2014-35RESOLUTION NO. 2014 -35
COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART INTRODUCED THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION:
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council have authorized the design of a new Library and Technology
Center to be built on Lot 1 of Deerfield subdivision; and
WHEREAS, the goal of the City, the Library Board, and Library Foundation is to create a Library
environment to support personal productivity and educational learning, cultural engagement, and to be a
destination for the Citizens of the community and a community infrastructure capable of attracting
tourism through both traditional library programs and Technology of the future; and
WHEREAS, the best Libraries anchor communities and instill the confidence in their neighborhoods
and catalyze further investment from both public and private sectors; and
WHEREAS, the Library and Technology Center will change with the calendar and programs will
evolve throughout the year to celebrate the cultural and civic life of the community to enhance the
desire of residents and nonresidents to utilize the programs and services of the Library; and
WHEREAS, over the past several years there has been interest expressed in collaborating with other
entities, such as the Washington County Historical Society and Danish American Archive and Library
to promote the historical and cultural backgrounds of the community through joint facilities; and
WHEREAS, the Deerfield site for the new library affords sufficient area to construct a facility that
would allow for collaborative programs and investment; and
WHEREAS, the Danish American Archive and Library Board of Directors have expressed a desire to
acquire their own permanent facility by jointly participating in the construction of the Blair Library and
Technology Center through the addition of approximately 2,800 square feet of space to be lease
purchased from the City of Blair; and
WHEREAS, the Danish American Archive and Library has been in existence for over 40 years, first
being located in the Library on the Campus of Dana College and since June of 2010 at 1738
Washington Street and is currently employing the equivalency of approximately one (1) and one half
(1/2) full time employees and hosting several hundred volunteers, visitors, and researchers from across
the United States and around the World annually; and
WHEREAS, the Danish American Archive and Library has established a mission to collect, preserve,
and interpret the written, aural and visual materials documenting the lives of Danish immigrants and
their descendents in order to further the understanding of their experiences, their cultural and religious
heritages, and their contributions to various aspects of American life; and
WHEREAS, the Danish American Archive and Library's vision to become a premier national
repository for materials relating to the Danish American experience is complementary to the goals of
the City of Blair Library and Technology Center in becoming a place of designation for the community
and to help promote Blair as a premier place to live, work, play, and visit; and
WHEREAS, there is interest in having an area consisting of approximately a 1,000 square feet of exhibit
space that could be used for temporary or traveling exhibits, displays of community history, art, and
artifacts from entities such as the Washington County Historical Society and Museum among others, and
WHEREAS, the inclusion of temporary or traveling exhibits, displays of community history, art, and
artifacts and the inclusion of the Danish American Archive and Library in the Blair Library project
would serve to promote tourism that will benefit not only the businesses of the community, but help
generate additional revenues for the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF BLAIR:
1. That the Mayor and City Council support and pledge their commitment to the concept of building a
new Blair Community Library and Technology Center in a collaborative manner by including
approximately 2,800 square feet of area to be built and lease purchased to the Danish American
Archive and Library.
2. The Mayor and City Council will enter into an agreement with the Danish American Archive and
Library to sell that portion of the new Library facility to the Danish American Archives Library
through a condominium type ownership agreement financed through a lease purchase agreement
that would finance the Danish American Archive and Library's share of the cost, at no cost to the
Blair tax payers, over the same length and terms as the City will pay its share of the construction
cost.
3. The said above agreement shall allow the Danish American Archive and Library to fully prepay for its
share of the construction project at any time without penalty. The Danish American Archive and
Library reserves the right at any time in the future to undertake one or more fund raising campaigns to
fully pay for their share of the project and to provide future operations of the Danish American Archive
and Library.
4. The City Council agrees to include approximately an additional 1,000 square foot of building space at
City cost to be used in part as an area for exhibit space that can be used for temporary or traveling
exhibits, displays of community history, art, and artifacts to enrich City's culture and promote the
community and particularly the new Library and Technology center as a destination facility.
5. The addition of the exhibit space in the Library and Technology Center shall be paid in part or in full
through the $375,000 grant awarded to the City by the Nebraska Department of Economic
Development from the State of Nebraska Community Facilities grant program.
6. The Mayor and City Administrator shall be authorized to negotiate any additional design fee with the
project engineers, Clark Enersen Partners, for the additional space for the Danish American Archive
and Library and Community exhibit space.
7. That prior to the City Council authorizing the project for bidding, all agreements between the City of
Blair and the Danish American Archive and Library shall be agreed to and approved by the Mayor and
City Council.
COUNCILMEMBER ANDERSEN MOVED THAT THE RESOLUTION BE ADOPTED AS READ,
WHICH SAID MOTION WAS SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER JENSEN. UPON ROLL
CALL, COUNCILMEMBERS CHRISTIANSEN, RYAN, KEPHART AND STEWART VOTING
"AYE ", AND COUNCILMEMBERS HALL, JENSEN, ANDERSEN AND SHEPARD VOTING
"NAY", MAYOR REALPH VOTED AYE TO BREAK THE TIE. MAYOR DECLARED THE
FOREGOING RESOLUTION PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 23' DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2014.
CITY OF BLAIR, NEBRASKA
BY�
JAV3EREALPH, MAYOR
ATTEST:
& j-', /,,- bil"-t
BRENDA R. WHEELER, CITY CLERK
(SEAL)
STATE OF NEBRASKA )
)ss
WASHINGTON COUNTY )
BRENDA R. WHEELER, hereby certifies that she is the duly appointed, qualified, and acting City
Clerk of the City of Blair, Nebraska, and that the above and foregoing Resolution was duly passed and
adopted at a regular meeting of the Mayor and City Council of said City held on the 23rd day of
September, 2014.
� t
BRENDA R. WHEELER, CITY CLERK