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(847) 985-4000
Monday, February 19, 2024
Central Library
6:00 P.M., Workshop
CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL President Seyring called the meeting to order at 6:00 P.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT Theresa Seyring, President; Carole Pye, Vice President/Secretary; Emily Gilbert, Treasurer; Jillian Bernas, John Caporale, Anita Forte and Amy Mueller. BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT None STUDENT ADVISORY TRUSTEES PRESENT None OTHERS PRESENT Amber Creger, Anne Miskewitch, Paul Piraino, Tom Pritchett, Jason Santos, Molly Scheibler, Hollis Sienkiewicz, Beth Valenziano and Kristen Wunder PUBLIC COMMENTS None BOARD COMMENTS Trustee Bernas commented on attending the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Celebration of Excellence Award Ceremony and was proud of the Library receiving the award in the non-profit category. She expressed her thanks to Library staff for their contributions. Trustee Bernas would like to schedule a meeting of the Facilities and Equipment Committee, with the addition of Facilities Manager Joe Driskell, before the budget meetings. Trustee Caporale commented on looking forward to attending the One Book, One Community (OBOC) author event on Sunday, the Library’s Annual In-Service day, and the Hanover Park Sister Cities Committee Black History Month Event. Trustee Gilbert commented on use of the new study rooms, the progress of the second-floor renovation, and the OBOC author event. She enjoyed the Death Café program at the Hoffman Estates branch. Trustee Gilbert highlighted a joint report released by PEN America and its umbrella organization PEN International on the impact of book bans on the LGBTQ+ community. Trustee Pye commented on her appreciation of the Library’s hybrid programs. She attended three programs, including a program on living with disabilities, a program featuring Chicago historian and TikTok sensation Dilla, and a program on North Korea and Iran. Trustee Pye attended Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Celebration of Excellence Awards. Trustee Forte commented on the upcoming OBOC author event. She congratulated the Library and staff for winning the non-profit partner category at the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Celebration of Excellence Awards. Trustee Forte thanked Executive Director Miskewitch and Executive Assistant Julie Doren for registering the trustees for the ILA Spring Trustee Forum workshops. She announced the honor of Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod inviting her to run for the elected position of Village Hoffman Estates Clerk, and her decision to decline the invitation and continue her commitment to serve on the Library Board. Trustee Mueller commented on the upcoming OBOC author event. She is looking forward to seeing Martyl Langsdorf's "Hoover Dam" artwork in person. RAILS – Trustee Mueller Trustee Mueller reported on the many courses available on RAILS, including a free asynchronous EDI course, one on serving patrons with dementia and their caregivers, and 2024 Children’s Books: A Plethora of Amazing Choices!. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Trustee Forte moved and Trustee Mueller seconded that: The January 15, 2024, Library Board Meeting minutes be approved. The motion passed unanimously. APPROVAL OF BILLS Trustee Pye moved and Trustee Gilbert seconded that: The Library Board approve the January 2024 Bill List. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gilbert Yes Trustee Bernas Yes Trustee Caporale Yes Trustee Forte Yes Trustee Mueller Yes Trustee Pye Yes Trustee Seyring Yes Discussion included Daily Herald fees and Town Square publication expenditures. Executive Director Miskewitch will follow up. The motion passed unanimously. TREASURER'S REPORT Trustee Gilbert reviewed the financial reports, making note of balances in the various funds. On the balance sheet, the General Fund decreased by slightly over $1 million due to expenses exceeding revenues. She also highlighted a few line items and discussed why they are above or below budget at this time. She also gave an update on the status of various Library investments. Discussion included the corrected financial statement. ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA There will an Executive Session under Section 2(c), (11). STUDENT ADVISORY TRUSTEE REPORT SAT Muhammad Arshad presented an update on coordinating a pop-up table at a local High School basketball game. He highlighted the OBOC event, New College Planning Strategies, ACT/SAT updates, and creating a new program to help Juniors who are applying for summer programs and internships. Discussion included the future scheduling of a pop-up table at a sporting event. PRESIDENT'S REPORT Trustee Seyring commented on attending the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Celebration of Excellence Awards and her appreciation for the award. She thanked Executive Assistant Julie Doren for registering the Trustees for conferences and training dates and adding them to calendars. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Executive Director Miskewitch shared highlights from the January 2024 Director’s Report. She thanked Marketing & Communications Director Hollis Sienkiewicz for her years of service to the Library and deep gratitude for her work, as she will depart at the end of the month for another job opportunity. Discussion included the impact of recent cold weather, the power outage’s impact on Wi-Fi stats, cross-training in Circulation, and appreciation for the legislative updates, article links, and tip sheet included within the Director’s Report. Trustee Seyring commented on the Affordable Connectivity Program ending and ALA’s efforts to support an extension of the program. DEPUTY DIRECTOR'S REPORT Deputy Director Scheibler shared highlights from the January 2024 Deputy Director’s and Public Services Report. Discussion included a request to provide Trustees with the staff articles on 21st Century Skills. Trustee Bernas emphasized her appreciation for Senior Services Coordinator Renee Anderson and Business Liaison Librarian Patti Smollin's presentation to the Roosevelt University Institute for Continued Learning. Trustee Pye commented on the program Soloist in the Stacks. Trustee Seyring thanked all staff for working as a team under difficult conditions during the renovation. COMMITTEE REPORTS Art Committee – Chair Seyring Trustee Seyring reported Art Committee members met virtually with artist Martyl Langsdorf’s two daughters to discuss the donation of the “Hoover Dam” triptych to the Library. The Committee continued discussions of donor wall designs. Discussion included Trustee Forte’s inquiry about the February 12, 2024 Art Committee Meeting minutes. Trustee Mueller requested an estimate of the cost of shipping the art piece. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None NEW BUSINESS Review of Video/Photo Consent Form The Board reviewed and discussed the Video/Photo Consent Form. Review of Fund Balance Policy The Board reviewed and discussed the Fund Balance Policy. Review of Policies Schedule The Board reviewed and discussed the Policies schedule. Discussion included the order of the Policies listed. Approval of new Student Advisory Candidate (SAT) Trustee Gilbert moved and Trustee Bernas seconded to approve the new Student Advisory Candidate (SAT) Shivani Patel. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gilbert Yes Trustee Bernas Yes Trustee Caporale Yes Trustee Forte Yes Trustee Mueller Yes Trustee Pye Yes Trustee Seyring Yes Discussion included SAT Shivani Patel expressing her appreciation for the opportunity to serve as an SAT for the Library. The motion passed unanimously. Approval of Social Media Policy update Trustee Mueller moved and Trustee Bernas seconded that the Board approve the updated Social Media Policy. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gilbert Yes Trustee Bernas Yes Trustee Caporale Yes Trustee Forte Yes Trustee Mueller Yes Trustee Pye Yes Trustee Seyring Yes Discussion included Trustee Gilbert expressing her appreciation for improvements to the policy. The motion unanimously passed. Approval of Art Donation "Hoover Dam" Trustee Forte moved and Trustee Gilbert seconded that the Board approve the acceptance of the art donation "Hoover Dam." Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gilbert Yes Trustee Bernas Yes Trustee Caporale Yes Trustee Forte Yes Trustee Mueller Yes Trustee Pye Yes Trustee Seyring Yes Discussion included the dimensions of the art piece, the display location, and the source of funding for required expenditures. Trustee Bernas commented on creating programming related to the Hoover Dam as an opportunity to explore. The motion passed unanimously. Approval of Payment to Midwest Mechanical in the amount of $63,639.00 Trustee Forte moved and Trustee Mueller seconded that the Board approve payment to Midwest Mechanical in the amount of $63,639.00. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gilbert Yes Trustee Bernas Yes Trustee Caporale Yes Trustee Forte Yes Trustee Mueller Yes Trustee Pye Yes Trustee Seyring Yes The motion passed unanimously. Amended motion: Approval of waiver of bid to Trotec Laser, Inc. Trustee Mueller moved and Trustee Gilbert seconded that the Board approve the waiver of bid to Trotec Laser, Inc. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gilbert Yes Trustee Bernas Yes Trustee Caporale Yes Trustee Forte Yes Trustee Mueller Yes Trustee Pye Yes Trustee Seyring Yes Discussion included amendment of the motion and IT Director Jason Santos confirming the inclusion of Ruby software in the price. The motion passed unanimously. Amended motion: Approval of waiver of bid to Acanthus Technology Trustee Mueller moved and Trustee Pye seconded that the Board approve waiver of bid to Acanthus Technology. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gilbert Yes Trustee Bernas Yes Trustee Caporale Yes Trustee Forte Yes Trustee Mueller Yes Trustee Pye Yes Trustee Seyring Yes Discussion included amendment of the motion and confirmation by IT Director Jason Santos that Acanthus Technology is the sole-source provider. The motion passed unanimously. Approval of Invoices as Presented by Featherstone, Inc. Trustee Forte moved and Trustee Pye seconded that the Board approve payment to Hallett Movers in the amount of $26,550.00; Johler Demolition, Inc. in the amount of $35,070.02; LJ Morse Construction Company in the amount of $136,824.68; Lange Bros. Woodwork Co., Inc. in the amount of $259,439.97; Jensen’s Plumbing & Heating, Inc. in the amount of $32,463.00; Airport Electric Company in the amount of $101,071.74; 22 Tones BIP66 in the amount of $57,326.40 and Featherstone, Inc. in the amount of $59,407.08. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gilbert Yes Trustee Bernas Yes Trustee Caporale Yes Trustee Forte Yes Trustee Mueller Yes Trustee Pye Yes Trustee Seyring Yes The motion passed unanimously. OTHER BUSINESS MATTERS Executive Director Miskewitch will be turning in her self-evaluation before the next Board meeting. The April Board meeting will go into Executive Session – Section 2(c), (01) for discussion. Trustee Seyring clarified that the “Hoover Dam” art piece was not a Works Progress Administration project. EXECUTIVE SESSION Trustee Bernas moved and Trustee Mueller seconded that: The Library Board enter into Executive Session under Section 2(c), (11) at 7:17 P.M. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gilbert Yes Trustee Bernas Yes Trustee Caporale Yes Trustee Forte Yes Trustee Mueller Yes Trustee Pye Yes Trustee Seyring Yes The motion passed unanimously. Trustee Bernas moved and Trustee Gilbert seconded that: The Library Board exit Executive Session at 7:52 P.M. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gilbert Yes Trustee Bernas Yes Trustee Caporale Yes Trustee Forte Yes Trustee Mueller Yes Trustee Pye Yes Trustee Seyring Yes The motion passed unanimously. ADJOURNMENT Trustee Bernas moved and Trustee Forte seconded that: The Library Board adjourn regular session at 7:53 P.M. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote.