Minutes of Regular Meeting
ELISHA D. SMITH PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEES
Elisha D. Smith Public Library Gegan Room
November 29, 2017
Called to order at 4:01pm by Chairman Englebert
Present: Chairman Englebert, Vice Chairman Golz, Trustee Halverson, Trustee Schwerbel, Superintendent of Schools VanderHeyden and Secretary Wicihowski
Absent: Trustee Franzoi, Ad Hoc Trustee Jill Hermans, Trustee Witt and Teen Representative Glen Genz
Also Present: Director Lenz
Public Comment/Communication: None
Consent Business
Motion made by Golz, seconded by VanderHeyden, to approve the Library Board meeting minutes from
October 25, 2017 and accept the minutes of the Marketing & Resource Development Committee of November 13, 2017. Motion carried with Schwerbel abstaining since he was not here for the October meeting.
Authorization of Bills
Motion made by VanderHeyden, seconded by Golz, to authorize payment of the November 2017 bills as presented from the 2017 budget. Motion carried unanimously.
New Trustee: Introduction and Committee Assignment
Englebert welcomed Dave Schwerbel to the Board of Trustees. Introductions were made. Schwerbel will serve on the Buildings and Grounds Committee.
Director’s Report/Information Items
1. October Statistics. Circulation in October rose slightly over last year (0.8%) due to an increase in young adult circulation of 11% and digital circulation of 34.5%. Overall circulation is about the same as last year. Program attendance is up 6.8% over last year with an average of 32 people attending programs.
2. Budget Status. Trustees reviewed the 2017 budget status.
3. Endowment Report. Trustees reviewed the 2017 endowment report to date, as well as a report on the library’s WALS reserve technology account.
4. Staff Reports.
· A report on the Children’s Department’s fall reading program was submitted to trustees by Supervisor Kathy Beson. They had 152 children participate in the Catch a Dragon by the Tale program.
· The library collected 41 boxes of food (about 1300 items) during the Food for Fines drive for the Double Portions Soup Kitchen at the Episcopalian Church in Menasha.
· Kathy Beson worked with Menasha Police Officer John Wallschlaeger and other staff members to develop an Active Shooter Plan. She presented it at the November 15 staff Lunch & Learn, and it is now added to our Emergency Procedures.
· The bids for an exit door from the Teen Zone to the Children’s area came in at about $4,000. Public Works staff will schedule and monitor this project. This is a capital improvement.
· Electrician Brian Haessly is working on fine-tuning the audio system in the Company E Room.
· Service data, budget comparisons and 2018 budget comparative data from other libraries were reviewed.
Discussion/Action Items
5. 2018 Budget/COLA Approval. The library’s 2018 budget and capital improvement requests as submitted to the city’s common council by the mayor were approved as is, except that the council added $5,000 to the library’s book budget after a request was made from trustees in attendance at the budget hearing. Motion made by Golz, seconded by Halverson to approve the library’s revised 2018 budget allocations along with a 2% cost of living adjustment for library staff. Motion carried unanimously.
6. December Meeting Date. Lenz will send out a Doodle poll to determine the date for the December meeting.
Adjourn into Closed Session
Motion made by VanderHeyden, seconded by Halverson to adjourn into closed session to discuss the director’s annual review citing §19.85(c), Wis. Stats., (Considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility.) Roll call vote: all board members voted in favor, none opposed. The meeting adjourned into closed session at 4:46pm.
Adjournment
After reconvening into open session, Golz moved to adjourn, seconded by VanderHeyden. Motion carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Library Board Secretary Kathy Wicihowski
