August 25, 2020 | gladdenk
August 20, 2020 – 7:30 PM
The Chairperson, Amy Watts, called the meeting to order at 7:31 PM.
Present: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, J. Lee, J. Pandit, A. Watts
Absent: D. Turner
Also Present: E. Davis, K. Gladden
CALL TO AUDIENCE (L. Golden, M. Hathaway, A. Iqbal, D. McHugh, M. Nicholson, C. Swanberg, D. Skopczynski) – None
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
The agenda was accepted by unanimous consent.
APPROVAL OF GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
The minutes were accepted by unanimous consent.
COMMUNICATIONS — None
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
The curved piano window in the fireplace area of the library is tentatively scheduled to be replaced on August 27; this will be the final project under the library’s Phase I agreement with ENGIE Services.
The directors of both the West Bloomfield Township and Baldwin (Birmingham) libraries have announced their retirements.
Circulation Assistant Judy England will retire at the end of the month after 33 years, joining librarian Carol Kuchta (who is retiring at the end of September) and former Circulation Services Department Head Nancy Szczepanski, who retired in July.
As of July 31, the library was 58% through the fiscal year. The second State Aid to Libraries check was $7,000 more than budgeted; this will be recognized in the 3rd Quarter Budget Amendment. Penal fines have not been received yet; those libraries that have received theirs have reported widely varying amounts so there is no way to predict how much will eventually be received. Other items (photocopy fees, overdue fines, vending commissions, and meeting room rentals) are down as a result of the shutdown and will be adjusted in the 4th Quarter Budget Amendment.
Fringes are trending higher as a result of insurance and MERS pension payments made early in the year.
TRUSTEE COMMENTS — Vice-Chair Jasmine Lee asked why the library was using Zoom Pro for the board meeting, since a standard Zoom account was free. Director Eva Davis explained that the library had purchased Zoom Pro licenses for the Community Relations and Information Services departments and also one in the name of Information Technology Department Head Rudie Noble, which was the one used for board meetings. Zoom Pro offers additional functionality (no time limits, increased number of participants, ability for breakout rooms) not available with the free version. Secretary/Treasurer Michelle Farell stated that her Girl Scout troop had purchased Zoom Pro as well; Trustee Nancy Eggenberger said that most organizations had Zoom Pro. Chair Amy Watts added that the breakout room would be used to conduct Director Davis’ evaluation at the September meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORTS — None
UNFINISHED BUSINESS & GENERAL ORDERS
Update on Phased Reopening — MeL (Michigan eLibrary) interloans restarted August 10. Per Circulation Services Interim Department Head Denise Skopczynski, 624 requests for Canton Public Library materials were made during the period August 10-15; CPL patrons made 260 requests from other libraries during the same period. E. Davis expects that the numbers will even out as more libraries reopen.
Physical checkouts are approximately 20% of the normal number for this time of the year, due to the closure and the limits imposed on the number of holds allowed. The number of holds pickup slots will continue to increase.
Sunday hours will be reinstated on September 13. The department heads and managers continue to look at how to implement browsing, which will not happen before the end of September. Total capacity in the library building is 184 people, which includes staff, technology appointments, and potential browsers. Any plan would allow for a type of “grab and go” — patrons will not be able to linger; there will be no study room access, no seating, no unlimited computer access, etc.
Davis said that area libraries are all removing furniture and prohibiting lingering. The Plymouth District Library is requesting that patrons dash in and out but is not enforcing a time limit; patrons are only allowed on the main floor. Novi is using timers on a lanyard to alert patrons that their time is up; they are allowed to browse the entire building. Northville is seeing a low turnout, but their parking lot is under construction. Oakland County libraries are generally grab and go with limited browsing; one library hands out baskets to a limited number of incoming patrons, with no further entries allowed until baskets are returned.
In the upcoming weeks, Business Services Department Head Marian Nicholson and HR Specialist Shipra Sharma will be reviewing with employees their options under the FFCRA (Families First Coronavirus Response Act), as well as updating Paylocity payroll codes to conform with the Act.
Proposed 2021 Budget & 2022-2023 Projections (2nd Draft) — The budget summary is now presented in GASB format, in accordance with the board preference expressed at the July meeting. Accountant Debbie McHugh had received notification that the library’s interest rate has been cut; as a result, anticipated interest income for 2021 has been adjusted downward. A Fund Balance transfer will be necessary to offset Capital Outlay.
NEW BUSINESS
2021 Schedule of Board Meetings and Library Closures (1st reading) — Davis pointed out that the June 24 meeting is the 4th Thursday of the month; she is anticipating that the Liberty Fest will be held in 2021, necessitating an early library closure on June 17 (which would normally be the board meeting date.) The Staff Inservice Day has been moved from Columbus Day to Veteran’s Day in 2021, as well.
Davis said that the 2020 staff inservice committee had decided to do some kind of asynchronous training and so a motion to remove the October 12 library closure date from the 2020 calendar would be brought to the board in September.
CALL TO AUDIENCE – None
ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 8:02 PM.