AGENDA# 4g

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:            Library Donation

DATE:             October 23, 2000

The attached resolution would accept a gift of $175,000 from Dr. Robert Frey and establish an endowment in the Library Gift Fund in the name of his wife, the late Barbara Holbrook Frey.    

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

On September 17, 2000, the Library received a check for $175,000 from Dr. Robert Frey in the name of his wife, the late Barbara Holbrook Frey (Attachment A).  Library Director Kathy Thompson contacted Dr. Frey to thank him for his generous gift.  Ms. Thompson has also visited Dr. Frey to explain the options for donating to the Library.  These options include giving a gift to the Town’s Library Gift Fund, to the Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library, or to the Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation (Attachment B). 

Both the Friends and the Foundation are tax-exempt, non-profit corporations that exist to support the capital and program needs of the Chapel Hill Public Library.   Gifts given to these organizations are distributed by approval of each corporation’s governing board.  The Town Council approves the uses of Town Library Gift Funds.

Dr. Frey has requested that his gift be placed in the Town’s Library Gift Fund, in a separate endowment named for his wife.  He has also requested that the funds be used for new equipment or for expansion of the facility.  The money has been temporarily deposited in the Library’s general gift fund, pending formal approval from the Town Council.  Including the Frey gift, the library’s gift fund now totals approximately $516,400.

Although the Town does not accept gifts with use restrictions, it does make every effort to use gifts as requested by the donor.  An example of library gift funds used for specified purposes include the Friends’ annual gift, which is used by staff to purchase additional adult and juvenile books ($20,000-$22,000) each year. 

To facilitate future giving, the Library staff is currently working on a brochure that will explain the various ways of donating to the library and other Town departments.

 

RECOMMENDATION

The Manager recommends that the Council adopt the attached resolution, which would (1) accept Dr. Robert Frey’s gift of $175,000, (2) authorize the establishment of a Library Gift Fund endowment in the name of the late Barbara Holbrook Frey and (3) thank Dr. Frey for his generous gift to the citizens of Chapel Hill. 

ATTACHMENTS

  1. Letter with photocopied check from Dr. Robert Frey to Kathy Thompson (p. 4).
  2. Letter from Kathy Thompson to Dr. Robert Frey (p. 5).

A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING DR. ROBERT FREY’S GIFT TO THE CHAPEL HILL PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE AMOUNT OF $175,000, AUTHORIZING THE MANAGER TO ESTABLISH A LIBRARY GIFT FUND ENDOWMENT IN THE NAME OF THE LATE BARBARA HOLBROOK FREY, AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE GIFT OF GENEROSITY TO THE COMMUNITY  (2000-10-23/R-6)

WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Frey has donated $175,000 to the Chapel Hill Public Library; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Frey has requested that the money be placed in the Town’s Library Gift Fund in an endowment in the name of his wife, the late Barbara Holbrook Frey; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Frey has specified that the money should be used to purchase new equipment or to expand the facility; 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that  the Council formally accepts Dr. Frey’s gift of $175,000 and authorizes the Manager to establish a library gift fund endowment in the name of the late Barbara Holbrook Frey. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council acknowledges this most generous gift on behalf of the citizens of Chapel Hill and the patrons of the Chapel Hill Public Library. 

This the 23rd day of October, 2000.