Harrison Memorial Library
Location: Ocean Av. & Lincoln St., N.E. Corner
As of 1 December 2006, Library Director Margaret Pelikan will officially retire from her position after 25 years as Harrison Memorial Library Director; her significant accomplishments include the establishment of the children’s library and a local history room at the Park Branch and the Carmel Public Library Foundation. Reference librarian, Janet Cubbage, will become Interim Director.
Comment: The immediate circumstances surrounding the "retirement” of Library Director Margaret Pelikan, that is, the Ralph Andersen and Associates “Library Study,” embody Mayor Sue McCloud’s and City Administrator Rich Guillen’s publicly articulated disrespect for Library Director Margaret Pelikan, her position as Library Director and the Harrison Memorial Library Board of Trustees. Moreover, formulating policy based on personal animosity is unprofessional and conduct unbecoming a mayor and city administrator. That said, Carmelites and patrons of Harrison Memorial Library and the Park Branch are the losers with the departure of Library Director Margaret Pelikan.
City Council Agenda
Regular Meeting
November 7, 2006
VII. Consent Calendar
E. Consideration of a Resolution entering into an agreement with Ralph
Andersen & Associates for the preparation of a City Library operations
study.
Selected excerpts from a 28 April 2006 letter written by Heather Renschler, Ralph Andersen & Associates, to City Administrator Rich Guillen:
“Hopefully, this will give you an outline that you can use in identifying exactly what you would like Ralph Andersen & Associates to accomplish with this project.”
“Of course, the study’s overall goal would be help the City achieve cost savings in its library operations, either by administrative consolidation with neighboring cities, obtaining financial support for the Youth Library from the County Library System, or some combination of these options.”
“Options.
With the development of the above information, the consultant would evaluate the previously mentioned options, including:
a. Administrative Consolidation with Neighboring Cities. The study would develop information that you would need in discussing possible administrative consolidation with neighboring cities. If needed and only if requested, the consultant could assist in preliminary talks with the other cities.
b. County Library Support of Youth Library. The study would provide information that could be used to assess whether or not it would be fruitful to discuss obtaining financial support from the County to support the operations of the existing Youth Library, if, in fact, much or most of its service benefits the unincorporated area.
c. Combination of Options. There may be a combination of the above options that might prove beneficial to the City."
“It is hoped that we can become engaged in this project during May. Some of the on-site work that may be necessary could be performed by John Goss during the week of June 5th, during which he will be attending the June 6th City Council meeting where the Business License Tax Ordinance revision will be considered.”
COMMENTS:
• Below are the pertinent listings of “current and recently completed executive recruitments conducted by Heather Renschler, Project Director.”
Carmel Foundation
• President/CEO
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
• Community Development Director
• Interim General Manager, Sunset Theatre Center
• Police Chief
(Source: Ralph Andersen & Associates, www.ralphandersen.com)
• A delay of approximately 5 months from the time Ralph Andersen & Associates expected to begin work on the “Library Study” and the time of the City Council agenda item considering an agreement with Ralph Andersen & Associates.
• For Fiscal Year 2006/07, the City proposes to expend only $175,929 more for Harrison Memorial Library than Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. Yet, the Carmel libraries need to engage in cost saving measures while the SCC, Inc. receives all the dollars it asks for to manage the Sunset Center. For context, 100% of Carmelites use the libraries at a City expense of $888,929/year, while only 14% of ticket holders to Sunset Center events are Carmelites at a City subsidy of $713,000/year. Is this equitable City policy? Is this policy consistent the Carmel-by-the-Sea credo, “THE CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA is hereby determined to be primarily, a residential City wherein business and commerce have in the past, are now, and are proposed to be in the future subordinated to its residential character; and that said determination is made having in mind the history and the development of said city, its growth and the causes thereof; and also its geographical and topographical aspects, together with its near proximity to the cities of Pacific Grove and Monterey and the businesses, industries, trades, callings and professions in existence and permissible therein."
Adopted by Ordinance No. 96 passed on this 5th day of June 1929
(Reference: CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA CALIFORNIA ADOPTED BUDGET FISCAL YEARS 2006/07 THROUGH 2008/09)
• With an annual budget of over $11 million and reserves of almost $10 million, there is no justification for a “Library Study” whose goal is “cost savings.” Only if the City Administrator and City Council, unlike the community they are supposed to serve, reject the community’s values on reading and education, does the “Library Study” have any basis.
4 comments:
It is clear that Mayor McCloud has has had a personal grudge against Pelikan for years and has done everything possible to force her to resign. In the end, the Mayor seems to have ground down Pelikan, who is generally thought to have done an excellent job. One can speculate that the main bone of contention was that the Mayor, who is a micro-manager, could not mico-manage the Library. Now she can either by not naming a replacement or by naming one that she can micro-manage (such as the Public Safety Director and City Administrator).
All of the members of the City Council have shown that their goal is to minimize city government and expenses no matter how much money the city may have and no matter how much it may cost the residents and most of the people, who do business in Carmel. It is becoming ever more widely understood that many if not most business owners in Carmel would prefer a different mayor and city council than the current ideologs but are afraid to oppose them publicly. It is believed by many that to do so would be to have the city looking for real or imagined violations of the City Code that are generally unenforced or overlooked. Hopefully, the recent wave against ideologs and extremists at the polls by voters across the political spectrum will carry through to Carmel's next election so that we can finally elect a mayor and city council that are more in the main stream and more interested in governing in a practical manner that will benefit rather than hurt Carmel
Please post for me...I just finished reading The Carmel Pine Cone Nov. 10th edition...not a word about our retiring Library Director, not a word about the fire hydrants report, not a word about Burde Bank building...How many more important items are belatedly reported or omitted from the Pine Cone's coverage?
Did everyone see the nauseating Rich Guillen quote in The Herald's front page story on Margaret Pelikan last Friday? He was quoted as saying something like "She's been good to work with. She'll be missed." Disingenuous doesn't even begin to describe such rubbish. Since when did Rich ever put himself out to work with our library director? The guy goes so over the top with his tripe it is so transparent. If only Carmelites would see him for what he is, then maybe we all would have a chance for future positive change for the benefit of residents.
Rich Guillen talks out of both sides of his mouth and should never be trusted. Isn't that a very sad commentary about our City Administrator?
It was widely known that the mayor has wanted to get rid of Margaret from the day she was elected mayor and started to "clean house" of the department managers. I am surprised that Margaret lasted as long as she did. Sue, and Rich as her henchman, had been gunning for Margaret for a very long time.
Sue has wanted to run the library like everything else. Hard for her to do because of the way the Codes dictate governance for libraries, but that doesn't deter her.
Now the Carmel Public Library Foundation has changed their mission from covering books/materials/programs to whatever suppport the library board of trustees need. This opens up access to a lot more money. Through the Library Board of Trustees (whom Sue appoints and the council ratifies), Sue and Rich can demand that the CPLF spend their hard-raised money on personnel and building maintenance if the Foundation wants the library to remain free and open to all. And there are just enough of Sue's friends on the CPLF board now to grant her wishes.
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