BY LISA STAYTON
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County Public Library found itself facing a financial deficit of $306,511 through the first four months of the fiscal year. In a Nov. 25 meeting, the library board presented a financial statement outlining income of $162,801 and expenditures totaling $469,312 through Oct. 31.
Although not reflected in the financial report, the board had voted during a special meeting Oct. 15 to dissolve the district’s $227,400 certificate of deposit. The board planned to pay off a loan for the Collier Center’s new $223,500 LG heat pump chiller package. The certificate of deposit backed the loan, which has an 8.2% interest rate.
“You’re looking at almost $10,000 a year in interest,” board member Barry Webb said. “That right there is quite a bit.”
During the Nov. 25 meeting, board member Denise Stepp asked operations manager Kendra Fletcher for the library’s current bank balance. Fletcher, however, did not have the information available.
The board approved hiring for a part-time position at the theater and authorized Fletcher to begin interviews.
Leases
A recurring topic of discussion since February—lease rates for organizations housed in the Collier Center—resurfaced. Tenants include Martin County Adult Education, No Limits Fitness, Martin County Water District, HomePlace Clinic, Martin County Soil Conservation, and Big Sandy Area Community Action Program.
“We had hoped to get everyone on the same rate,” said Fletcher. “But I think we need to look at it from a different perspective of what the offices are bringing, what kind of organization it is. I think it’s going to be a little bit more difficult to get them all at the same rate.”
Fletcher highlighted lease details for No Limits Fitness, which occupies 1,581.59 square feet at a rate of $2.04 per square foot.
“We have talked about No Limits Fitness paying too much per square foot,” she said. “We wanted to decrease them to $1.50 per square foot.”
The new $1.50 rate is a decrease of 26.5%.
Fletcher also addressed the Martin County Adult Education lease, which covers 1,103 square feet at a rate of 10 cents per square foot. Fletcher had previously proposed an increase to 50 cents per square foot, with a potential later increase to $1.
“They have certain policies in place, so it would be a little bit more difficult for us to just bump them up and for them to just go with it,” Fletcher said. She added that Special Education Director Donnie Osborn had requested a meeting with library chairman Maurice Mills.
Adult Education test administrator Sonny Ward attended the meeting and advocated for the program.
“Most of the counties provide in-kind services,” Ward said. “The service is provided for all county residents as far as providing them with education. It’s a nonprofit, and it’s been said that for every $1 you spend, the return is 400 in the future.”
Ward explained that in most counties, the local government or educational institutions provide facilities for Adult Education.
“We’re not with the board of education,” Ward said. “And it’s been indicated to me that the reason the board of education doesn’t want to sponsor it or be the one behind it is because the state doesn’t provide that much money for it, doesn’t fund that much for it.”
When Mills asked if Adult Education had additional budget resources, Ward responded that it did not.
“That’s what’s killed us—everything has gone up since last year,” said Webb, adding that the rent paid by Adult Education “won’t pay for the electricity.”
Mills agreed to meet with Osborn to discuss the rental rate. He also clarified that the remaining leases would remain unchanged:
Big Sandy Area Community Action Program leases 853.26 square feet. With “in-kind contributions” from the Collier Center, no money changes hands.
Martin County Water District pays $848 for 666 square feet.
HomePlace Clinic pays $100 a month for 120 square feet.
Martin County Soil Conservation has 121.8 square feet and pays no rent.
The board approved the lease rates and will revisit Adult Education rates following Mills’ meeting with Osborn.
New lease to Fiscal Court
Additionally, Martin County Fiscal Court proposed paying $1,000 monthly for the lease of Room 317—a 357-square-foot conference room that the library board uses for meetings. Fletcher suggested relocating the library meeting room to the second floor in library director Angela Begley’s office.
“No,” Begley said. “I have dibs on that.”
Mills noted the library’s computer lab was currently non-operational.
“That’s something else that we need to discuss,” said Stepp. “We need to get our webpage up.”
Mills asked Fletcher if she had resolved the issue with the webpage.
“No,” she said. “Right now, I feel like the most pressing thing is funds,” said Fletcher.
Library regional director Wendy O’Connor informed the board of a Kentucky Library Association website development grant that funds up to $8,000.
“There’s a lot of money for it and there haven’t been a lot of applications for it,” O’Connor said.
The grant application would be due Dec. 2.
Board members accepted the lease agreement with the Fiscal Court, which will use the space for its opioid addiction recovery program.
Other action
In other actions, the board approved Begley’s request to allow library employees to leave early on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Fletcher reported that the movie “Wicked” was Main Street Cinema’s top-grossing film of the year. She also noted that over 200 attendees from five states participated in the Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Collier Center gymnasium the prior weekend.
The library board meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 5 p.m. at the Collier Center in Inez and quarterly at Rufus Reed Library in Lovely.