- by Steve Brockhouse,

on behalf of the Concerned Library Users in the former Sydenham Township

We would like to thank Mayor Clumpus for taking the time to visit with us in a private home where we could have an exchange of ideas and views in a less stressful environment that at a Town Council Meeting.

We support the Mayor's emphasis on achieving reduced costs through a thorough examination of services during the Service Review Process. Who wouldn't, since we are all Taxpayers of the Town of Meaford who wish to keep taxes within reason? We pay for services on the same basis as any other resident. Yet,

our library services are being threatened by termination of the agreement. We are seeking to preserve access to our traditional library closest to our community just as other residents of Meaford enjoy.

The Mayor wrote recently that citizens of the former township of Sydenham appear more interested in preserving the budget of the OSNGUPL than on the Municipality's taxes. Conversely, when focusing on the aspect of Library Service costs, the Mayor (and Council) appears to have decided to reduce costs on the backs of the Sydenham Residents who use the Owen Sound Library (OSNGUPL).

During the ongoing discussions it has become clear that the Mayor and Council's strategy for reducing costs is based on two arguments with which we have a fundamental difference of opinion.

The first of these concerns the terms of the agreement made during Amalgamation at the beginning of this Century.

Our mayor cites the Restructuring Order (amalgamation agreement) stressing there is nothing "directly" in it relating to Sydenham's connection to the OSNGUPL. The Order was prepared in 2001, more than 15 years ago, and has served a number of successive councils well in the intervening years. It was written in a sufficiently general manner that it would cover a broad range of Municipal Services and implied a duty to encourage cooperation between neighbouring municipalities following amalgamation. A facet of that duty was to ensure continued access to the OSNGUPL for Sydenham residents. The current Council (and the past Library Board) now claims that the Order was 'misinterpreted'! They claim that because a particular service (that of the library service for Sydenham Residents) was not explicitly included in the agreement it is now explicitly excluded and can be cancelled. Does this mean garbage pick-up, snow removal and road maintenance can also be cancelled as they are not explicitly mentioned either? Such action by council discourages co-operation between neighbouring municipalities and fosters division among residents of the same municipality?

One might conclude that this 're-interpretation' is a pseudo-legal misdirection intended to support the predetermined strategy.

The second aspect of the Mayor and Council's plan that deserves a more thorough examination is the use of Non-Resident Fees.

During her visit with us Mayor Clumpus kindly left several copies of a sheet providing non-resident fee information for some 50 to 60 other libraries across Ontario. While her sole purpose was to show us that the fees charged by OSNGUPL are the highest in the province, one may also draw some other useful conclusions from analysis of the information.

The increase to $500 per family by the OSNGUPL board was obviously a defensive measure, not intended to be used, but designed to produce more productive discussions between the two boards. The Mayor's continued reference to this irrelevant factor in the press is anything but productive.

It is clear that no library board expects to generate a significant portion of their operating revenues from non-resident fees (typically 1% to 1 1/2% or less).

In addition, it is clear that non-resident fees are in place to provide for non-residents in the form of temporary visitors to the area. It is not designed to cater to the 8% - 9% of residents who use the neighbouring library, as is the case for the residents of the former Sydenham Township.

The relationship between the OSNGUPL and its Sydenham library card users is different in all respects:

i. They are permanent residents of the community who contribute significantly to the local economy throughout the year including through taxes,

ii. They have a strong Community of Interest (developed in the pre-amalgamation era and continuing ever since)

iii. They comprise a significant fraction of OSNGUPL users

iii. Through the existing agreement, the OSNGUPL has been traditionally provided with a fair and proportionate contribution of its Operating Revenues (8% - 9%)

To redefine Sydenham Library Patrons as Non-Residents at this stage is disingenuous. It increases the divisions between the areas of the municipality at a time when Mayor and Council should be making all efforts to be inclusive.

Following is a set of recommendations arising from the above discourse to which Mayor, Council and Library Board of both Meaford and Owen Sound are invited pay heed.

We hope and expect that reopening of discussions between the two library boards will lead to an agreement that would at a minimum be the 2 year proposal that was previously offered by OSNGUPL and, preferably, a five year agreement so we do not have to go through this again in two years.

Steve Brockhouse

Leith

On behalf of the Concerned Library Users in the former Sydenham Township.

Recommendations

For Meaford Council and Meaford Library Board:

That Mayor Clumpus recuse herself from any further consideration as a candidate for the newly constituted Meaford Library Board. This will ensure the perception of fairness and independence from Meaford Council and provide for greater taxpayer involvement.

That Council and New Library Board discontinue any further effort to base library fees for Sydenham residents upon Non-Resident status since this is inconsistent with accepted practices across the province and it exacerbates divisions between permanent residents of the community.

For Owen Sound Council and OSNGUPL Board:

That Owen Sound Council and OSNGUPL Board accept the proposed funding of $120,500 from Meaford Council on an interim basis to allow service to be extended for Sydenham and other Meaford residents while the details of minimum two year agreement is worked out between the Library Boards. Such acceptance to make it clear that it is NOT in lieu of non-resident fees which it has no intention of waiving.

That the OSNGUPL Board complete a thorough review of library services to determine where there are areas that could result in cost savings given the available technological capabilities of the day and the increased usage of them by library patrons.

For Both Councils and Library Boards:

That the newly constituted MLB and the OSNGUPL Board set up a joint subcommittee including members from both boards whose task is to determine actions needed to improve integration of the two libraries with the objective of unifying them, potentially as a step towards the formation a Grey County wide network, and in any case, as a step toward providing all residents of Meaford with improved access to a full range of library services and a broader collection.

That both Library Boards be open minded in determining what changes or upgrades to their software systems are needed to better enable them to work together.