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TuesdayDecember1620143POLITICSMUNICIPALThankyouAnnLepineonbehalfofallthehappyFortSmithkidswhoattendedyourspecialChristmaspartythisyear.PS.AndthankstoSantaaswellFortSmithlibraryfacescutbacksin2015budgetCommunitymembersrallyforincreasedfundingforMaryKaeserLibraryByDALICARMICHAELPatronsofFortSmithsMaryKaeserLi-braryralliedaroundtownhallthisweekinanefforttosavetheirbelovedfacilitywhichisfacingaseriesofchallengesastheresultofwhatitssupporterscallchronicunderfunding.Despiteincreasingusageratesthelibraryislookingatreducingitsoperatinghoursandprogrammingasaresultofnotreceivingitsrequestedbudgetfromthetownfor2015anissuesupportershopedtorectifybyat-tendingatowncouncilmeetingheldDec.9.ConcernsaboutmountinglibraryusagewithoutthemoneytomatchwerepresentedtocouncilbackinOctobersaidassistantli-brarianBruceBuckley.Weareagrowinglibraryhesaid.Thisyearwebrokeourall-timerecordincheck-outsinJanuaryandthenwebrokethatre-cordagaininOctober.Everysinglemonththroughoutthisyearwevebrokenrecordsforthatmonthineverypreviousyear.Inthelastyearabout45percentofthecom-munityservicestrafcishappeninghereatthelibrary.Withfacilityusageontheupswingin-creasingworkloadsforstaffandaperceivedproblemwithcurrentsecuritymeasuresforstaffoftenworkingalonethelibraryaskedforextrafundingtohirethreenewcasualstaffmembersinadditiontothecurrentsixcasualstaffallowingthemtoscheduletwostaffmemberspershift.Intotaltheyaskedfor175300orabout80100morethanthe95200theyreceivedinthe2014budget.Towncouncilposteditsdraft2015bud-getonlinetheafternoonofDec.5atwhichpointBuckleylearnedthatthetowndidnothonourthelibrarysrequest.Insteadcoun-cilallocatedthelibraryanamount65000shortofwhatwasrequestedat110000.Whilethatrepresentsa16percentincreasefromlastyearsbudgetBuckleysaiditjustisntenoughtokeepthelibraryrunningatitscurrentcapacity.AttheDec.9meetingcouncillorKevinSmithsaidtheproposedbudgetdidntleavemuchroomforreallocationoffunds.Asacompromisehesuggestedaddinganad-ditionalonepercentincreasetothetownsproposedthreepercentpropertytaxin-creasealreadyslatedfor2015.Asitstandsthisyearsoperatingbudgetsitsaround8.6millionabout2.8millionofwhichcomesfrompropertytaxes.Anadditionalonepercentincreasewouldaddapproximately25-28000tothatbudget.IunderstandwhycouncilsoughtathreepercenttaxincreaseratherthanaveorsixpercenttaxincreaseSmithsaid.Taxeshavegoneupsomethinglike19percentoverthelastveyearsapproximatelyafteritdidntgoupatallfor10years.Thetownhasgreatfacilitiesandinfrastructurebutitsdifculttopayforthoseexpenses.IguessthewayIviewitisthetownhasarevenueproblem.SmithsmotionwasvoteddownvetotwowithonlySmithandcouncillorLynnNapier-BuckleyvotinginfavourthelatterinconictinthesituationgiventhatheadlibrarianBruceBuckleyisherhusband.Aspartofthebodyresponsiblefortheseincreasesitismydutytokeeptaxincreasesaslowaspossibleandstilloperatethecom-munityinascallyresponsiblemannersaidMayorBradBrakeonwhyhevotedagainstthemotion.PaststudiesinFortSmithhaveshownthatmostratepayersarenotadversetoataxincreaseoftwopercentannually.InaDec.11meetingSAOJimHoodpointedouttherewouldbemoreopportu-nityforthelibrarytoincreaseitsfundingin2016withseveralofthetownsdebts-nallybeingpaidoffbutlibrarystaffandtheirbackersremainconcernedaboutthelonglastingimpactsoneyearofcutbackscouldmeanfortheirfacility.ChangestounioncoverageintheworksUnioncoverageforlibrarystaffisdivided.Theheadlibrarianandassistantarerepre-sentedbytwodifferentunioncontractstocovertheirGNWTandtown-fundedhoursthoughbotharecoveredundertheUNWUnionofNorthernWorkers.Thetwoem-ployeesareconsideredcasualworkersmean-ingtheydonotreceivesickpayorNorthernLivingAllowancelikeapart-timepermanentstaffmember.Theotherfourcasualstaffatthelibraryarestrictlyunderthetownunion.WereindiscussionsontheunionwiththistheyhaverealizedthatthereisdenitelyaninequityhereBuckleysaid.Thecollec-tiveagreementexpiresDec.31sotheywillbeinnegotiations.Currentlyinthecollectiveagreementwhileitdoesapplytousnothingismentionedaboutthelibrary.Thepositionsattheswimmingpoolandthereccentreandelsewhereeverywherewherethereareunionpositionsthepaygridislaidout...butnoth-ingforthelibrarywasthere.Werehopingtoaddressthatinthenewcollectiveagree-mentandtheUNWalsowishestoaddressthatthatsmyunderstanding.SupportfromthecommunityKirstenBradleyaformerlibrarianattheMaryKaeserlibraryfrom2012to2013wasoneofmanycitizenstostandupforthefa-cilitynotingthatitishercivicresponsibil-ityasacitizen.Iworkedwiththepeoplewhoarethecur-rentlibrariansandIhavenothingbutgoodtosayaboutthequalityoftheirworkshesaid.Itsjustanincredibleworkloadthereisnobodywhocouldactuallycompletealltheworkthattheyneedtodo.Theyreallyneedmorestaff.Bradleysaidoneofthebiggestproblemshasbeenalackofcommunicationbetweentownhallandresidentssomethingthatalsoirkedconstituentsduringdebatesaboutthetownsarenadebentureearlierthisyear.TherewasnoprocessforpublicinputBradleysaid.IftheresatownservicethatcantbefundedthatisntgoingtobeabletocontinueoperatingatthesamelevelIthinkitisthetowncouncilsresponsibilitytotalktotheirconstituentsandletusknow.TheyshouldhaveletusknowinOctoberthatlos-inglibraryserviceswasapossibilityandiftheyhaddonethatthentheycouldndouthowcitizensfeelaboutitandthenreadjustthebudgetaccordingly.Bradleysaidshewasimpressedwiththeturnoutforthemeetingandasaresultofallthesupportisworkingwithotherstoformacoali-tiontoconductaletter-writingcampaigntotownhallwithhopesofmakingsomesortofchangeatthenextcouncilmeetingtobeheldDec.16.Weareagrowinglibrary.Thisyearwebrokeourall-timerecordincheckoutsinJanuaryandthenwebrokethatrecordagaininOctober.Everysinglemonththroughoutthisyearwevebrokenrecordsforthatmonthineveryprevi-ousyear.Inthelastyearabout45percentofthecommunityservicestrafcishappeninghereatthelibrary.BruceBuckleyMaryKaeserLibraryPhotoDaliCarmichaelOliverRaabandhismomMinSunshowtheirsupportfortheMaryKaeserlibraryataFortSmithtowncouncilmeetingDec.9.