URGENT UPDATE ON SUN CITY LIBRARIES

Was responding to FYI’s comment, that’s all.

 

All I hear now when I read certain posts is blah, blah, blah. Same words, different day. If anyone thinks the people who live here are going to trust anything this board/GM says in the future they would be sadly mistaken. We have been lied to and ignored, and folks are angry. This is not about bruised egos, it's about the financial future of the folks who live here. I do not want to fund a community for the next ten or so years only to have the folks that live here after I am dead enjoy what it took 15-20 years to break down and 10+ years to build back.

 

Exchange & Eclipse Driving Safety

Many Sun City residents are expected to attend the RCSC Exchange meeting, Monday, April 8th, 9am at Sundial center **to comment on our Sun City libraries concerns.**

It may adjourn during the eclipse causing driving safety concerns.

WHEN TO EXPECT THE ECLIPSE IN OUR AREA

Path of the April 8, 2024 eclipse The big picture:
Around 64% of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon for the eyes of Phoenix residents — with the eclipse starting at 10:08am and peaking at 11:20am. The forecast calls for periods of sunshine and clouds throughout the day. HOW

TO DRIVE SAFELY
AAA tips to drivers during the eclipse. • Keep your vehicle’s headlights on.

• Put the sun visor down to block your view of the sun.

• Don’t wear eclipse glasses while driving.

• Don’t try to photograph or video the eclipse while driving.

• Don’t pull over to the side of the road,
highway, or interstate to view the eclipse.

• Exit the roadway and park in a safe area away from traffic to view the eclipse.

• Be mindful of pedestrians who may be walking around with their eyes on the sky!

BE SAFE!!
#
** Edited for clarity for some, 4/6/2024 10:36am

AAA:
https://newsroom.aaa.com/2024/03/its-not-too-late-to-plan-a-road-trip-for-the-eclipse/

 

Cute! SQUIRREL!!!! Will you be admonished like Tom and I were for posting non library issues here? This is exactly what I am talking about. Rules for thee, not for me! Let me repeat:

I DO NOT WANT TO FUND A COMMUNITY FOR THE NEXT TEN OR SO YEARS ONLY TO HAVE FOLKS THAT LIVE HERE AFTER I AM DEAD REAP THE REWARDS OF WHAT TOOK 15 TO 20 YEARS TO TEAR DOWN AND WILL TAKE MANY YEARS TO REPAIR.

 

Just read an article that Maricopa County Library District with the approval of the Maricopa County Supervisors bought a $9 million property in Anthem that has a structure for a 23,000+ sq ft library. There is currently a structure on the property but on March 27th they approved an additional $4 for renovations to the building. Maricopa will both own and pay expenses for this facility. This is what one Supervisor said in support of these expenditures:

"County libraries are so much more than a place to borrow your next book,” said Chairman Jack Sellers, who represents District 1 on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. “They are also a trusted community resource center for County residents to seek out career counseling, connect with employment services, and find their next job opportunity. I am so pleased to see the unincorporated communities in the North Valley gain increased access to these impactful benefits.”

 

No argument and i told at least a couple of board members i thought it was a poorly thought out motion. In fact it reinforces my position, what they do and the decisions they make need to be done wholly different.The indoor dog arena was an emotionally charged action with limited thought, preparation and planning. The initial idea was floated and passed at a time when the existing board was trying to win votes. This last one wasn't much better.

Not to pick fly poop Janet, but every bit of data the RCSC would put on the table for the 5 year look back will include stats that were all impacted by the pandemic. Every club and activity, other than golf took a hit. Hopefully the board is smart enough to factor in a once in a lifetime (hopefully) happening. As a long time board member you know exactly how boards should function and what the board is doing right now is exactly what they would be trained to do...if they had any training.

Finally, if the answer to anything i write is the board is just a bunch of liars, then there's no point to any further discussion. I have no idea what they did or what they know other than what i have read. What i have repeatedly read is; the general manager was acting on his own in dealing with the library. Board members knew the leases were expiring, after that perhaps you have more information than me and know something i don't know.

I do know this, in 2014 when the County said they would no longer pay for their lease, we weighed all of our options (as a board). We understood there were potential avenues of additional revenue we could pursue but our financial position was solid and taking on the battle to get it wasn't necessary. With the management team arguing we need another $50 a year increase in 2025, every dollar they spend counts and decisions should be based on the relative value.

 

I wonder if these expenditures make this a really bad time to negotiate terms with the County. The new library covers an area larger than just Anthem but with an expected population served about the same as ours.

 

It's very easy to start a Thread about the 1.5M Dog Facility for The Best Friends Dog Club. Can't we agree to keep this thread focused on the Library?

 

I think the funding of the MCLD in Anthem puts us in a very good negotiating position! Why would they fund the library or an addition to the existing one in Anthem but expect Sun City and other communities to provide the space for free? This adds a whole new wrinkle to this discussion. We all pay taxes to Maricopa County and there should be equity in their offerings.

I have said this before, and I will keep repeating myself:

The Sun City Foundation's current Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws allow it to seek outside funding through grants, tax free gifts, bequeaths, living trusts, etc to help fund some of these RCSC projects but their Board of Directors have chosen not to do that.

How many of us know that they received a substantial gift of $200,000 in 2023? I know because I attend their meetings when possible, request their minutes and monthly financials, and find their IRS tax filings on the Internet since the Foundation chooses not to publish their minutes or financials.

At their March meeting, I asked if the donor had specified certain projects for them to use those monies and if the Foundation had plans for it. I was told no to both questions. At that time, the money was sitting in a Money Market savings account. I am sitting here thinking, "If the Members and Cardholder were made aware of this gift, someone else may include the Foundation in their own will or give a tax free donation. That $200,000 donation would be a good start to establishing an Endowment Fund which could be increased with a public relations campaign."

The Foundation has two good projects, the Santas for Seniors and helping Members in dire straits pay their lot assessments. Those should continue but, in my opinion, they are squandering opportunities that would lessen the financial impact of our capital projects on ALL of our Members. If the Foundation had stuck to its original mission, as approved by the IRS, we might have had a Performing Arts Center already built and utilized by now with funding from agencies such as the National Foundation for Arts, private Foundations, and private grants. I would donate to help build a Performing Arts Center and get the benefit of the tax deduction. Anyone else?

The Foundation's next meeting is Thursday, April 11th, at 11:00 a.m. in the Lakeview Board Room. Their AOI and Bylaws are on the RCSC website under the Sun City Foundation link. It might be a good idea for more people to become aware of their current projects and the potential for other opportunities.

 

Perhaps the Sun City Advocates could become a vehicle to get more information about the Foundation out to the Membership. It could be the start of a new "project" for us (Educate) with more to follow.
Jean Totten as One Day at a Time

 

Jean I was responding to the comment about the board and due diligence. And Jean why would you say this and then make comments on the Sun City Foundation? Seems a “do as I say, not as I do.”

 

It only works for certain people Tom. Now Jean is trying to get FB to be social media site of choice, however it seems as tho when things are posted you there the following message appears if you are not a person "of value".
The latest from the library..
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
Seen by 41

 

It's called making a mistake - and when I make one and someone tells me about it, I apologize. Maybe Janet will start a Thread on the Foundation. I can either Edit it away, or leave it here to see how apologies are made and hopefully accepted.
Jean Totten as One Day at a Time

 

The Sun City Libraries posted a fact sheet earlier today (4.6.24) on several FB groups and their website. Copying and pasting didn't work for me. Here is the link to Save our Libraries.

Jean Totten as One Day at a Time

 

And another post today (4/6/24) from the Friends of the Library.
Hello Friends of the Sun City Libraries!

• YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE A DIFFERENCE! Your voices have saved the Fairway Library from the chopping block, albeit perhaps temporarily. Your voices have resulted in the Board of Directors, for the first time, LEARNING how popular and utilized our libraries are and the many features, besides books, they offer to all residents. Your voices have also resulted in the Board and the GM learning how the MCLD business model works. Your voices have made the Board and GM realize how deeply you care.

• IMPORTANT: Please know - OUR MISSION HAS NOT CHANGED. Our goal of having your voices be heard at the Exchange meetings has not changed. We are still intent on saving our Sun City Libraries. And as considerate as the Board of Directors have been in meeting and communicating with us, at the end of the day they could not guarantee that Sun City will have our libraries after the studies and master plan have been completed, or that MCLD would indeed agree to one year lease extensions for the two libraries. We know what difficulties operating on a shortened lease with the future unknown would bring to MCLD staff and operations.

• At the exchange meeting, we'll have Sun City Libraries history and usage information to give anyone interested and SAVE OUR SUN CITY LIBRARIES stickers to wear if you so desire. You can find our one page Sun City Library statistics sheet on our web site at https://saveoursuncitylibraries.weebly.com/

• We appreciate the release from the RCSC Board admitting the decision to close Fairway was made in haste, without the Board's knowledge or discussion, as they continue to fine tune Board/GM roles.

• At the Exchange, we encourage EVERYONE to be direct, respectful, and to treat everyone on that stage and in the audience as you would want to be treated. Please don't bring signs, and please, speak from your heart. We have two libraries to save.

• The Friends thank you again for ALL your support. We thank the many volunteers who placed 100 signs throughout Sun City yesterday. We thank the Facebook groups for allowing us to post information as we get it. Your many responses showed us that you LOVE your libraries with a passion! So do we.

Sue Blechl President, Friends of the Sun City Libraries, Inc.

I have added "Please wear blue in support of our libraries."
Jean Totten as One Day at a Time

 

In response to questions about a "master plan" and differences from other plans. Over the last year or two there have been numerous comments about the RCSC's lack of a "master plan." Most municipities have one - I know - we aren't a municipality, we don't have a professional planning department and we have no room for growth.

A master plan is an extension or a long range plan or the bigger picture - most importantly, it's a road map to how a community maintains its unique identity, its culture, identifies what it likes or cares about the most, and it also creates a process for ensuring that it can remain current through a periodic review process. Typically, the planning includes various key community stakeholders like devolopers (real estate and commercial/public and private, city and county officials, other major partners that affect quality of life - such as health care, major non-profits, police and fire, just to name a few.

Master planning requires professional assistance. Because we aren't a municipality, we face some unique challenges. There are benefits, but some drawbacks. One we hear is a need for additional law enforcement. Another, being governed by County ordinances that conflict with our CC&Rs.

The LRPC report is the necessary step to preparing the PIF Budget. Working in tandem with Finance, the two committees are creating a comprehensive budget plan so members can see, in one place, the annual operating budget, with a separate capital expenditures section and an annual PIF budget that extends for not less than 10 years. This plan moves forward each year allowing for adjustments in future years, up or down, based on changing needs, increase or decrease in costs or inflation.

This methodology has required an updated reserve study that will need consistent review, creation of new policies and procedures for new project requests for PIF and Club requests, and a myriad of other details still being worked on with Finance, LRPC and Senior Team Leaders. Members are welcome to attend Finance and LRPC meetings.

While I truly understand the angst, anxiety, frustration, mistrust, resentment and all of the other bad things being said right now, there has been a lot of good work going on. LRPC and Finance are open meetings. There is so much raw data and speculation and what-ifs that are still being sorted out.

I've made it my goal to be able to defend the recommendations that are put before the Board in May. If not, I will oppose them. I have cast a no vote in the past when I felt there was not enough discussion on an important matter.

This whole process is one of the most important corrective action steps RCSC has taken in the last 18 months to start down a new path. It's messy and it feels long, drawn out and mysterious. It's going to take time to digest. We're starting the budget process much earlier this year.

This library debacle has caused a lot of unnecessary harm. Maybe in the long run it will be the event that is the big wake up call.

I hope this helps. I know you pay attention.

 

Here’s the direct link to the fact sheet handout, saves you some time finding it
https://saveoursuncitylibraries.wee...9198178/sun_city_libraries_fact_sheet_doc.pdf

 

Linda,

I appreciate your explanation. My view is the recreation centers needs a process by which a strategic plan is developed and updated. The process includes data requirements and decision criteria to rank recreational investment opportunities. Unfortunately, this Board has put the cart before the horse and "committed" the next five years of PIF spending without having the process in place. My understanding is there will be a joint F&B and LRPC meeting to review the work of the subcommittee, but members have not been notified where or when the meeting will be held. If a meeting will be held, will you please post the location. time and date of the meeting.

Thanks,

John

 

John, Tuesday 9-12 Lakeview Social Hall 2. That should about cover it. You are welcome and now on to defeat the English at Agincourt!

 

Thanks, Linda, for your thorough explanation. RCSC Members are fortunate to have qualified people like you working on these committees. I appreciate the time you and others have devoted to your work.

I have been involved in Strategic (Long Range) Planning in many nonprofits but we always used one term to describe it. I think a Venn diagram might be the best way to illustrate it but I can't do it on this platform. Here's what I am assuming: The Long Range Planning Committee has presented their recommendations. The Finance and Budget Committee is working on a 5 year PIF budget. The combined committee is working on putting financial numbers to the LRPC? Management is working on a "master plan"?

I agree that outside, unbiased, professionals should be leading the process, people trained in the field and with experience.

John is right that some of the Board's actions appear to put the cart before the horse. Examples: Funding $1.5 Million for an inside dog training facility when a location hasn't yet been determined and telling MCLD that the leases would be terminated when another location hasn't been announced.

Since this thread is about the libraries, I find it important to point out that the Friends of the Library has directed over $95,000 to RCSC in the last several years. I don't think any of our clubs or other activities can make that claim. If I am wrong, it's time to toot your horn!