Bookmobile boon for KRL

By virtue of a multi-community donation effort, Kitsap Regional Library will soon replace its aging, ailing bookmobile, “Buttercup,” with a shiny new model.

“We’re absolutely thrilled,” said Public Information and Community Affairs Manager Susan Rosapepe. “We have had Buttercup for so many years, and she has been a good soldier. But she’s a very tired lady, and she deserves a rest.”

KRL took delivery on the brand new, purple, diesel-powered Moroney bookmobile, nicknamed “Violet,” on July 14. The $137,000 vehicle was purchased entirely through donations made through the Kitsap Regional Library Foundation; major donors included the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island, the Silverdale Rotary Club Foundation, East Bremerton Friends of the Library, North Kitsap Friends of the Library, Port Orchard Friends of the Library, the Scripps Howard Foundation through the Kitsap Sun, and the McEachern Charitable Trust.

KRL calls the bookmobile its “10th branch,” providing not just books but also access to the online KRL catalog, KRL research databases, and the Internet.

In its 27-year history, Buttercup’s thrice-weekly excursions have amounted to over 500,000 miles of travel to outlying areas of Kitsap, including Olalla and Seabeck, that don’t have nearby branches of their own.

“We believe that the library is the heart of a community,” Rosapepe said. “We have nine branches, but there are areas that are underserved. We would like to take all the library services, which are all free, to as many people as possible.”

To fulfill that mission, Buttercup has gone through four engines. It now breaks down regularly and makes monthly visits to the repair shop. The vehicle’s wiring is glitchy and its lighting inadequate; during the summer, its interior temperature can reach 100 degrees.

Violet, by contrast, features a well-lit, climate-controlled environment and will get three times the gas mileage.

And of course, there are the books. At 28 feet long, Violet has roughly double Buttercup’s shelf space. Right now, Violet is housed in a secure storage facility, where KRL is in the process of outfitting its interior. It will make its debut at a welcome party to be held at 3 p.m. Sept. 14 at the main Kitsap Regional Library branch in Bremerton. The public is invited to attend.

“We want to offer our wonderful services to as many people as possible,” Rosapepe said. “We’re just so happy to have her.”

City to pursue benchmarks

Sixteen months after a study found the city uses more resources to accomplish less than comparable cities, leaders say they’re ready to implement its main recommendations.

“We’ve not put enough energy into the benchmarking study,” said Councilman Kjell Stoknes at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. “I think there are some solutions in there.”

The benchmarking study was conducted last year by consultant firm CH2M Hill.

In addition to criticizing the city’s performance, if offered five “critical recommendations” aimed at making the city more efficient.

Defining government roles and responsibilities, setting clearer strategic goals and levels of service and eliminating some committees are among the recommendations in the study.

Though those issues have repeatedly come up at meetings, leaders haven’t decided on concrete ways to implement the recommendations.

“It’s painful because we’ll be making cuts,” Council Chair Bill Knobloch said. “That’s what’s in the benchmarking study.”

Reductions to the operating budget should happen gradually over time, Knobloch said.

City Administrator Mark Dombroski said the city is already starting to implement parts of the benchmarking study.

A representative of the Association of Washington Cities is scheduled to meet with leaders in September regarding roles and responsibilities.

The city is also trying to better prioritize its strategic goals, and is sending department heads to efficiency training later this summer.

The city’s recruiting efforts are now being done in-house, at about 10 percent of the cost of using a headhunter, Dombroski said, and efficiency changes will be traceable in the next budget.

Councilors will likely begin to tackle the benchmarking study as part of the city’s capital planning process, Knobloch said.

It’s yet to be determined whether the work will be done in committee or by the full council.