22 April 2008 Minutes from the Board of Trustees
Present: Blackman, Brown, Fahrenbach, Harris, Economou, Sullivan, Landman
Also present: Kozak
President Economou called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m.
MOTION: Minutes
Landman moved to approve the minutes, with one typo to be corrected. Fahrenbach seconded. All approved.
Treasurer's Report: Brown
Expenses and income are on track. Prior year taxes are still arriving - about $87,000. Fees and fines are up by $1,790.10 over the budgeted amount for year to date. There is an ending balance of $397,342.62 in the Library Operating Fund, $71,334.10 in Building Maintenance, and $268,471.18 in the Graham Trust. The Library Debt Service Fund contains $163,882.92; fund to be closed and these monies transferred to another account. About $1,200 to $2,000 is still due for draperies and a plaque before the Reading Railroad Project can be considered complete. $32,128 of the RR Project came from Library Funds, the rest, $88,537, was raised through fundraising and/or reimbursed by the Library Foundation.
MOTION: Vendor Lists
Blackman so moved to approve the Vendor Lists for funds #920, #925, #930, #940 and #970 totaling $76,650.58. Fahrenbach seconded. All approved.
Librarian's Report:
- Kozak stated that the Per Capita check has arrived - $15,125.28 and will be spent on Library materials.
- Chief of Police, Pam Church visited the Library to discuss the parking situation. A 15 minute dash-in spot will be added if possible and an unknown number of spots in the Grand Avenue lot will be reserved for Library patrons. Ticketing/enforcement by the Police Department will likely continue to be sporadic.
- Once the Village of Western Springs notifies the David Orr, Cook County Clerk concerning the Board's desire to pursue collection of the $29,233.40 in arrearage taxes due the Library, Janet Petsche, Library attorney will contact Bill Vaselopulos, Tax Extension Manager regarding the possibililty of combining the arrearage tax bills with tax payers' regular tax bills.
- Kozak thanked Trustees for their, "constructive and supportive performance evaluation."
Visitors:
Communications: patron suggestion to replace carpeting on the first floor.
Circulation Report:
Circulation is down in many areas, however adult fiction and DVDs, juvenile magazines, DVDs and kits, young adult fiction and CDs are all up over this time in 2007. Interlibrary loans continue to be very strong. Brown and Sullivan suggested that it would be interesting to see if there was
any correlation between the number of visitors to the Library and total circulation. Kozak plans to meet with the department heads to discuss these disappointing statistics.
Committees:
Finance: Brown
Brown recapped fund balances as of 3/31/08 for the Library's Illinois Funds:
- Library Operations, #920 - $373,647.77
- Graham Trust, #925 - $39,464.07
- Building Improvement, #930 - $50,486.31
- Debt Service, #940 - $48,493.78
- Special Reserve, # 970 - $17,511.60
Closing the Debt Retirement Fund:
MOTION: Debt Retirement
Brown so moved to transfer the unaudited balance of in the Debt Retirement Fund, #940 into the Capital Reserve Fund #970. Blackman seconded. All approved.
Creation of the Timber Trails Fund:
Brown will direct Grace Turi of the Village Finance Department to create a separate Timber Trails Fund.
Goals and PR:
Materials Selection Policy:
Kozak will revise clause 5.5 Complaints, to clarify the materials reconsideration process.
Technology:
Building and Grounds:
- The terra cotta roof tiles damaged in a recent storm have been replaced; the coping stone is a more difficult repair/inspection and will take longer to complete.
- Committee members met April 16th to discuss the Long Term Capital Plan to compete Reading Room repairs, reversal of the story room door and carpet replacement on the first floor.
- Brown will contact Michelle Mirelles for a list of contractors re: carpeting.
- Kozak will contact Dwayne Lutzow for a list of contractors re: removal of efflorescence from interior walls, tuck pointing and stone copings maintenance.
- Kozak will contact Glen Wentink re: a new concrete slab at the reference area.
- Committee members will meet again April 30st at 2:30.
Personnel:
Committee members will set a date to begin review of the Library's performance evaluation process.
Foundation: Blackman
The Foundation has pledged to support Young Adult Department improvements. Members plan to continue their lecture series, A Conversation With .... speakers still to be selected.
Marketing: Brown
The Marketing Committee will meet April 30st after the Building and Grounds meeting. Kozak will poll local libraries to see how they staff their marketing and PR departments.
New Business:
Department Head Presentations:
Trustees should email their questions for Rick Roche, Head of Adult Services to Kozak before the May Board Meeting. Shannon Halikias, Youth Services, will speak to Trustees sometime later in the summer.
Overview of Insurance Coverage:
The contents of the Library will be reevaluated this month. Kozak has contacted Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc. to review the Library's insurance coverage. Property, liability and workers' compensation coverage is currently provided by The Hartford and errors and omissions by a joint insurance pool administered by the Metropolitan Library System.
Draft of Strategic Plan:
Kozak and Trustees will meet to discuss/prioritize the draft Strategic Plan. Once finalized, copies of the plan will be sent to survey participants. Kozak will also poll area libraries to determine how they staff for marketing and public relations.
Old Business:
Reading Railroad: Brown
There are about $1,500 in outstanding charges for draperies and a commemorative plaque to complete the Reading Railroad Project. The Friends would like to donate a clock to the Youth Services Department.
Arrearage:
Library Attorney, Janet Petsche will negotiate the wording of the letter to Western Springs tax payers regarding the collection of the arrearage of $29,233,40.
May Meeting:
Trustees will discuss the updated Emergency Policy, the Timber Trails Fund, the Debt Service transfer,the Annual Report to the State, the Annual Audit and the non-resident card fee at their May meeting.
MOTION:
Sullivan so moved to adjourn at 8:10 p.m. Blackman seconded. All approved.
