ELLSWORTH – Spring Valley Public Library Director Katie Schneider teared up as she pleaded with the Pierce County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, Sept. 27 to consider increasing the county’s contribution for library services from 80% to 85% for 2023 and 2024.

“My village needs this,” Schneider said. “I work very hard down at that library … “I’m sorry I’m shaking, but this is my dream job.”

According to the resolution, by state law Pierce County is obligated to pay each public library in the county reimbursement for services provided to county residents since the county no longer maintains a county library or books-by-mail program. State law requires that amount to be 70%, though counties can choose to fund up to 100%. All counties surrounding Pierce County reimburse 100% for library services provided. Pierce County has reimbursed at 80% since 2018.

Board Supervisor Sheila Lorentz felt libraries should do more to generate their own revenue.

“The library has not been charging late return fees for some time now,” Lorentz said. “I feel like it’s important for them to try to raise for as much as they can on their own before they come ask for more money. That’s an area where they could raise money.”

River Falls Public Library Director Tanya Misselt politely addressed Lorentz’s comment.

“Over the years, we have been collecting less and less for fines," Misselt said. "We've gotten very good at sending email reminders.”

Electronic material that people check out automatically becomes inaccessible once the due date passes. In River Falls, it was costing the library $7,000 per year to try to collect late fees.

“So when we stopped collecting, it was less expensive for stavng to do that," Misselt said. “It has become the standard for libraries not to do that anymore nationally. The losses are minimal. We are in a lot more dire situation than that.”

Libraries cannot continue to function in an archaic system and be expected to provide the same level of service, Misselt said.

If funding isn’t increased, Schneider said she’d have to cut to half-time, which she can- not auord to live on. She would be forced to resign. She and others worked diligently over Dam Days in September to raise money for the library, resulting in $3,000 in contributions.

Ellsworth Public Library Director Tiffany Meyer would have to consider cutting the collection budget and hours the library is open to the library can auord higher utility bills in its new facility at 388 W. Main St.

Prescott Public Library Director Carissa Langer said it's impossible to pay stau com petitive wages if more funding isn’t received, so she’d have to cut the collection budget or other programming.

In Elmwood, Library Director Kallie Anderson said salaries have not changed since 2017. All their collection money comes from donations; the library also closes on Saturdays.

Plum City Library Director Jenna Beyer said their library is only open four days per week, but people are clamoring for more. They cannot auord to be open more days. In River Falls, the number of library employees has been cut from 12.38 FTE to 9.8. The gallery in the basement is closed until further notice and the library is open one hour later each day, closed on Sundays and has cut the collection budget by more than $7,000 since 2019.

Supervisor Mel Pittman explained to Lorentz, who was balking at the county funding library services, that the library budget is separate from the total county budget.

“The impact of what else goes on in the county does not play a part,” Pittman said. “My constituents are very supportive of the library. Neighboring counties fund it at 100%. I am supportive because my constituents are supportive.”

Supervisor Neil Gulbranson explained that the library is open to everyone, not just to people in the municipality in which it sits.

“This helps even out the expenses,” Gulbranson said. “It hasn’t been raised since 2018, not even an inflation rate. I think our li braries do an excellent job in Pierce County.”

Libraries are a public entity, funded by the government, Pittman added.

“Where does the money come from then?” Lorentz asked.

The answer is the taxpayers. Mandated funding at 70% would be $416,000 spread across the six libraries in the county. The requested 85% is $505,600.

Supervisor Benjamin Plunkett thanked the library directors for their work.

“The work you do is invaluable,” Plunkett said. “I’m honestly embarrassed here that we’re talking about 85% and not 100%. I’d like to point out that that 100% is paid for by people who are paying for the services elsewhere. Expecting the taxpayers in Ellsworth or River Falls to pay for a service that they are not using. The least we could do is cover these services at 100%.”

Lorentz said she’s an “avid supporter” of the library system, but was “just trying to understand what’s going on here.”

“It sounds like the little gal who just spoke (Schneider), that system has a great need for more finances," Lorentz said. "Why is Ells worth moving into a larger building if there are concerns about being able to meet the utility needs and stuu? I thought the library was a joke when I first moved here, but I was proven wrong. It didn’t really need to be bigger to be good, in my opinion.”

Lorentz continued firing questions at the library directors, such as: “How is this money split up between the libraries?

“Why the bigger space? Why was that decision made?

“As far as the things the library provides, are there some things that can be cut and we just go back to the basics? Are blood pressure kits, and unconventional items like that really necessary?” Misselt explained that counties are required to pay each public library in their county and adjacent counties at least 70% of the cost of library services provided to residents of the county who do not maintain a public library. Cost calculations are based on total library operating expenditures, not including capital expenditures, and the library’s total circulation.

“Most of our programming is paid for by the (nonprofit library) foundation," Misselt said. “This does not include any cost to the county for our programs The county is basically getting those for free.”

Meyer pointed out that the blood pres- sure kits they ouer were funded by Vibrant Health at no cost to the library. As for the new building, they knew that moving into a larger building would bring increased utility and stavng costs. “This discussion has been going on for 10 years,” Meyer said. “What we are adding for the community are those special spaces. Gathering place for people who need space. Skype interviews for jobs in private, social workers, play therapy. In this new location, we’ll have two study rooms, a conference room, a group study room. This will be a tremendous asset to the community. We’ve done a lot with just a little for a long time. We did it in the most auordable way possible. The renovation is under $2 million which includes the purchase of building.”

Plunkett made a motion to amend the resolution to fund libraries at 100%, but the motion died due to lack of a second. He looked around the room and raised his hands, but no one spoke up.

The board ultimately approved funding the libraries at 85% for 2023 and 2024 with a vote of 16-1. Supervisor Scott Bjork was opposed.

County Cost Share Program

The board heard a first reading of a res olution asking for increased funding for the County Cost Share Program to assist landowners in protecting soil, surface waters and groundwater resources. Land Conservation Director Rod Webb said the program was issued in 1954 and set at $50,000, the amount it still is today. His request would raise the amount to $60,000 annually, which is absorbed in the department budget.

Pittman was opposed to the resolution, even though there was no vote that night. “I’ve heard our county board chairman say at at least one committee meeting, I don’t know how we're going to find enough money to do the budget,” Pittman said. “Administration has alluded that we’re going to have a tough time.”

He pointed out that “billions of federal dollars” for conservation and environmental incentive programs will be available under the Inflation Reduction Act. “As a farmer, I have gotten Cost Share dollars in the past,” Pittman said. “I had a farm loan and other loans to pay ou, but the bulk of them were through NRCS (federal dollars). I’ve decided to continue not to getting Cost Share dollars. While continuing with conservation euorts, I funded them on my own. If people can pay for it on their own, they should do so rather than seeking government support.”

Plunkett asked Webb if preventing erosion is the sort of thing that the Cost Share Program aims to do. He mentioned the need to spend money dredging Nugget Lake, which is filled in with sediment. "The intent is to reduce the euects down stream, such as in Nugget Lake,” Webb said.

The Cost Share Program pays 70% of the cost of eligible projects, leaving 30% to be funded by the landowner. Projects range anywhere from a $1,000 grass waterway to a $100,000 streambank stabilization.

“ We’ve tried to match the project costs with the funds available,” Webb said. “Generally, we wouldn’t approve a project that would exceed the annual allocation. We would look for other funding sources or partners.”

This year, 21 landowners received funds, mostly on smaller projects.

“That is what the intent is, to make sure we’re working in several areas of the county each year with those funds,” Webb said.

Landowners must follow a set of guidelines before they’re eligible for Cost Share dollars; then, they must follow a 15-year compliance and maintenance agreement.

Lorentz asked Webb how important the program is on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most important. Without hesitation, he answered with a 10.

: If we can gain a few more miles of waterway and a few more dams, it would help,” Supervisor Dean Bergseng said. “A few more dams ahead of Nugget Lake would have helped it.”

The Land Conservation department built its 1000th dam in September.

Other business

• The county commended Pierce County Highway Department employee Alan Thoner for 41 years of service. He recently retired.

• The board approved a resolution authorizing use of the jail assessment fund for a new recording system, costing $43,299.41.