<p>January 31, 2003</p>

<p>Mayor and City Council<br>
City of Mount Rainier<br>
One Municipal Place<br>
Mount Rainier, MD 20712</p>


<p>This letter and its attachment constitutes the request of the Friends of the Mount Rainier 
Library (FOL) for City support in FY2004 and our response to your letter of December 31, 
2002.</p>

<p>In anticipation of hiring a project manager/fundraiser and launching the initial phases 
of a fundraising campaign for the library development project, we request that the City budget 
sufficient funds to cover an $800,000 infrastructure loan from the Maryland Department of 
Housing and Community Development.  The library cannot continue as it is.  A new facility is 
needed to create space for a program / meeting room, expand the collections, and install more 
computers to address the digital divide.  We estimate roughly that a viable 3,500 sf facility 
can be built at the old library - city hall site for a total cost of about $925,000.  We have 
budgeted $60,000 for a project manager / fundraiser to raise the other $125,000.  The city’s 
commitment of $800,000 is needed now, to move ahead.  A professional library fundraiser has 
advised us that it is possible to raise more than $125,000, and if this proves to be the case,
we would use the additional funds to improve the facility even further.  We are available to 
discuss this proposal in further detail.</p>

<p>FOL further requests that the City fill the Assistant City Manager position (with some 
responsibilities for economic development projects) to help with needed City coordination and 
staff support.</p>

<p>In anticipation of continued and expanded programs, FOL also requests that the 
City provide a 50% match to FOL-raised funds for operational costs of FOL programs, 
which include purchase of library computer equipment ($700) and web-site hosting services 
($720).  The match would be provided on a reimbursement basis.  FOL estimates the FY2004 
total cost for these programs at $1,420, so the City match would be about $710.  We also 
ask that the $1,000 the City budgeted for FY2003 be allowed for wireless network equipment 
for the library computer ($500) and other project needs during FY2003.</p>

<ol>
<li>
<p>FY2003 FOL Budget.  The FY2003 budget document is attached.</p>
</li>

<li>
<p>Most Critical Funding Items for FY2004.  The most critical funding item is the need 
for an infrastructure loan for the library development project.  The search for a project 
manager is presently underway, and City funding will support the manager’s efforts by 
encouraging local fundraising and providing critical leverage for funding from all other 
sources.  As noted above, the next most critical funding items are funding for an Assistant 
City Manager and a 50% matching cost for FOL programs.</p>
</li>

<li><p>Grants Discontinued for FY2004.  The $25,000 ATHA feasibility grant was depleted at the 
start of FY2003.  The September 2002 application to the state Community Legacy program for 
$200,000 in construction cost was not successful.  The current state budget deficit may 
jeopardize the Legacy program and state “bond bill” matching grants may be extremely 
difficult in the Fall 2003 cycle.  The national recession has increased the difficulty of 
securing funding from foundations and corporations.</p>
</li>

<li><p>Revenue Changes for FY2004.  For the development project, FOL expects the hiring 
of a project manager will lead to a strategic planning effort followed by the kickoff 
of local fundraising that would be used to leverage funding from other public and private 
sources.  Increased funding from non-city sources for the new library is anticipated but 
difficult to estimate at this time.</p>
</li>