International Falls City Council: Library sets out 5-year plan

Adams told the council that the strategic plan sets out goals and action plans for the library. The top goals for the library are to encourage literacy activities that build confidence and joy in learning for young children, caregivers and educators; to continue to offer enjoyment, develop creativity, and enhance cultural awareness; to support the search for knowledge and development of skills for personal and civic growth; and to continue to offer a welcoming, safe place for learning, reflection and interaction.

The focus group, said McBride, provided ideas that would make the community better and the plan addressees some of those ideas. The 14 members of the focus group offered their “hope for the community, not just the library,” said McBride.

“We believe we can serve the community best by being a community partner — good civic members,” she said.

Among the desires for the community offered by the focus group are to have access to legal services for low-income families, create a homeless shelter, have safe places for teens to gather with constructive things to do, and to encourage and support a larger entrepreneurial culture which diversifies the local economy.

Meanwhile, Adams said the plan doesn’t call for a lot of changes at the library.

“We feel we are a welcoming library and want to keep it that way,” she said. “We feel we are on track at where we want to be in community outreach and help, but we will focus and narrow to make sure what we’re doing fits within our goals.”

Councilors credited those associated with developing the plan, the costs of which were paid by the Arrowhead Library System.

In related business, the council reappointed Lee Lepper and Liz Johnson to the library board and appointed to a first term Jill Christie.

In other business, the council reallocated back into the city’s economic development fund $25,000 that had been earmarked to help fund the Koochiching Economic Development Authority operations.

Last week, the KEDA Board learned that Koochiching County, because of budget constraints, will not kick in the money it annually contributes to the operation of the KEDA. Instead, the KEDA will work toward self sufficiency by using funds it gains from private companies using the KEDA’s cold weather testing facilities.

Falls Mayor Shawn Mason said becoming self sufficient has been a goal of the KEDA since it was created. “It’s not a matter of the city and county disagreeing,” she said Monday. Becoming self sufficient is a “real positive story,” she added later.

The council heard that Menards has sought to use some of the wetland bank credits the city has recently gained. An application form for the credits has been developed and is now available for use by private businesses seeking to expand or locate in the community.

Mason said city officials developed the form just three weeks after the Menards’ request, while it has taken more than three years to gain the credits.

“This is one of the greatest accomplishments of this council,” she said of making wetland credits available to businesses.

On a 4-1 vote, the council approved setting the annual salary of building official, a position now held by Kelly Meyers, at $58,988.

Councilor Cynthia Jaksa, chairwoman of the city’s Finance and Legislation Committee, voted against the salary, saying it was higher than she was willing to pay, in light of the city’s tight budget.

In addition, she said using the state’s average wage for building officials as a base isn’t wise, as most employees in the community work at salaries less than the state average for their positions.

But Councilor Paul Eklund, who serves as the chairman of the city’s Human Resources Committee, said that Meyers is now a fully licensed building inspector and the position has added responsibilities, including serving as safety and blight inspector.

The motion included a clause that the position will not be eligible for any wage increases in 2012.

Mason noted that with Meyer’s licensure, the city will no longer contract for the services of an inspector who held office hours twice a week at $60,000 per year.

Council Tim “Chopper” McBride announced that two VIP tickets for a 38 Special concert scheduled for July will be drawn from all tickets sold for a Feb. 25 Arch Allies concert at Backus. Arch Allies performed just prior to last year’s Loverboy performance.

The concert is sponsored by the city’s Economic Development Authority, of which McBride is president, and Backus Community Center.