[0:11] Chair Swearengen Washington: Psalms 37 verse four.
[0:15] It says delight yourself in the Lord
[0:18] and he will give you the desires of your heart.
[0:24] We are delighting ourselves in him.
[0:28] August 4th meeting of the Libraries and Neighborhood
[0:32] Improvement Committee of Memphis City Council is hereby called
[0:36] to order.
[0:39] Call the roll, deja.
[0:45] [Roll Call]
[0:53] Councilmember Cooper-Sutton: We have
[0:55] an update on facility conditions and maintenance
[0:57] at the Benjamin Hooks library, district five, super district
[1:02] eight, requested by chairwoman Jana Swearengen Washington.
[1:21] >> We want an update on the facilities.
[1:23] They needed to address power washing, cleaning
[1:26] of the windows, and carpet.
[1:28] We want to make sure it is inviting.
[1:30] It is in East Memphis in a stellar location.
[1:35] We want to be welcoming to our constituents and community
[1:39] members and make sure it is representative.
[1:43] That is our main library.
[1:45] It sets the tone for the other libraries.
[1:48] We wanted to see what the progress was.
[1:52] >> Melvyn Jameson, director of Services 125 North Main Street.
[1:59] >> Eric Ayers, libraries.
[2:05] >> Gerald Spencer, deputy director.
[2:21] Melvin Jameson: Quick update on building and mechanical systems.
[2:24] At the central library, 3030, I want
[2:29] to talk about three major building
[2:31] systems, including the sewer, boiling system,
[2:36] and cooling towers.
[2:39] We put a new cooling towers at these locations.
[2:45] They are in great shape.
[2:48] We've been doing preventative maintenance.
[2:49] They have over 12 years of life remaining.
[2:54] With good maintenance, it should last longer than that.
[2:58] The other two I want to talk about
[3:01] is the water cooler chillers.
[3:06] They are more than 20 years old.
[3:08] One chiller is operating in fair condition
[3:12] and the other one is being repaired.
[3:15] These chillers have between 2 and 5 years remaining.
[3:19] We have to start planning to get those chillers replaced.
[3:25] There are four boilers.
[3:30] Those are 25 years old they are in fair condition
[3:36] and operating fine.
[3:37] We have to start the operating budget
[3:42] to change those out in the next 2 to 5 years.
[3:49] I was at the site yesterday.
[3:52] I go to the site frequently.
[3:55] I was thinking about what you said.
[3:57] We need to really make this a building that
[4:01] is inviting and esthetically pleasing for the citizens.
[4:07] Before I got out I pulled this out to look at the grounds.
[4:17] I pulled up and I saw grass that was too tall.
[4:20] I saw debris laying there that should have been picked up
[4:23] a while back.
[4:25] It wasn't kept the way I wanted to see it.
[4:31] I got on the phone and took pictures and sent text
[4:37] to my folks.
[4:40] We agreed that we will do better and we will make this work.
[4:47] My teams are here right now providing these grounds
[4:50] maintenance things that need to happen.
[4:53] We are getting things back manageable the way
[4:57] they should be.
[5:00] Eric had a vendor come out this weekend
[5:05] and provide pressure washing around the front areas
[5:08] of the library.
[5:10] While they did do the pressure washing,
[5:14] they didn't get enough done.
[5:18] We are going to do something deeper and coordinate
[5:22] with the vendor to provide sandblasting
[5:30] to remove the underlying dirt that is in the paved areas.
[5:40] We have a licensed window cleaner.
[5:44] We will engage them to provide cleaning to all of the glass.
[5:53] We are getting cobwebs, dirt and debris removed
[5:58] to make it look like it should.
[6:00] The escalator project is scheduled for completion
[6:03] on August the 30th, this month.
[6:06] We will bring that in.
[6:07] There are a couple items remaining .
[6:13] The elevator will begin immediately
[6:17] after the escalator is complete.
[6:19] That is an additional 12 weeks.
[6:22] That will be completed on November 30th, 2026.
[6:26] Is there anything else you would like to add, Eric?
[6:48] Dr. Eric D. Harris: We are meeting with ServiceMaster
[6:50] this afternoon.
[6:52] Carpets are contracted every six months to be cleaned
[6:56] but there is such heavy use in the meeting room,
[6:58] that we need more frequent cleaning.
[7:01] The carpets are scheduled to be replaced
[7:04] this year with our CIP funding that started at Central.
[7:10] During the fiscal year 27, we will replace the carpet.
[7:14] Until then we are meeting with them
[7:16] about getting some cleaning done.
[7:19] It is not where it should be by any means.
[7:24] >> Whose responsibility is it to spot check these places so it
[7:29] doesn't get in this condition anymore?
[7:31] Dr. Eric D. Harris: It is all of our responsibility.
[7:40] We have so many different people in the library
[7:48] Councilmember Carlisle: Do you have a manager there?
[7:51] Dr. Eric D. Harris: Yes, Ma'am, we have several managers.
[7:55] We have maintenance and building departments.
[7:58] We've made a commitment to redo how we do things.
[8:01] Before I go on too far, I want to say
[8:05] that I appreciate you turning the heat up on this
[8:09] and opening our eyes.
[8:11] From a library's perspective, there
[8:14] were things we were doing that I wasn't seen.
[8:19] Now we are looking at it.
[8:27] There's a comment sheet for our service master and janitorial
[8:32] crew.
[8:33] If anyone on staff sees things that need corrected,
[8:36] they enter it onto a notebook and the supervisor
[8:41] is notified of it at least that day and a correction
[8:44] is made the same day.
[8:46] We've implemented this and it's already made huge gains.
[8:50] We implemented that after the last time I spoke.
[8:54] We are taking full responsibility for it
[8:55] and we need to do better.
[8:57] We are doing better because we were told we need
[9:01] to look at things differently.
[9:02] Councilmember Carlisle: I appreciate you all addressing it
[9:06] and we want to be consistent, not just this one time.
[9:10] We want to spot check and make sure our facilities are
[9:14] welcoming, inviting, and representative of Memphis.
[9:18] I had a meeting over there and I was embarrassed.
[9:24] We don't want to be embarrassed.
[9:27] This is distracting.
[9:30] We couldn't even enjoy the meeting.
[9:32] We were looking at the dirty carpet.
[9:36] I like things clean and in order.
[9:39] If we can continue to be consistent and make sure
[9:43] we are doing what we need to do and have
[9:46] teamwork between general services, service
[9:50] masters, and everyone.
[9:53] We appreciate your response and are looking forward
[9:57] to the consistency.
[10:11] Dr. Eric D. Harris: One complicated piece
[10:13] is the sidewalk restoration.
[10:15] They did a good job pressure washing the best they could
[10:19] but they discovered something we didn't know of.
[10:23] I explained this to my wife this weekend at the nail shop.
[10:33] When the building was built in 2001, they put in the sidewalks
[10:38] and they looked new.
[10:40] They came back three years later and added an artsy material
[10:45] that was black and metal flake glitter to the sidewalk
[10:50] to make the sidewalk look shiny.
[10:52] It looked really nice.
[10:54] If you ever go to a nail shop and get something
[10:57] done to your nails, they strip it down
[10:59] and will put a color on it.
[11:02] Then they put a sealant on top of it to keep it from chipping
[11:05] and to keep the pain from going away.
[11:10] I'm saying all this on record.
[11:12] That wasn't done when they added the extra layer to the sidewalk.
[11:18] You are looking at 25 years of dirt and grime
[11:22] getting onto the sidewalk and going deep into the cement.
[11:25] We did the first pressure washing
[11:29] and it looks better but is nowhere
[11:31] near where we expect it to be.
[11:33] We are looking to do things deeper.
[11:37] We need a deep treatment to get everything out and get
[11:41] it resealed so we can make it look like what we
[11:45] want the library to look like.
[11:46] I want the community to understand that the sidewalks
[11:48] are more complicated.
[11:49] We will work on it consistently until it
[11:51] is acceptable to everyone.
[11:52] Thank you.
[12:01] Councilmember Cooper-Sutton: Councilwoman Logan.
[12:05] Councilmember Logan: I would appreciate
[12:07] if you can send the maintenance plan for all the libraries.
[12:12] A couple years ago and last year,
[12:15] we were here talking about that.
[12:19] I mentioned the type of garbage can liners.
[12:22] We had an event and they were trying to take out the garbage,
[12:26] and the liners were so thin that all the garbage spilled
[12:30] on the floor.
[12:31] The managers and myself were trying to pick up
[12:34] the trash from the event.
[12:36] I mentioned this at a meeting earlier this year or last year
[12:40] Premaku determines the quality of the product ? --
[12:48] Who determines the quality of the product?
[12:52] There was a mention about restaining and pressure washing.
[12:57] When something is made of wood they look old and rotten
[13:02] and not kept.
[13:05] This isn't just a main library.
[13:08] I understand the need and that is why I mentioned
[13:12] it is the central Library.
[13:14] That is where most people go.
[13:18] I like to see that level of maintenance and manicure
[13:22] for all of them.
[13:25] Moving forward, which we talked about before,
[13:29] this should be put in the budget for maintenance.
[13:33] If you cannot get something new this year or next year
[13:36] at the library or at our public amenity places,
[13:40] this needs to be implemented for --
[13:50] implemented first and then we can do maintenance.
[13:54] There are older buildings.
[13:56] We just have to have that or they will deteriorate fast.
[13:59] I know you know this, but we don't always
[14:04] factor this into the budget season
[14:06] and we are back at square one.
[14:08] If we could put together a maintenance plan,
[14:12] what does it look like?
[14:14] What does it cost, what would be included, how often,
[14:17] and what is the yield?
[14:19] How would that improve the life and quality
[14:22] of our public amenities?
[14:24] That is what people see when they walk up.
[14:27] That is what they experience, regardless
[14:29] of what we have in our minds.
[14:46] Melvin Jameson: Yes Ma'am, I have a draft in
[14:50] and we will get back to the landscaper and architect.
[14:54] I look forward to bringing that to you soon.
[14:59] We will have the -- maintenance plan and also one that will bid
[15:07] to cover all exterior services.
[15:16] Councilmember Logan: Do you have a list
[15:18] of when you will rebuild libraries in certain buildings?
[15:21] For those who are older and may not be able to be redone,
[15:28] like the library in Cordova and Ferguson, there is black stuff.
[15:36] Two pressure wash this you don't need to be on the list.
[15:43] That is not what we are looking for.