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Communities Committee Meeting Agenda |
22 October 2019 |
The Chairperson has determined this matter is of real urgency and approval has been given to refer this report to the Communities Committee as a late item.
ITEM: 1
SUBJECT: Interim Rosewood Council Connect
AUTHOR: Libraries and Customer Services Manager
DATE: 3 October 2019
Executive Summary
This is a report concerning the introduction of an interim Rosewood Council Connect library and customer service facility by repurposing the Mobile Library asset and achieving an increased return and community benefit.
Recommendation/s
That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:
A. That the interim Rosewood Council Connect service in the Anzac Park carpark, Mill Street, Rosewood, be established.
B. That the current Mobile Library service be decommissioned and repurposed as the Rosewood Council Connect facility.
C. That the user catchments of the current Mobile Library service be appropriately supported by alternative Library services.
RELATED PARTIES
There are no related party matters associated with this report.
Advance Ipswich Theme
Caring for the community
Purpose of Report/Background
In its transition from Community Offices, council committed to providing an enhanced level of service to the Rosewood Community in an interim capacity until the Rosewood Library opens with a fully formed and integrated library and customer service function.
A review of operationalising the existing Community Office space for this purpose has been conducted and due to the significant cost of repurposing the space, adding systems, technology and collections, and then making-good the space at end of lease, this option has a low value for money and is not fit for purpose.
In exploring other options it was decided to review the performance of the Mobile Library in light of the opening of the Springfield Central Library (the busiest Mobile Library stop), the imminent opening of a new service in Rosewood (the second busiest Mobile Library stop) and the deployment of a Library Pod in Karalee (the third busiest Mobile Library stop).
With the three busiest stops no longer driving performance of the Mobile Library, there is an obvious reduction in the return on investment and the relevance of the continuity of service. The other nine current stops have low performance levels with a total of 85 unique users combined across all of these locations generating on average a total of 51 loans per week (See Performance Matrix Scores Attachment 1 – noting Springfield was removed from the Mobile Library route when the new branch opened in August 2018).
The repurposing of the Mobile Library for use as a library and customer service static facility aligns to the long term exit strategy to decommission as additional branches and pods are launched.
Legal/Policy Basis
This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:
Subordinate Local Law 5.1 (Parking)
RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
Three options were considered in the investigation of the most appropriate solution to providing the interim library and customer service facility for the Rosewood and surrounding community.
Option 1 – repurpose the existing Community Office. This option explored maintaining the existing tenancy of the Community Office with minimal adjustment in order not to trigger the need for building improvements. The advice received from the Planning and Regulatory Services Department was that this option would not comply with Council’s obligation for disability access in multiple areas, other operational constraints were also identified resulting in the option having a low value for money when assessed against other options.
Option 2 – full refit of the existing Community Office. The facility in its current state has a number of non-compliant issues (absence of amenity facility, lower than standard ceiling height, significant access issues, fire compliance issues, substandard technology infrastructure) this option explored addressing all of these issues to provide a fit for purpose and safe space. A cost and value assessment of this option concluded that it had a low value for money when assessed against other options.
Option 3 – repurpose existing Mobile Library.
This option explored the performance of the service and the projected impact of
the opening of the new Rosewood Library and the Pod at Karalee Shopping Centre,
based on the known impact to service when the Springfield Central Library
opened. A full assessment of impact to existing unique customers (those that
only use the Mobile Library) was conducted based on loan histories, usage data,
reservation requests and reference/support requests. This information informed
the risk mitigation strategy to offer a service transition for these impacted
customers.
Five sites were assessed for suitability of the Rosewood Council Connect facility.
1. Tanker Filling Station, 59 John Street Rosewood – not fit for purpose
a. The Mobile Library is currently located at the tanker filling station each Friday from 1.15 pm – 7.00 pm. During this period customers wishing to use the filling station are required to drive past the parked Mobile library and reverse up the road and into the lay way to use the filling station. This space is not available as a full time site.
2. John Street, Cobb & Co Heritage Park (Site A) – not fit for purpose
a. Initially this site was considered due to it being the main street providing high visibility for users and is adjacent to Cobb & Co Heritage Park providing access to the park and amenities. The location is currently a bus zone from 8.00am to 5.00pm so permits and line marking would need to be changed.
b. There is a broad range of traffic and John Street is busy. The location is very close to the corner and the mobile library would present a hazard for visibility and free flow of traffic along the street. The width of the mobile library trailer is inhibitive (2.5m wide plus 1.35m Pod) and would negatively impact parking and two-way traffic and would present an ongoing hazard when trucks and multiple vehicles drive along John Street.
3. William Street, Cobb & Co Heritage Park (Site B) – not fit for purpose
a. The location offers easy access to the amenities in the park, but there is no parking in the immediate vicinity for Library customers. There may be space for one car in the layaway directly behind the trailer if the truck is parked forward in the space.
b. The width of the layaway is 2.0m wide and the mobile library trailer is 2.5m wide and would protrude onto the road by at least 0.5m, leaving a very narrow street for two-way traffic and reduced driveway access for the home-owner directly over the road.
c. The footpath is only 1.95 metres wide (to the fence) and the pod protrudes from the mobile library trailer by 1.35m at a height of 1.22 metres. The adjacent fence would need to be relocated and the path widened to provide compliant wheelchair access along the remaining footpath. There is a tap near the fence which would also need to be relocated/removed to allow the fence to be moved and the path to be widened.
4. Rosewood Showgrounds, 1 Railway Street, Rosewood – not fit for purpose
a. There are a couple of locations within the showground parking area which are relatively level with a reasonable surface that would require some make-good to provide a sound surface for parking the mobile library trailer. There is an amenity block, with disability access toilet that would need refurbishing and power and camera security/surveillance would need to be installed. The location is isolated and the risk of vandalism would be high.
5. Anzac Park carpark, Mill Street, Rosewood – preferred site with a positive consensus of opinion from internal stakeholders
a. The carpark in Mill Street is very large and the surface is relatively level and has a good finish. There are amenities nearby and they are of a good standard. The location is also a bit of a community hub, with the school next door and nearby playing fields and memorial hall. There is parking for customers and room for additional seating within the Mobile Library’s Wi-Fi range. The site would require installation of power, camera surveillance, line marking a safe pedestrian path to the amenities and external lighting.
Risk management implications include:
|
Risk |
Rating prior to mitigation |
Mitigation |
Rating after mitigation |
|
Customer impact |
High |
Unique customers identified and an alternate service delivery option scoped. |
Low |
|
Loss of car parks |
Low |
Enhanced level of service provided to the community mitigates customer concern over loss of some car parks. The interim service will run Monday to Friday and therefore customers to the service point will not compete with users of the sporting facilities at peak periods over weekends. |
Low |
|
Vandalism |
High |
Installation of security camera system proposed and inclusion into security facility checks. Close proximity to local school and community facilities provides visibility of the service point. |
Medium |
|
Delivery timeframe |
High |
Timely decision making so that infrastructure work and internal labour resourcing can be expedited. |
Medium |
There is a risk that current and potential users of the Mobile Library service may be disadvantaged by the decommissioning and repurposing. Council will engage with these users and communities to ensure alternate library and customer service options are offered. In particular, users who have difficulty accessing our facilities will be provided with a Home Library Service where material will be delivered directly to their homes.
Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
The full operating budget including lease and maintenance is allocated in the existing Libraries and Customer Service budget.
An additional cost of $110,000 has been estimated to cover internal modification to cater for the customer service business and staff requirements, a change in the vinyl wrap on the exterior of the trailer to reflect the changed service offering, modification to the emergency exit to allow it to be used as a second customer entry point (allowing for the lift to be constantly deployed for operating hours to ensure easy disability and pram access).
For context, below are the approximate annual operating costs (leases, utilities, materials, services and labour) for the main library and customer service facilities referenced in this report:
Springfield Central Library $2,240,000
Rosewood Library $630,000 (forecast)
Karalee Pod $56,000
Mobile Library $494,000
Rosewood Council Connect $345,000
Additionally, the current prime-mover requires to mobilise the Mobile Library is at end of lease and a new prime-mover would need to be procured by mid-2020 if the Mobile Library service is maintained.
There are of course staff implications associated with the Mobile Library, an interim Rosewood Council Connect library and customer service facility and the new Rosewood Library. Once the recommendation of council is clear the process of formally assessing and consulting with those impacted will be prioritised. Already some consultation on the options being presented to council and their potential impacts has commenced.
COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION
Internal stakeholders have been consulted to inform the development of options, including Fleet Services, Program Management and Technical Services, Infrastructure and Environment Department, People and Culture, Planning and Regulatory Services, Safe City and Library and Customer Service staff. It is the consensus opinion that the redeployment of the Mobile Library for the purpose of providing library and customer service provides a second life for an asset which is increasingly underutilised.
The three options were reviewed, as per the information outlined in this report, by the Executive Leadership Team at the 12 September 2019 meeting and the option to repurpose the Mobile Library was endorsed.
A Communications Plan has been developed for implementation (see Attachment 2).
It should be noted that some customers will not agree with the disruption of the Mobile Library current state service, however this is a prioritisation of council assets and the shaping of an integrated service offering that will advantage a greater percentage of the community than will be negatively impacted utilising an underperforming facility. Unique users of the Mobile Library who will be substantively impacted have been identified and a matrix of alternate service delivery has been scoped including transition to a branch library or to the Home Library Service.
Conclusion
Considering the establishment of new library and customer service facilities at Springfield Central, Rosewood and Karalee council has reassessed the return on investment and the relevance of the Mobile Library continuity of service.
Decommissioning and repurposing the Mobile Library for use as a semi-static library and customer service facility which can be deployed to high demand and high growth areas of Ipswich represents a more effective use of the asset and greater community benefit.
Establishing an interim Rosewood Council Connect library and customer service facility by repurposing the Mobile Library asset delivers and enhanced level of service to the community and provides an exciting and visible shift to integrated service delivery.
Once the Rosewood Library is opened the Council Connect library and customer service facility can be redeployed to an alternate location on a semi-permanent basis.
Attachments and Confidential Background Papers
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1. |
Customer Mitigation Impact Table ⇩ |
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2. |
Communication Plan ⇩ |
Sylvia Swalling
Libraries and Customer Services Manager
I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.
Ben Pole
General Manager - Community, Cultural and Economic Development
“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”
