CL Library Sets Meetings to Consider Future

The following flyer tells of a series of meetings during which various topics about the Crystal Lake Library’s future will be considered.

The first meeting is Thursday night at 7 at Park Place, 406 W. Woodstock Street.

Schedule of Crystal Lake Library meetings about its future.

Schedule of Crystal Lake Library meetings about its future.


Comments

CL Library Sets Meetings to Consider Future — 8 Comments

  1. Well managed presentations to “prove” the need and then visitor comments will be carefully cherry-picked to show “public support”.

  2. The internet has made libraries virtually obsolete, libraries should be spending less!

  3. There is typically a hidden agenda shared by few behind most most community engagements and that is is to build support for a referendum.

    During the referendum the cost to a taxpayer with a $250K house is revealed, although that’s typically only the first year teaser cost (have them give you the cost for each year).

    So if they can give you a cost for each year for the referendum, they can also give you a cost for each year for existing bond debt service.

    And a cost for each year to pay down the unfunded pension liabilities.

    And an estimated cost for each year to service retiree healthcare (it’s usually pay as you go so what’s the estimated pay as you go costs).

    To educate oneself, first read the audited AFR or CAFR.

    The Crystal Lake Public Library is a component unit of the Village of Crystal Lake.

    So read the Village of Crystal Lake CAFR.

    http://www.crystallake.org/home/showdocument?id=10249

    http://www.crystallake.org/departments/finance

    Once again you’ll want to understand pensions, bonds, & retiree healthcare.

    And in the case of municipalities, TIFs.

    Village of Crystal Lake underfunded pensions:

    – Police: 58% funded with a roughly $22M unfunded liability as of April 30, 2014.

    – Fire: 69% funded with a roughly $11M unfunded liability as of April 30, 2014.

    – IMRF: 73% funded with a roughly $10M unfunded liability as of December 31, 2014.

    Also Look for compensated absences.

    ——————–

    Here is the compensation of village employees including library.

    http://www.crystallake.org/home/showdocument?id=5669

  4. Ask yourself the following question: if they build a new library, will you borrow more books?

    If the answer is “No”, then what is the actual benefit to the patrons?

    BTW, every plan they’ve floated has been outrageously expensive, like on the order of $700 per square foot.

    Next, let’s note that use of the library is decreasing.

    Finally, did you know that 30% of what they lend now is movies, mainly current releases.

    The library has become a taxpayer-subsidized competitor for RedBox.

    Except that Redbox charges you $1.50 and it costs the taxpayers about $4.50 for the library to circulate a movie.

  5. Well the prediction came true, but it was about as difficult as predicting Wednesday follows Tuesday.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *