DEPARTMENT: Library
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Ramiro Salazar
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Interlocal Agreement with Bexar County for Library Services
SUMMARY:
This authorizes an amendment to the Master Interlocal Agreement (MILA) between the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. A MILA was approved by City Council on December 13, 2018 and amended May 2, 2019. The MILA contains agreed upon contract requirements, deliverables, and compensation amounts for multiple City services including Library services. This amendment to the Master Agreement pertains specifically to Library services, which extends the current terms and payment for one year, commencing on October 1, 2019 and continuing throughout each renewal term until September 30, 2023.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Since 1936, Bexar County and City of San Antonio have entered into an agreement, which provides for Bexar County to pay the City of San Antonio a fee so Bexar County residents who reside outside of the City of San Antonio may access all the services and resources of the San Antonio Public Library. This agreement between Bexar County and the City of San Antonio has been renegotiated multiple times and has been in place over 80 years.
A Master Interlocal Agreement (MILA) was developed in 2013 to consolidate agreements and contract requirements, deliverables, and compensation amounts for multiple City services including Library services, each service being addressed in a separate Addendum. The final renewal period of the 2013 MILA expired on September 30, 2018, with the exception of the Library section, which expired in September 2019. The existing MILA is now scheduled to expire September 30, 2023.
City and County staff have agreed to extend and update the terms of the Library section of the MILA as part of this requested action. The Library agreement details the mutual services provided by the San Antonio Public Library and BiblioTech to the residents of the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. The City provides access to all the services of the Library System to County residents, including residents of municipalities other than the City of San Antonio located within the jurisdiction of the County. BiblioTech provides digital library services to all Bexar County residents. The City agrees that services of the Library System provided to residents of the County shall be the same services provided to City of San Antonio residents. The agreed upon annual fee for each one-year renewal term of this agreement is $2,584,028.95.
The Library Board of Trustees, having policy oversight for the Library department, have been consulted during the negotiations with Bexar County by Assistant City Manager Lori Houston and Library Director Ramiro S. Salazar.
Bexar County approved the amendment to the ILA at their October 15, 2019 County Commissioner’s Court meeting. The amendment combines the Library services Addendum with a separate Addendum related to Services in Military Protection Areas, which was previously approved by City Council through ordinance No. 2019-09-19-0766. This action will have no impact on that previously approved Addendum.
ISSUE:
Should the City and County fail to extend the agreement for Library services until September 30, 2023, there would be no enforceable agreement to provide Library services to Bexar County or the City to receive payment from Bexar County.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should City Council not approve the amendment to this agreement, the City would not have a contractual obligation and therefore could elect to discontinue offering Library services to County residents outside the City. Alternatively, the City could elect to continue to provide access with no compensation from Bexar County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
An ordinance for Library services approving an amendment to the existing Master Interlocal Agreement with Bexar County to update agreed upon contract requirements, deliverables, and compensation amount for multiple City services including Library services. The Library System Annual Fee for each one-year term of this agreement for services provided shall be $2,584,028.95.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this amendment to the Master Interlocal Agreement.