The Chairperson, Amy Watts, called the meeting to order at 7:31 PM.

Present:           (participating remotely from Canton) N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, A. Iqbal, C. Spas, A. Watts

Absent:            J. Lee

Also Present:  E. Davis, K. Gladden

• CALL TO AUDIENCE   (L. Golden, A. Haydar, D. McHugh, M. Nicholson, J. Pandit, A. Seurynck, C. Swanberg) – None       
• APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Trustee Nancy Eggenberger moved and Secretary/Treasurer Michelle Farell supported a motion to accept 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 20/11-19-1 (5-0-0)

APPROVAL OF GENERAL MEETING MINUTES

The minutes were accepted by unanimous consent.

COMMUNICATIONS — None

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

• As of the end of October, the library was 83% through the fiscal year, according to Director Eva Davis.  Vending income was trending low because only staff may use the vending machines. Expenditures that had been trending high all year have fallen in line. A 4th Quarter Budget Amendment will bring both income and expense into alignment in December.
• While the pandemic closure resulted in some utilities savings, the DTE Energy bill has seen an increase since the library opened for limited browsing October 1st.
• The library will not schedule any indoor, in-person programming until April 2021. The annual Winter Snow Spree on December 16 will be an in-person, outdoor drive-through experience. Community Relations Department Head Laurie Golden said that, while there will be no reindeer or train this year, Program Librarian Nichole Welz and the children’s librarians had devised a celebration with take-home kits containing hot chocolate mix and peppermint sticks; snowballs for indoor snowball fights; a musician; possibly the Rings of Fire jugglers and a snowy owl; and a live penguin cam broadcasting on a giant screen in the parking lot.  100 patrons will be able to register to participate, and Canton Public Safety has agreed to provide traffic control.
• Although a board meeting agenda planning document was included in the packet, Davis said that it was not set in stone. Chair Amy Watts told the new board members, Trustee Amina Iqbal and Trustee Claire Spas, that individual budget items were discussed month by month, making it easier to make decisions when the budget actually needs to be approved.
• Davis said that, as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Emergency Family Leave Medical Expansion Act (EFMLA) are set to expire at the end of the year, she would like to explore revising the library’s personnel policy to extend both to staff members who meet the criteria. (Currently, two weeks of FFCRA and EFMLA are subsidized by the federal government through payroll tax reductions.) The revision could extend the policies on a quarterly basis; for all of 2021; or as a part of the library’s Pandemic Reopening Policy.
• Very few staff members are exercising the option for either FFCRA or EFMLA, but Davis would like to keep the qualifying employees whole, even if the government subsidies are not extended. The board agreed to revisit the subject at the December meeting. Davis will look into what other library directors are doing and will bring information regarding best practices to the meeting. Trustee N. Eggenberger expressed her appreciation to Davis for thinking about this.

TRUSTEE COMMENTS — Chair A. Watts welcomed Trustee A. Iqbal and Trustee C. Spas. Trustee Eggenberger told both that they would find that sitting down with Davis and Business Services Department Head Marian Nicholson would make the budgeting process simpler.

COMMITTEE REPORTS — None

UNFINISHED BUSINESS & GENERAL ORDERS

• Update on Phased Reopening — Currently, only the Canton, Belleville and Wayne Public libraries offer limited, in-person browsing to the public. Westland, Plymouth and Northville are curbside only and Plymouth plans to set up one computer in their foyer. After discussion with the department heads and managers, Davis said that they are in agreement to stand pat. The library is nowhere near the 30% capacity allowed by the state. Staff is being safe with barriers and PPE and there is a greeter at the door every hour that the library is open to the public, which has helped with mask compliance. They may take another look if Wayne and Belleville pull back on in-person browsing.
  ​Trustee Eggenberger expressed confusion over the difference between Curbside Pickup and Holds Pickup by Appointment. Davis said that if the pandemic looks to be of sufficient length, they may consider other alternatives, such as construction of a permanent pickup window.

NEW BUSINESS

• The Role of a Library Trustee — Attorney Anne Seurynck of Foster Swift Collins & Smith gave a remote presentation on the obligations of a municipal board trustee, “The Top 10 Issues Every Library Trustee Should Know.” Special consideration was given to discussion regarding the Open Meetings Act and how to avoid inadvertently violating it. Seurynck also discussed the logistics involved in the challenge process, when a patron’s request to have materials withdrawn is denied, and they make a request for reconsideration by the board.
• Approve Revised Pandemic Reopening Policy — N. Eggenberger moved and M. Farell supported a motion to approve the revised Pandemic Reopening Policy as presented.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, A. Iqbal, C. Spas, A. Watts

No: None

Abstain: None

The motion passed 20/11-19-2 (5-0-0)

• 2021 Board Officers — Chair Watts explained to the new trustees that the current officers had served in their current positions for two consecutive years and were unable to do so again. Vice Chair J. Lee will be unavailable to serve as an officer. As neither of the new trustees were comfortable with acting as officers during the first year of their term, it was discussed that Eggenberger, Farell and Watts might form a slate to be voted on in December.

• CALL TO AUDIENCE – None
• ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 9:21 PM.