and most importantly, the residents," said Fort Collins City Manager Darin Atteberry. "Both organizations were focused on being good stewards of public resources, and as a result, the district obtains property that it can use for future expansion and the city retains property in close proximity to many city administration buildings." Provisions for the Harmony Library Branch and the Southeast Library Branch under construction also are part of the intergovernmental agreement. The district will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Southeast Branch once construction is completed by the City with the use of library impact fees. The city will assign its existing contract with Front Range Community College to the district, which will enable the Harmony Library Branch located on the college's campus to continue operation uninterrupted. Under the agreement, library staff members will transfer from city employees to district employees as of Dec. 31, 2007. Other provisions of the agreement include the transfer of Building on Basics (BOB) library technology revenues--$744,000 annually--to the District to be used for voter approved purposes; availability of City support services (HR, accounting, payroll, risk management, purchasing, IT, facilities maintenance etc.) to the District at the District expense; the conveyance of books, media materials, furnishings, technology, shelving and other personal property used by the City to provide library services; and, the continuation and use of City library impact fees through 2008 until completion of the Southeast Branch Library. The intergovernmental agreement will replace an interim intergovernmental agreement created last spring to maintain the day-to-day funding and functioning of the library. The library's one-year transition process will be complete when all components of the final intergovernmental agreement take effect at the beginning of 2008. The transition from city library to regional library district has dramatically improved the public library's ability to serve the community. This was recognized earlier this month when the Colorado Association of Libraries named the successful formation of the new Fort Collins Regional Library District as Colorado's "2007 Project of the Year." The organization's Project of the Year designation is an award designed to recognize an especially innovative project which furthers library service in the state. Since its formation, the library district has restored hours of operation at the Main and Harmony Libraries; restored staff positions; added library materials; and improved programs for children, teens and adults. The district also is preparing to open and operate a new Southeast Branch Library currently being constructed by the City of Fort Collins. For more information about the Fort Collins Regional Library District, visit www.fcgov.com/library. 12/6/2007

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