Unintended consequences.
They come when resolving one issue leads to another.
That could describe what happened near midnight Tuesday when City Council debated two amendments intended to reduce the effects of a lean city budget on services and staff at Jacksonville’s public libraries.
The discussion of two amendments — one to restore Sunday hours at the Highlands branch and the other to prevent closing the Maxville branch — led to council members questioning the communication between the staff and trustees of the Jacksonville Public Library.
As the issue of Sunday hours at Highlands began to be addressed by library Director Barbara Gubbin, council member Denise Lee asked Gubbin why she was not informed a day of service at the branch along Dunn Avenue would be eliminated after the decision was made by the library’s board of trustees.
“I am deeply disappointed,” said Lee. “Nobody contacted me –– as the district council person — to even mention that Highlands was going to be closed. I am absolutely amazed that no one even thought that they should even share what was happening.”
She said she learned of the impending reduction of services at Highlands from news reports.
Both the reduction in hours and the closing of the Maxville branch library were headed off when the council Tuesday voted to eliminate the 2.07 percent cut from all city departments. The move added about $350,000 to the library’s 2014-15 operating budget.
Council member Matt Schellenberg said he’d like to have more information about financial decisions made by the trustees.
“The first money to come out should take care of Maxville and Highlands,” he said. “I want a detailed report within two weeks of how that money is going to be spent.”
Schellenberg said if he does not receive the report, he would introduce legislation to remove the restored funds from the library’s budget.
On Wednesday, Lee said the library trustees and staff need to better communicate with council members, since it is council members who advocate for the library when legislation might affect the agency’s finances and operations.
“There is obviously a lack of communication,” said Lee. “We need more influence from the council to the library board. They need to stop being so insulated and communicate better.”
Council member Doyle Carter, in whose district the Maxville branch library is located, said Wednesday that the council doesn’t learn the details about how the library handles its budget until an issue, such as closing a library or reducing services, is brought before the council Finance Committee.
“When something like this comes up, the first thing they should do is contact us,” he said.
Carter said after hearing the library amendments discussion Tuesday, it might be time to evaluate how the trustees and staff work with the council.
“Communication is how you keep things rolling. It’s not hard to get in touch,” he said.
Library spokeswoman Kathy Lussier said she didn’t think Gubbin or trustee Chair Brenda Simmons-Hutchins would be available to comment for this story.
Lussier responded later with an email, saying Gubbin “does not have anything to add directly to your story.”
However, the email continued, “She did remind me that the decision to close the Highlands Branch Library on Sundays to cover the overtime cut was made at the board meeting on Thursday, Sept. 18. The next day, a letter outlining the board’s actions at that meeting was hand-delivered and sent electronically to council members. In addition, Brenda talked with Councilwoman Lee and several other council members over the weekend. Barbara is not certain whether other board members talked with other councilmembers.”
The email also said two council members — President Clay Yarborough and Richard Clark — were ex officio members of the board.
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