April 21, 2011 – 7:30PM
Chairperson Michael Siegrist called the meeting to order at 7:32PM
Present: J. Fausone, M. Siegrist, G. Snow, D. Turner
Absent: K. Schulz, C. Van Auken
Also Present: E. Davis, K. Gladden, A. Davis, M. Swartz

Call to Audience

No comments (G. Bell, R. Havenstein-Coughlin, A. Heidemann, P. Jenkins, L. Papa, S. Rzetelny, N. Szczepanski)

Approval of Agenda

J. Fausone moved and D. Turner supported a motion to approve the agenda as amended.
The motion passed unanimously 11/4-21-1

Approval of Minutes

J. Fausone moved and D. Turner supported a motion to approve the minutes of the March 24, 2011 meeting.
The motion passed unanimously 11/4-21-2

Communications

None.

Report of the Library Director

E. Davis updated the Board on the Operating Fund campaign. Additional donations totaling almost $3500 were received since February. Overall, the majority fall in the range of $100-$199, followed by $50-$99, then $20-$29; almost all were earmarked for the Operating Fund (not the Endowment Fund)

As of May 1st, Unique Management (the collections and credit reporting agency used by the library) will target patrons owing $35 or more in fines, fees or replacement costs. Around 453 people owe $35 or more in overdues and fees. Since most debts are considered uncollectable after three (3) years, accounts which have been inactive for that amount of time will be purged from the system, regardless of whether they owe fines. Almost 12,000 cards will be deleted and the Board will subsequently see a drop in the total number of cardholders in the Circulation statistics report. The report will then reflect the true number of active library cardholders.

The Detroit Public Library system will be closing branches and laying off 100+ staff members. The Troy Public Library will not after all close on May 1st, but its future is still unclear.

Old Business

None.

New Business

Presentation by Plante & Moran of 2010 Audit Report – Alisha Davis and Mike Swartz of Plante & Moran presented the results of the 2010 audit. The pair said that the library’s audit had received an “unqualified opinion,” the best rating that can be rendered on financial statements. All of the library’s financial records are being recorded in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and A. Davis and M. Swartz said that the office staff is doing a good job. The library is in good financial condition; even though all sources of revenue declined, expenditures were reduced by an even larger rate and an addition was made to the fund balance. While commending the conservative projections and aggressive expenditure cuts, Swartz cautioned against relying on cuts to operational costs to achieve budgetary goals, stating that the library board should consider a less conservative tax collection rate and/or use of fund balance.

A. Davis reminded the Board that the GASB 54 accounting standard will be in effect at the end of the fiscal year 2011, meaning that the fund balance monies must be designated for specified classifications of expenditures. A. Davis will be in touch with G. Bell regarding how this should be reported.

Proposed Furlough Policy - Davis stated that, should furlough days become necessary, she would like a policy to be in place in advance. The Board will take up the issue at the May meeting, when all members are present.

The Library Network Issues – There was discussion of the reciprocity agreement by which members of The Library Network (TLN) are bound and Davis informed the Board of a separate side agreement entered into by Dearborn Heights (a TLN member) and the City of Dearborn (a non-reciprocal, TLN member.) Also, the Romulus Library (a TLN member slated for closure on May 1) has already discontinued lending out its materials; reciprocity is thus vitiated and both the Belleville and Wayne libraries have discontinued honoring Romulus cards. Davis will attend a Romulus City Council meeting on April 25th, when a proposal to form an independent municipal library may be voted upon. In the mean time, she requested a directive from the Board on the library’s own reciprocity policy toward Romulus, given their abrupt termination of service.

J. Fausone moved and G. Snow supported a motion to terminate lending privileges to Romulus cardholders, effective immediately.
The motion passed unanimously, 11/4-21-3.

Proposed Meeting Room Policy and Application Revision – The proposed revision of the Meeting Room policy and accompanying application form now includes the Purple Room and is, in general, a more comprehensive document than the previous Community Room policy.

D. Turner moved and J. Fausone supported a motion to accept the new Meeting Room Policy and Application, as submitted.
The motion passed unanimously, 11/4-21-4.

Call to Audience

Leo Papa spoke on the issue of the Dearborn Heights/Dearborn libraries reciprocity agreement.

Sheryl Rzetelny recognized Gail Bell for her hard work leading up to the successful 2010 audit report.

Trustee Don Turner expressed his gratitude to the Administration for their efforts re: the budget, saying that they are a textbook case of how a business should be run and that they all do their jobs superbly.

Friends of the Canton Public Library Board member Patty Jenkins extended an invitation to all Library Board trustees to attend the Friends’ Board meetings.

ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 9:52PM.