April 16, 2020 – 7:30 pm

The Chairperson, Amy Watts, called the meeting to order at 7:32 PM.

Present:           N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, J. Lee, J. Pandit, D. Turner, A. Watts

Absent:            None

Also Present:  E. Davis, K. Gladden

• CALL TO AUDIENCE   (M. Crowther, L. Golden, M. Hathaway, A. Iqbal, P. Jenkins, D. McHugh, M. Nicholson, R. Noble, J. Parij, D. Skopczynski, C. Souchock, C. Spas, C. Swanberg, N. Szczepanski, A. Watkins) – Director Eva Davis introduced the Canton Public Library Board of Trustees to the audience.         
• APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Secretary/Treasurer Michelle Farell moved and Trustee Nancy Eggenberger supported a motion to accept the agenda as presented.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, J. Lee, J. Pandit, D. Turner, A. Watts

No:  None

Abstain: None

The motion passed 20/4‑16-1 (6-0-0)

• APPROVAL OF GENERAL MEETING MINUTES

Vice Chair Jasmine Lee requested that an addition be made to the minutes for the February 20, 2020 board meeting minutes.

Trustee Don Turner moved and Secretary/Treasurer M. Farell supported a motion to accept the minutes as amended.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, J. Lee, J. Pandit, D. Turner, A. Watts

No:  None

Abstain: None

The motion passed 20/4‑16-2 (6-0-0)

• COMMUNICATIONS — None
• DIRECTOR’S REPORT
  • E. Davis reported that former Information Services Department Head Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin died on April 8, 2020. Community Relations Department Head Laurie Golden had worked closely with Michael Coughlin to draft the blog post that appeared on the library’s website. She also worked with Information Technology Department Head Rudie Noble and Accountant Debbie McHugh to create a donation fund for the Rebecca Havenstein-Coughlin Memorial Courtyard. Golden utilized other social media outlets to communicate re: Havenstein-Coughlin. A small family service was held; a Celebration of Life will be scheduled at some point after social distancing orders have been relaxed.
  • The filing deadline for anyone wishing to run for a seat on the library board is April 21, 2020. Davis will provide Canton Township Clerk Michael Siegrist’s telephone number to anyone who is interested.
  • Governor Whitmer has decreed that all flags be flown at half-staff.
  • Davis noted that page 2 of her written Director’s Report contained an error: there were 10,300 Hoopla checkouts in March (not 12,300).
  • While the board packet contained financial reports for both February and March (due to the cancellation of the March meeting), she addressed only the March figures. As of March 31, the library was 25% through the fiscal year. Almost 100% of the property tax revenue has been received; the balance should be received in the summer, barring complications stemming from the COVID-19 closures. Other revenue (such as meeting room rentals, overdue fines and material replacement fees) will trend lower as a result of the library closure.
  • As always at this point in the year, certain expenditures are trending higher. Fringe Benefits are at 38% spent because of the annual payment made to MERS in January. Library Materials are trending slightly higher because of all the ordering done in January to make up for the lack of new materials being purchased in November and December. Professional & Contractual is trending higher due to the purchase or renewal of various software licenses and maintenance agreements. Travel is at 50% spent because of staff attendance at the biennial Public Library Association conference in Nashville in February. Insurance, at 75%, is also billed during the 1st quarter. These areas will fall into line as the year progresses. All other categories are at or under 25%.
  • Some conferences which staff members were slated to attend have been cancelled or postponed. Any refunds will go back into the fund from which they were paid. If airline tickets are not refunded, we will see if they can be transferred or re-scheduled. Any unspent dollars will be handled through the budget amendment process.
• TRUSTEE COMMENTS — Trustee Jane Pandit had attended the PLA conference. She said that it was very worthwhile and that she had learned a lot.
• COMMITTEE REPORTS — None
• UNFINISHED BUSINESS & GENERAL ORDERS — None
• NEW BUSINESS
  • 2019 Audit Presentation — Alisha Watkins and Melanie Crowther of Plante Moran presented the findings from their audit of the 2019 fiscal year. Watkins, in her first appearance as the library’s partner, stated her appreciation for the collaborative efforts of Business Services Department Head Marian Nicholson and Accountant D. McHugh. In her audit presentation, M. Crowther warned that any projections contained in the slide presentation had been obtained before the COVID-19 shutdown. Since 95% of the library’s budget is supplied by property taxes (the majority of which has already been received), the library will be okay in the short term; what will happen in future years is unknown, but she anticipates that any shortfall will occur in 2022. Davis remarked that, while the housing market collapsed in 2007, the library’s budget was not impacted until 2009. The Administration therefore has time to attempt mitigation of any shortfalls by budgeting higher for anticipated property tax refunds on the expenditures side, and lower for property tax receipts on the revenue side.

    Watkins stated that no expenditures were out of line with the 2019 budget, and that the library had received an “unmodified” opinion. She noted that the library’s current software may not accommodate the Updated Chart of Accounts that will be mandatory in 2021.

    While the library’s use of a Reserve/Contingency fund in its budget does not strictly conform with the Uniform Budgeting and Accounting Act (Public 2 of 1968), it is not sufficiently deviant to merit the withholding of an unmodified opinion. Davis reminded the board that setting aside an amount equal to the library’s annual bond payment as Reserve/Contingency was begun years ago after the bond had been repaid, as a demonstration of the library’s good stewardship of the taxpayer’s money.  It is a presentation issue on paper and can be changed if the board requests it. The board agreed to discuss the issue at a later time.

    Davis indicated her appreciation for both D. McHugh and M. Nicholson, as well as all the department heads, all of whose hard work throughout the year made the audit better and made it possible for the library to complete capital improvement projects without dipping into the Fund Balance.
    ​

  • Accept 2019 Audit as Presented

N. Eggenberger moved and J. Lee supported a motion to accept the 2019 Audit as presented.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, J. Lee, J. Pandit, D. Turner, A. Watts

No:  None

Abstain: None

The motion passed 20/4‑16-3 (6-0-0)

• 1st Quarter Budget Amendment — M. Nicholson explained the necessity for purchasing two (2) new sets of front doors at this time. Since the cost is more than $5,000 it is considered a capital improvement and requires board action to move the funds from one budget line to another.

M. Farell moved and N. Eggenberger supported a motion to approve the 1st Quarter Budget Amendment as presented.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, J. Lee, J. Pandit, D. Turner, A. Watts

No:  None

Abstain: None

The motion passed 20/4‑16-4 (6-0-0)

• 2021 Budget Discussion — Expenditures
• Healthcare plan coverage  — The library is not currently in full compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Davis reviewed the costs for full compliance based on the library’s current employee roster. Nicholson answered specific questions about the applicable regulations and penalties. The board members all indicated that more thought on this subject is needed in light of financial uncertainty due to COVID-19 and directed Davis and Nicholson to pursue the healthcare plan annual contract with the current policy and employee census.
• Approve Resolution to Change Newspaper of Record — Designating the Canton Eagle as the library’s Newspaper of Record will result in less expensive legal advertising for the library, as well as bringing us in line with Canton Township, which uses the Eagle for their legal ads.

D. Turner moved and M. Farell supported a Resolution to change the Newspaper of Record.

ROLL CALL VOTE

Yes: N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, J. Lee, J. Pandit, D. Turner, A. Watts

No:  None

Abstain: None

The motion passed 20/4‑16-5 (6-0-0)

• Library Closure Due to COVID-19 — The library closure has been extended through April 30. Thanks to previous action by the board, reporting pay (when the employee cannot work through no fault of their own, due to an emergency or disaster) is being extended to permanent part-time and permanent full-time staff members. Five (5) provisional employees scheduled for under 20 hours/week have applied for unemployment. The Administration will be having discussions to determine adjustments in the 2020 budget to cover any reimbursements to the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) over the amount already budgeted.
  • The combined federal Cares Act and Families First Coronavirus Response Act mandates that employers must pay an additional two weeks of sick time (over and above any paid time off already offered to CPL employees) to any employee who must be quarantined due to them or a member of their household having the COVID-19 virus or caring for a family member with the virus.
  • The library has greatly expanded its collection of electronic materials, which are being ordered remotely by librarians working from home. Davis expects a huge spike in orders for physical materials in May since none have been ordered since March, but no one has any real idea of what the demand will be.  A committee is working on what an eventual library re-opening will look like. It will be done in stages, and the framework will be triggered by a combination of federal, state and municipal orders and guidelines. Davis assured the board that the library will not open until it has adequate supplies of hand sanitizer, disinfectant, and protective masks/guards so that both staff and the public are comfortable.
• L. Golden and her Community Relations team are working with librarians on ways to make 62 Days of Summer flexible. Packets might be mass-mailed to township households and a lot of program components could be available online. While Davis noted that there would be a budgetary impact to postage and printing which will likely require a budget amendment, Golden hopes that having some form of the annual program may help residents achieve some sense of normality. Chair Watts noted that parents quarantined at home with their children will greet it with a huge sense of relief.
• Trustees Turner and Eggenberger complimented Davis and her team for their approach to a gradual re-opening. Davis credited her team members for being unafraid to speak up and share their thoughts. Plymouth District Library Director Carol Souchock will be hosting a Zoom meeting of area library directors to ensure coordinated openings prevent any one library from being overwhelmed.
• Davis told the board that certain revenues (material replacement, overdue fines, penal fines, and State Aid) will be less than budgeted due to the shutdown. The biggest concern for the next 18 months will be potential property tax refunds due to appeals to the tax tribunal.
• Trustee Eggenberger complimented the library in achieving a favorable outcome with Kanopy.
• CALL TO AUDIENCE – Information Services Department Head Jessica Parij thanked the board, on behalf of her department, for both approving reporting pay and for their significant support for materials, especially electronic materials.
• ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 9:37 PM