June 22, 2021 | gladdenk
The Chairperson, Nancy Eggenberger, called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM.
Present: N. Eggenberger, A. Iqbal, C. Spas, A. Watts (participating remotely from Canton, MI), M. Farell (participating remotely from Cheboygan, MI)
Absent: J. Lee
Also Present: E. Davis, K. Gladden
CALL TO AUDIENCE (K. Bounds, R. Carsten, D. Ewick, L. Golden, D. Huntzicker, J. Liang, D. McHugh, M. Nicholson, R. Noble, C. Swanberg) – None
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
A. Watts moved and M. Farell supported a motion to approve the agenda as amended.
ROLL CALL VOTE
Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, A. Iqbal, C. Spas, A. Watts
No: None
Abstain: None
The motion passed 21/6-17-1 (5-0-0)
APPROVAL OF GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
The minutes were accepted by unanimous consent.
COMMUNICATIONS — None
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
The library is 42% of the way through fiscal 2021 as of May 31st. The second quarter budget amendment in July will pull the revenues into alignment.
Director Eva Davis introduced the new Department Head for Information Services, Dave Ewick.
The library’s telephone system has been down since Wednesday. IT had been working on it since then and it was finally determined that the problem lies outside the building with an AT&T circuit. Clear Rate Communications, the library’s telephone service provider, has escalated the work order to highest priority.
Davis was sorry to announce the July 1st retirement of Circulation Assistant Carol Siemieniak, after 33 years and seven months of service. Community Relations Department Head Laurie Golden and Communications Specialist Kaitlyn Minshall are organizing an announcement so that the public may bid farewell to Carol, who has been a great favorite with patrons over the years.
On-Call Page Julia Bhuiyan has graduated from high school and will be leaving the library to attend college, effective August 1.
The trustees should have received their 62 Days of Summer packets through the mail. The first day of the program was well-attended; the rocking chairs on Canton’s Front Porch are back, along with the Library Lovers Live Here lawn signs and the Prize Patrol.
TRUSTEE COMMENTS — Chair Nancy Eggenberger said that her Prize Patrol experience was fun and she urged trustees to consider participating.
COMMITTEE REPORTS — None
NEW BUSINESS
August 2021–July 2022 Healthcare Plan Options Overview — Kapnick Insurance representative Dave Huntzicker reviewed the recommended healthcare plan options. The Blue Care Network Healthy Blue Living HMO Platinum 500 (the library’s current plan) has been re-certified with no changes, and an average cost increase of only 5.21%.
Huntzicker concluded that the BCN HMO plan was the best choice and recommended that the library not switch healthcare providers at this time, as the quality of the plan and the ability for employees to retain their choice of physicians could not be matched by other considered options, such as one from Priority Health.
Approve August 2021-July 22 Healthcare Contract — M. Farell moved and C. Spas supported a motion to renew the Blue Care Network Healthy Blue Living Platinum 500 healthcare plan contract for August 2021-July 2022.
ROLL CALL VOTE
Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, A. Iqbal, C. Spas, A. Watts
No: None
Abstain: None
The motion passed unanimously 21/6-17-2 (5-0-0)
Review and Approve PA 152 Employer/Employee Insurance Premiums Cost-Sharing — Secretary/Treasurer Amy Watts stated that past boards had found it valuable for employees to have “some skin in the game” regarding healthcare premiums, and so had usually chosen the 80/20 split for cost-sharing. Chair Eggenberger said that consistency in expectations for staff in this area was also important. Business Service Department Head Marian Nicholson reminded the board that, with their concerns over keeping salaries and fringe benefits in line, the 80/20 split was more reasonable than the Hard Cap option.
A. Watts moved and A. Iqbal supported a motion to approve the 80/20 split for PA 152 Employer/Employee Insurance Premiums Cost-Sharing.
ROLL CALL VOTE
Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, A. Iqbal, C. Spas, A. Watts
No: None
Abstain: None
The motion passed unanimously 21/6-17-3 (5-0-0)
Before leaving the Zoom call, D. Huntzicker introduced Rick Carsten, who will be replacing Clay Paul on the library account.
2022 Budget Discussion — Expenditures
Capital Expenditures — M. Nicholson highlighted a few projected capital expenditure projects for 2022: servicing of the storm sewer/catch basin (if necessary); improvements to the paver walkway and landscaping in the Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin Memorial Courtyard (partial funding for which will hopefully come from donations); booths (in the aisle separating the Adult Non-Fiction stacks) and semi-circular study pods (outside the Internet Lab); and a refreshing of the Community Room (replacement of the Whisper Wall covering; addition of under-carpet power/USB ports; new window shades; and new tables and chairs).
Davis reminded the board that none of the furniture up for replacement had been purchased during other building construction projects, and had in fact reached the end of their life expectancy.
Information Technology Department Head Rudie Noble briefly reviewed projected expenditures in the separate Technology Long Term Capital Outlay document: replacement of the projector and sound equipment in the Community Room; 42 personal computers in various subsets; some laptop computers; and a new sorter system.
Davis commended Building Supervisor Jim Laffey and the IT staff for their yeomanlike efforts which have kept the sorter conveyor and its software program running for the past twelve years. She said that Circulation Supervisors Barb Gudenburr and Denise Skopczynski had scrutinized a large number of sorter systems at the Public Library Association conference in February 2020, and had noted several options for the system to be purchased in 2022.
Reopening the Library Further: Considerations — Davis informed the board that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) was rescinding its pandemic orders effective at 12:01 AM on Tuesday, June 22, 2021. After that time, no broad orders relating to the pandemic will be in effect. However, the current orders from the Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration (MIOSHA) — which apply to employers and employees — have not been rescinded.
Davis advised the board that they would be able to make whatever policy they liked regarding mask-wearing for the public, even after June 22nd.
The board was in agreement that any attempt to retain a mask-wearing policy for the public after the rescission of the MDHHS order would be a thankless task, but that it would need to retain the policy for staff for the time being under the current MIOSHA rules.
Pandemic Reopening Policy Revision — A. Watts moved and M. Farell supported a motion to repeal in full the library’s Pandemic Reopening Policy for the public as of June 22, 2021, and to affirm that all staff members must continue to mask indoors (except while eating or drinking, or in an isolated space) until the current MIOSHA rules are revised or rescinded.
ROLL CALL VOTE
Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, A. Iqbal, C. Spas, A. Watts
No: None
Abstain: None
The motion passed unanimously 21/6-17-4 (5-0-0)
Approve Library Closure for HVAC Replacement — Davis explained that safety concerns dictated that the building be uninhabited while a construction crane was used to remove and replace the new HVAC units. Thursday, July 29th was the scheduled date for the work, with July 30th as a possible rain-date.
C. Spas moved and A. Watts supported a motion to close the library on July 29, 2021 for replacement of the HVAC unit.
ROLL CALL VOTE
Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, A. Iqbal, C. Spas, A. Watts
No: None
Abstain: None
The motion passed unanimously 21/6-17-5 (5-0-0)
CALL TO AUDIENCE – None
ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 8:27 PM.