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November 2022 Board Meeting Minutes

ADDISON TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Meeting Minutes

TUESDAY, November 15, 2022, 7:00PM

Call to Order: 7:03PM

Board Members Present:  All present with J.Baldiga virtual

Pledge of Allegiance: All in attendance participated in the pledge

Approval of Agenda:  A motion to accept the agenda was raised by K. King, 2nd by M. Frost. All  in favor, none opposed, motion approved.

Call to Audience: two minutes per visitor

Consent Agenda:  J. Elsarelli moves to approve the consent agenda with expenses removed, 2nd by K. King, All in favor.  Motion approved.  

Expenses page 5 reviewed - Director Walker explained the expenses from October.  Conversation in regards to having the building budget in the day to day operations budget. * Director Walker will speak with D. Lamsa, CPA requesting a separate tracking for the building construction budget.  Director Walker shared payroll increase, consumers energy increase.  Going forward this will fall under the Director Report and Financial Report. Discussion in regards to staff being paid for prep type work that is done from home occurred.  General consensus is this constitutes billable work hours as approved by the Director.

Financial Report: Director Walker drew attention to the increase in gas and utilities drawing close to budgeted amounts.  Shared automation budget over.  She noted there is room in the budget to adjust the overall expenses and remain on target.   Discussion took place in regards to removing Building line item away from the operational budget. *Director Walker to seek direction of the library CPA in regards to this. Discussion took place in regards to overage and shortfalls of the budget to keep  line items as actuals as allocated in budget categories to have a better view of the actual cost for future budgeting tools.  M. Szost moves to accept and file the Financial Report. 2nd by J. Elsarelli.  Roll call vote; K. King - yes, Marilyn Szost - yes, J. Elsarelli - yes, J. Baldiga - yes, J. Eller - yes, M. Frost - yes.  Motion approved, report filed.

Director’s Report:  Director Walker reviewed the ebbs and flows of the Director’s report.  Platform use has increased with more patrons using it.  Program numbers have increased. Director notes that the annual state report was turned in.  Out of 120 Library in the co-op Addison was the 2nd to turn it in and received a shout out  for doing so.

Director’s Initiatives:  

  • Creating a better workflow and communication plan. 
  • Quarter plans in play; newsletter, events, and programming  underway.
  • Winter hours change for  January - April. Change in hours suggestion from Director Walker given to the board.  Discussion took place.   J. Baldiga motions to approve winter hour change as proposed.  2nd by K. King,  all in favor,  motion approved.
  • Policy information will be shared under policy committee reports.
  • Decker agency- Proposal of Coverage- available to board for review- The question raised - are board members covered under policy?  The reply is yes.
  • Audit complete & filed. - Director Walker suggests the Board consider reviewing the verbiage in the future.  *Policy Committee to review audit signator procedure.
  • Investor letter-seemed to be well received from the public and excited about the investor’s reception.  RSVP responses coming in positively.  Event is Open House style.
  • Inventory equipment- on the to do list.
  • Graphs of items circulated, total patrons, and door count created.  Will continue to show general trends.

J.Eller motions to accept the Director’s report,  2nd by  J. Baldiga,  all in favor.  Motion approved, report filed.

Committee Reports:

New Building Committee:

Options to consider:

Option 1 - J. Ratliff joined us for this portion of the meeting.  J. Elsarelli shares a point of a different option of how to keep forward motion with the building project, offering that the  Allen Group has done projects in the past in which another entity has purchased the land.  The entity pays for the development and then leases the building from the purchased land group until paid off.  Gradually paying it back with interest.  Property is transferred to someone else and that entity receives a lease agreement until paid off.  Rough numbers have been developed by The Allen Group.  Discussion occurred.

Option 2 -  Conceptual take on building on a potential purchase of property- Mike Pilar from Oakland County did a perk test, perk positive.  Storm drain,water retention,over flow parking, parking lot smaller to accommodate water retention requirements, discussion took place.  Process would be to purchase land at $80,000.00 and sell the current parcel, which can’t be sold until the blessing of the donor, who is willing to consider the idea with a plan.  Not sellable for development, but sellable as green space to theTownship.  Supervisor Pearson had area funds left that could be used for the purchase of the property in the amount of $200,000.00  left in the ARPA funds.  All permits will need to be redone with the site change.  Site change, time frame, cost analysis need to be done, consider taking a phase approach and consider schematic lay out.  Discussion occurred.  J. Elsarelli shared 4 potential voting points which became motions as below.



Motions:

  1. A motion by M. Szost to move the building site to the proposed new property site, lot 05-27-151-015, contingent upon purchase of the property.  2nd by J. Elsarelli.  Roll call vote: J. Eller - yes, K. King - yes, M. Szost - yes, J. Elsarelli - yes, J. Baldiga - yes, M. Frost - yes.   Motion approved.
  2. A motion by M. Szost to allow the purchasing of new property not to exceed $88,000.00. 2nd by K. King.  Roll call vote:  M. Szost - yes, J. Elsarelli - yes, J. Baldiga - yes, K. King- yes, J. Eller - yes, M. Frost - yes.  Motion approved.
  3. M. Szost moves to sell the current property with donor permission.  2nd by M. Frost.  Roll call vote: J. Elsarelli - yes, J. Baldiga - yes, K. King - yes, M. Szost - yes, J. Eller - yes,  M. Frost - yes.  Motion approved.
  4. J. Elsarelli moves to approve the funds for architect and civil engineering in the amount of $65,000.00.  2nd M. Szost.  Roll call vote:  K. King - yes, M. Szost - yes, J. Elsarelli - yes, J. Baldiga - yes, J. Eller - yes, M. Frost - yes.  Motion approved.

 

Policy Committee: *Action Items as below

  • Claimed Return Policy - Discussion took place -M.Szost moves to accept CRP & form as presented, K. King 2nd, 5- in favor, 1-opposed, Motion approved.
  • Remote Work Policy - Discussion occurred - living documents - J. Eller moves to accept policy with verbiage change of  “company”  to be removed and changed to mirror verbiage in the  ATPL, #4 to #3,  and to include the date of  creation & approval on documents.  2nd by M. Szost, all in favor.
  • Mission & Vision Statement - discussion took place -  Mission Statement explained as who you are , Vision Statement explained as  goals for the future.   K.King moves to accept Mission & Vision Statements as written, 2nd by J. Baldiga.   All in favor, motion approved.
  • Media Consent Form - Discussion to place.   A motion to accept the Media Consent Form as written by K. King,  2nd by M. Szost.  All in favor, motion approved.

Finance Committee:

Personnel Committee:

Capital Committee:  J. Baldiga reports another brick has been sold.

Communication:  Letter from M.  Frost resigning the position of trustee of ATPL due to conflict of interest as a Township Board Trustee. Resignation accepted.   

Discussion took place in regards to moving forward with a replacement for the now vacant member seat.

Bylaws reviewed for resigning of position and selection of new board members.   Committee formed for New Member recruitment.  Committee members are  J.Baldiga, J.Eller, and K.King.   Meeting to be scheduled.

Old Business:

  • Investor Appreciation Reception - addressed with the Director’s report.
  • Action Items 
  1. Google Analytics - Door Count - J. Baldiga.
  2. Graph showing library trends - explained in the Director’s report.
  3. Ipad & Kindle future plan - Director equipment inventory. 

New Business:  

  • Officers for 2022/23 - election of officers - J. Elsarelli is nominated for President of ATPL by          K. King - J. Elsarelli nominates J. Baldiga as Vice President of ATPL - J. Elsarelli nominates J. Eller as Recording Secretary for the ATPL - J . Baldiga nominates M. Szost as Treasurer for the ATPL for the upcoming year of 2023.  2nd M.Frost, all in favor, nominations approved as stated.

Next Meeting:  January 17, 2023

Adjournment. 9:23PM

Respectfully submitted,

Jennie Eller

Recording Secretary




*Voice recorded