The Chairperson, Nancy Eggenberger, called the meeting to order at 7:31 PM.

Present: N. Eggenberger, J. Fausone, S. Foster, T. Hartnett, D. Turner

Absent: M. Farell

Also Present: E. Davis, K. Gladden

Call To Audience

(L. Golden, R. Havenstein-Coughlin, D. McHugh, M. Nicholson, G. Nixon, L. Papa, N. Szczepanski) – None

Approval Of Agenda

The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.

Approval Of General Meeting Minutes

The minutes were approved as amended by unanimous consent.

Communications

E. Davis shared a Christmas letter received from former Board Trustees George Snow and Cecil Young.

The Patron Service Improvement Project (PSIP) – Phase II brochure, which will be given out to patrons to explain the scope, cost and timeline of the construction project, was provided to the board.

Among items in the publicity packet was a news story in the Canton Observer about the PSIP (Phase II) and also one about a local teenage runaway who was found by police on library property.

Community Relations department head L. Golden provided the board with proofs of the eight (8) pages of library events which will appear in the next Discover brochure.

Director's Report

The Friends of the Library fundraiser at Tony Sacco’s Pizzeria raised $80; the Friends were pleased and will pursue other, similarly small fundraising efforts as revenue from the Secondhand Prose Used Bookstore continues to drop.

Davis and accountant D. McHugh will meet with Sarah Clay, Canton Township’s Accounting Manager, to further discuss the possibility of pre-payment of the building bond. Davis does not want to pursue any effort that will negatively impact the township.

Jerry Grady, chair of the Canton Community Foundation board, informed Davis that the foundation has appointed Greg Schupra as interim director. They will meet with the Finance Committee in late January.

Trustee Comments

Trustee D. Turner had been in attendance at the most recent Friends of the Library board meeting. He strongly urged every board member to make an attempt to attend at least one such meeting. Chair N. Eggenberger proposed creating a schedule for individual board members to sign up to attend the monthly Friends board meetings. Trustee J. Fausone suggested that any board members who had not already become members of the Friends group should do so.

Finance Committee Report

Chair Eggenberger reported that she and Vice Chair S. Foster (and Secretary/Treasurer M. Farell, not present) had attended the Finance Committtee meeting, where the 4th Quarter Budget Amendment and the vending machine proposals were discussed.

The Finance Committee recommended that the full board accept the proposal from Sterling Services for vending services, based on a number of points:
• Sterling is a Canton-based company and has fewer stops on their route, which should lead to quicker response time for product and/or machine issues
• Sterling offers 24-hour repair service
• Sterling uses Seattle’s Best coffee
• Sterling’s machines accept $10 bills (the same denomination that the lobby ATM provides) which should lead to fewer patron requests for change from the Service Desk
• Sterling offers more choices re: commission rate

Trustee Turner questioned Sterling Services representative G. Nixon (present in the audience) about various issues regarding commission items, and recommended that the library’s contract include some commission income to offset indirect costs as well as the amount of paid staff time that will be required to police the vending area. Trustee Fausone stated that, as Sterling Services is a client of his firm, he will be abstaining from voting but recommended possibly mixing and matching commission percentages on different types of products.

Unfinished Business and General Orders

Approval of Revised Canton Public Library Board Bylaws - Davis stated that the areas of concern regarding Article II, Section 4 re: term limits for holding office while serving on the board were not prohibited statutorily.

T. Hartnett moved and S. Foster supported a motion to approve the revised Canton Public Library Board Bylaws as presented.

The motion passed unanimously 14/12-18-1.
 

New Business

Approval of Proposed 4th Quarter Budget Amendment - Davis reviewed the various documents that had been prepared by accountant D. McHugh (budget amendment summary, 2014 revenue & expenditures, historical fund balance data and expanded budget amendment request) and answered all questions raised by the board. Trustee Fausone complimented the administration for their hard work in ensuring that the library once again came in under budget in 2014.

J. Fausone moved and T. Hartnett supported a motion to approve the 4th Quarter Budget Amendment as presented.

The motion passed unanimously 14/12-18-2.

Approve use of $110,510 from Fund Balance (Assigned for Employee Benefits) to Fund MERS Pension Obligations Under Fringe Benefits (account 718), Reducing Fund Balance (Assigned for Employee Benefits) to $493,984 - Davis requested that the board approve this request (in addition to the budget amendment) to ensure their understanding for what these funds were intended, from where they originated, and to where they were being transferred.

J. Fausone moved and S. Foster supported a motion to approve the use of $110,510 from Fund Balance (Assigned for Employee Benefits) to Fund MERS Pension Obligations Under Fringe Benefits (account 718), Reducing Fund Balance (Assigned for Employee Benefits) to $493,984.

The motion passed unanimously 14/12-18-3.

Approve Selection of Vendor Proposal - Additional discussion re: commission rates ensued.

D. Turner moved and T. Hartnett supported a motion authorizing E. Davis to enter into a contract with Sterling Services for vending services with a 25% commission rate.

The motion passed 4-0-1 (with J. Fausone abstaining) 14/12-18-4.

Call To Audience

None

Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 8:43 PM.