Bryan-Bennett Library

Regular Board Meeting Minutes

July 21, 2020

 Call to order

President Gaston called the regular monthly library board meeting to order at 6:35 pm with the following trustees present: Tom Champion, Ed Dolbeare, Jane Gaston, Jack McGuire, Joyce Raver, Gayla Wilkerson and Ann Wilzbach. Library Kim Keller and Assistant Library Director Kim Baldridge were also present. There were no visitors. Trustee Lynn Larimer arrive at 6:49 PM. She was not present for the first two motions.

Secretary’s Report

The minutes of the June 2020 meeting were approved as presented on a motion by Trustee McGuire with a second by Trustee Wilkerson. All approved.

Treasurer’s Report

The bills for July 2020 totaling $15,614.63 were examined and approved on a motion by Trustee Champion with a second by Trustee Wilzbach. All present voted “yes” on roll call.

The treasurer’s report for July 2020 was presented. A motion to approve the report as presented was made by Trustee Wilkerson with a second by Trustee Wilzbach. All present voted “yes” on roll call.

Committee Reports

No reports at this time except for the Personnel Committee who will present their report during close session.

New Business

1. Copier proposals-Director Keller presented proposals from Xerox Corporation and CDS Office Technologies for meeting the copier needs of the library. After a discussion on both plans, a motion was made by Trustee Champion with a second by Trustee McGuire to accept the proposal from CDS Office Technologies. All present voted “yes” on roll call.
2. Closed Session under 5 ILCS 120/2 C 1—Personnel—Salaries-A motion to go into close session at 7:08 pm was made by Trustee Larimer with a second by TrusteeWilzbach. All present agreed. Open session began again at 7:24 pm.
3. Staff Salaries-Personnel Chairwoman Raver made a motion with a second by Trustee Larimer of the following staff raises:

• Director-5 % yearly raise in the amount of $1,825
• Assistant Director-5% hourly raise bringing the hourly rate to $16.50
• Longest Employed Circulation Clerk-$1.00 per hour raise now bringing the hourly rate to $11.82, followed by an hourly raise of $1.00 on January 1, 2021, bringing hourly rate to $12.82. There after the rate will increase the same as the minimum wage increases but capping the pay rate at $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2025.

All present voted “yes” on roll call.

• A motion to require board approval for any extra hours for employees be made a month in advance with the exception of emergencies was made by Trustee Champion with a second by Trustee Wilzbach. All present voted “yes” on roll call.

Unfinished Business

1. Proposed Fiscal Year 2021 Budget-Director Keller presented the board with a proposed budget. After a discussion, the board instructed Director Keller to make the discussed changes and bring the budget back next month for approval.

Director’s Report

The city auditor, Shawn Wiliamson with Fick, Eggemeer, Williams met with Director Keller and Assistant Director Baldridge to discuss his recommendations for some items. He would like a Library Board Officer to sign the monthly/quarterly bank statements and for invoices to be initialed. Whoever makes the purchase will initial the invoice and both Keller and Baldridge will initial the City bills.

Sandoval Village pulled out of the Centralia Library District and the Centralia cards for patrons living in Sandoval expired on June 30, 2020. BBL has been approached by a resident of Sandoval about the purchase of a non-resident BBL card. Director Keller made some contacts to make sure that BBL is following the law is this matter. After discussion of the opinions of those in the know, the library board instructed Director Keller to have the staff tell Sandoval residents that they must take up their lack of a library with the Sandoval Village Administration as they do not qualify as a non-resident of Salem.

Director Keller reported that new studies show that a small amount of COVID-19 virus can remain on items after the 3 day quarantine previously considered safe. Director Keller is advising BBL’s quarantine timeframe be changed to 4 days instead of 3. The board agreed. The board discussed possibly changing the COVID precautions currently being practiced. They wish for this to remain the same and will discuss again at the next board meeting.

Booher’s did the annual service on the HVAC units on July 16. The system is in good shape with the exception of one unit that has a bearing going out. They will be getting back to us on the cost of repairs.

Program Director Shanafelt is hard at work on a Summer Reading Challenge and a video fair. She has also put together “Take home story time kits”. Online story times are going well. She is working on two programs that hopefully will be allowed during the pandemic consisting of an escape room event to take place on Family Reading Night and a Mark Twain presentation for a Senior Appreciation event on December 1.

The contract for the Project Next Generation grant that was awarded to BBL has arrived. This is a grant totaling $40,000.00. After an in-depth discussion of the grant program, the library board decided to pass on acceptance of this grant. They felt that because of the pandemic there were too many unknowns in providing the programming this grant would require.

Director Keller has received requests from parents for iPad hours for their children. BBL is not offering any hours at this time due to the pandemic, but she is keeping a list of names in case this changes.

Circulation Clerk Ricker-Pitts returned to work on July 13.

FOBBL donated $300 to the library for extra needs to the COVID epidemic. Additional face masks and sanitizing wipes have been purchased with some of the money.

Board Members’ Reports

President Gaston announced the FY 20/21 committee members as follows:

1. Personnel-Chairperson Joyce Raver, Jack McGuire & Ann Wilzbach
2. Finance-Chairperson Gayla Wilkerson, Tom Champion, Ed Dolbeare
3. Policy-Chairperson Tom Champion, Lynn Larimer, Gayla Wilkerson
4. Building and Grounds-Chairperson Jack McGuire, Lynn Larimer, Joyce Raver

President Gaston reminded everyone about needing a recommendation to fill the empty board seat. Trustee Raver submitted a name and Trustee Wilkerson stated she knows of someone to ask if they would be interested. President Gaston requested that anyone wanting to submit a name do so soon, so she can submit recommendations to the mayor.

Trustee Dolbeare asked Director Keller if the library was banning meetings in the Genealogy Room. Director Keller replied since the room is rented by the Marion County Genealogical & Historical Society, it was left up to them as to whether or not they continued to meet. She did suggest to them that they follow all of the CDC guidelines. A discussion among the board on the library possibly being held liable for anyone who may claim they caught COVID at one of these meetings followed. Director Keller was instructed to check with the city’s attorney and the library’s insurance carrier on the subject.

Adjournment

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Trustee Wilzbach with a second by Trustee Dolbeare. All present agreed. The meeting adjourned at 8:52 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Ann Wilzbach                                                                                                                                                                       BBL Board Secretary