The Chairperson, Amy Watts, called the meeting to order at 7:34 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   (L. Golden, D. Huntzicker, A. Iqbal, D. McHugh, M. Nicholson, R. Noble, J. Parij,

C. Paul, S. Sharma, D. Skopczynski, C. Swanberg, N. Szczepanski, “Carol”) – Director Eva Davis introduced the Canton Public Library Board of Trustees and Kapnick Insurance representatives to the audience.       

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

M. Farell moved and J. Lee supported a motion to accept the agenda 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 (6-0-0)

APPROVAL OF GENERAL MEETING MINUTES

The minutes were accepted as presented by unanimous consent.

COMMUNICATIONS — None

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Director Eva Davis reported that Publisher’s Weekly interviewed Community Relations Department Head Laurie Golden regarding our “62 Days of Summer” program and the quick pivot made to the program to accommodate pandemic restrictions.

Circulation Services Department Head Nancy Szczepanski is retiring at the end of July; plans for a celebratory farewell celebration have not been sorted out.

On Thursday, June 11, the library initiated the scheduled pickup service of holds that were in the building when the library shut down on March 13. Pickup of holds that were fulfilled by returned items and newly received materials were completed by Friday, June 12. The staff’s efficiency allowed the library to open up holds on available items sooner than anticipated, on Saturday, June 13. Since then, over 3,000 items have been placed on hold; activated; and processed for pickup. (1,100 holds were placed and pulled on Tuesday, June 16, alone.)

E-Material statistics for the month of May include: almost 11,000 checkouts from Overdrive/Libby; 1,800 from e-audiobook source CloudLibrary; 12,000 from Hoopla; 1,300 videos from Kanopy; and 2,800 periodicals from RBDigital.

The library is roughly 43% of the way through the fiscal year. Wayne County has advised that they will be making the library whole on delinquent property taxes (approximately $100,000) in June. This will be recognized in the 2^nd Quarter Budget Amendment in July. The second State Aid to Libraries payment of $35,000 has been received. Other Income items (such as meeting room rentals, fines and vending commissions) continue to trend downward, due to lack of usage. Any adjustments will be made with the 3^rd Quarter Budget Amendment in October.

Again, certain expenditures are trending higher. Fringe Benefits are higher because of the annual payment made to MERS in January. Travel is higher because of staff attendance at the biennial Public Library Association conference in Nashville in February.  Yearly Insurance payments were billed during the 1^st quarter.  These areas will fall into line as the year progresses.

TRUSTEE COMMENTS — Trustee Nancy Eggenberger remarked that Overdues would likely be decreased in any event because of the advent of Auto-Renewal, and that next year might provide a better barometer of how much income will be derived in future from fines.

Secretary/Treasurer Michelle Farell asked whether the Friends of the Library are accepting donations again. (Answer = No.)

Vice-Chair Jasmine Lee expressed her appreciation that the digital media platforms included a variety of international language materials.

COMMITTEE REPORTS — None

UNFINISHED BUSINESS & GENERAL ORDERS

2021 Budget Discussion — Expenditures

Salaries — At the May board meeting, the board had asked for a revised proposal with a slight increase to the lower pay grades due to the state minimum wage increase; pay freezes for all other positions; and no pay cut for the library director. E. Davis reviewed a revised 2021 Salaries recommendation which met those goals. The proposed .71% increase over the 2020 Salaries budget would be an additional $21,000. The board accepted the proposed increase for budgetary purposes.

Approval of Pandemic Response Policy (2^nd Reading)

Trustee Don Turner questioned whether the markup language in the policy document revision had been suggested by the library’s attorney. Davis confirmed that it had come from the Governor’s Executive Order 110, with suggested language supplied by Foster, Swift.

N. Eggenberger moved and M. Farell supported a motion to accept the Pandemic Response Policy 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 20/6‑18-3 (6-0-0)

Library Closure Due to COVID-19 —how reopening is proceeding

Staff members who cannot work remotely have been recalled (mainly Pages and Library Assistants). Librarians have been scheduled for some hours on-site, answering phone queries and assisting Circulation Services in preparing holds for pickup.

Building Manager Jim Laffey has flushed the water system and pipes, replaced air filters on the HVAC units, and cleaned the coils. In consultation with Business Services Department Head Marian Nicholson, he has changed the air mixture in the building from an 80/20 recirculated/fresh mix, to a 60/40 mix.

Building monitors are counting and removing chairs and other furniture in preparation for physical distancing once the library allows public entry.

Davis anticipates at least two more weeks of scheduled holds pickups as currently configured; the administration will then look at refining the process further. A committee is looking at equipment usage by appointment (computers, printers, fax). The Information Technology department is looking into options for the Friends to allow access to Secondhand Prose by appointment for their premium members. M. Nicholson is considering midday restroom cleaning by Dunn-Rite, the library’s janitorial service, once patrons are again allowed into the building.

Davis stated that she is very proud of the entire staff, and has been very impressed especially with the positive, can-do attitude of the Circulation Services employees. L. Golden has been doing an outstanding job with social media, communications and the summer reading program; and the fact that everything is running so smoothly is a testament to Rudie Noble and his IT department staff members.

Chair Amy Watts expressed her thanks to the whole staff; she is thrilled that the library is moving in the right direction. Trustee N. Eggenberger said that she was thrilled with the “62 Days of Summer” package and how all the different members of the community are represented on the activity map. In response to a question by Trustee D. Turner, Davis stated that the Governor had extended the Executive Order allowing public bodies to conduct remote public meetings. The board’s July meeting will therefore be conducted on Zoom.

NEW BUSINESS

Healthcare Plan Options August 2020-July 2021 and PA 152 Employer/Employee Insurance Premiums Cost-Sharing Presentation — Clay Paul and Dave Huntzicker of Kapnick Insurance presented a summary of the plans that had been reviewed. The benefits for Blue Care Network’s Healthy Blue Living HMO Platinum 500 plan remain the same, with a nominal 6.49% increase mainly owing to increases in prescription drug costs. In passing, Paul also stated that Blue Care Network would be giving the library a 30% credit on the July invoice; M. Nicholson confirmed that a credit of over $ 5,000 had been received.

Vice-Chair Lee questioned if the increase in charges were in part due to any fees paid to Kapnick Insurance (Kapnick does not charge the library for their services) and if the drug formulary could be adjusted to reduce costs (no, they have been set by the insurer).

C. Paul also reviewed the PA 152 insurance premium cost-sharing analysis of hard cap versus the 80% cap. E. Davis stated that affected staff members were well aware that the board’s generosity in choosing the hard cap for the 2019-2020 plan year was unlikely to be repeated for 2020-2021. Given the economic uncertainty due to the pandemic, she recommended returning to the 80% cap, which would afford certainty to the library as to health insurance costs.

Approval of Healthcare Contract August 2020-July 2021

N. Eggenberger and J. Lee supported a motion to adopt the Blue Care Network Healthy Blue Living HMO Platinum 500 plan for the August 2020-July 2021 plan year.

ROLL CALL VOTE

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

No:  None

Abstain: None

The motion passed 20/6‑18-1 (6-0-0)

Approval of PA 152 Employer/Employee Insurance Premium Cost-Sharing

J. Lee moved and M. Farell supported a motion to approve the 80% cap for employer/employee cost sharing of insurance premiums as mandated by PA 152.

ROLL CALL VOTE

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

No:  N. Eggenberger

Abstain: None

The motion passed 20/6‑18-2 (5-1-0)

CALL TO AUDIENCE – None

ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 8:51 PM.  

•       Call the Meeting to Order

•       Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)

•       Approval of Agenda

•       Approval of General Meeting Minutes

•       Communications

•       Report of the Library Director

•       Trustee Comments

•      Unfinished Business & General Orders

•       2021 Budget Discussion — expenditures

•          Salaries proposal, Draft #2 for 1st draft budget

•       Approval of Pandemic Response Policy

•       Library Closure Due to COVID-19 — how reopening is proceeding

•      New Business

•       Healthcare Plan Options  August 2020-July 2021 Presentation (Kapnick Insurance)

•       Approval of Healthcare Contract August 2020-July 2021

•       Approval of PA 152 Employer/Employee Insurance Premiums Cost-Sharing

•       Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)

•       Adjourn

Please note that the June meeting of the Canton Public Library Board will be held remotely, in accordance with the Governor's Executive Order 2020-75. Members of the public who wish to participate in this meeting may join the Zoom meeting at 7:30 PM on Thursday, June 18. Attendees will be muted automatically except for the Call To Audience portions of the agenda, where members of the public may use the "raise hand" function within the Zoom meeting application, at which point they will be unmuted for up to 5 minutes of public comment per person.

The meeting packet is available below. The meeting will be recorded and posted following the meeting. Members of the public needing accommodation due to a disability should contact the library director, Eva Davis, at davise@cantonpl.org.

The Chairperson, Amy Watts, called the meeting to order at 7:34 PM.

Present:           N. Eggenberger, M. Farell, J. Lee, J. Pandit (joined at 7:39 PM), D. Turner, A. Watts

Absent:            None

Also Present:  E. Davis, K. Gladden

• CALL TO AUDIENCE   (L. Golden, A. Iqbal, D. McHugh, M. Nicholson, R. Noble, J. Parij, D. Skopczynski, C. Spas, C. Swanberg, N. Szczepanski) – 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 amended.

ROLL CALL VOTE

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

No:  None

Abstain: None

The motion passed (5-0-0)

• APPROVAL OF GENERAL MEETING MINUTES

ROLL CALL VOTE

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

No:  None

Abstain: None

The motion passed (5-0-0)

• COMMUNICATIONS — None
• DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Director Eva Davis reported that Jim Pletz, director of The Library Network (TLN), has announced his retirement and will step down as of October 1st. TLN has a seasoned staff and she anticipates no problems as TLN searches for his replacement.

The new lobby entry doors have been ordered and will be installed in early June. They will be touchless, grocery-style doors.

Building Manager Jim Laffey will oversee the final phase of the library’s disinfection project; all carpets will be cleaned and treated on Tuesday, May 26.

Community Relations Department Head Laurie Golden was interviewed by Sonya Norris of the Library of Michigan about the library website’s pandemic information sources and COVID-19 resource page, and blog post updates on library services. The Canton Public Library was held out to be an excellent example of what libraries should be doing at this time.

Golden and Circulation Services Department Head Nancy Szczepanski coordinated an email survey (done with our Savannah software) of 4700 frequent library users on their interest and level of comfort regarding the pickup of physical materials and other issues related to the eventual phased reopening of the library. As of Thursday, there had been roughly 1100 responses; thus far, a high interest in physical materials has been registered.

The library is a third of the way through the fiscal year. The first State Aid to Libraries payment was just received; it will be reflected in the May financials at the June meeting. Given the costs to the state due to COVID-19, Davis expects that the second payment (as well as any penal fines) will be considerably less than expected. Other Income items, such as meeting room rentals, are trending downward and will continue to do so, due to lack of usage. Any adjustments will be made with the 3rd Quarter Budget Amendment in October.

As always at this point of the year, certain expenditures are trending higher. Fringe Benefits are higher because of the annual payment made to MERS in January. Professional & Contractual is trending higher due to the purchase or renewal of various software licenses and maintenance agreements. Travel is higher because of staff attendance at the biennial Public Library Association conference in Nashville in February.  Any other 2020 conferences will be held virtually at a reduced rate, and no airline, hotel or meal expenses will be incurred. Any unused dollars will be reclaimed in the 3rd Quarter Budget Amendment. Yearly Insurance payments are also billed during the 1st quarter; the Worker’s Compensation policy has yet to be billed.  Capital Outlay expenditures are attributable to the ENGIE project. These areas will fall into line as the year progresses.

Form 5572 (2-19) The Protecting Local Government Retirement and Benefits Act (PA 202 of 2017) & Public Act 530 of 2016 Pension Report form had been supplied to the board, as required by the state.

Trustee Don Turner questioned the source of the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) return on investment (ROI) assumption. E. Davis stated that the Administration and previous boards had found the MERS assumptions to be overly optimistic, which is why the library over-funds the pension plan in each year’s budget. An Experience Study, or performance audit, is done on the MERS assumptions every five years. Turner’s concern that this pension funding will be a never-ending exercise should be eased since the board voted in 2017 to discontinue enrollment to new employees.

• TRUSTEE COMMENTS — None
• COMMITTEE REPORTS — None
• UNFINISHED BUSINESS & GENERAL ORDERS
• Library Closure Due to COVID-19 — reopening

The library is experiencing an outstanding increase in eMedia checkouts, card applications and card renewals. Davis lauded L. Golden and Information Services Department Head Jessica Parij for the quantity and quality of social media posts and online engagements, such as virtual StoryTime sessions.

There will be an all-staff Zoom meeting on Friday, May 22; staff members will be able to voice their concerns re: reopening at that time.

Davis reiterated that the plan to implement reopening the library is based on a tightly controlled, conceptual framework, designed to be flexible so that the library can pivot and make changes based on current conditions. She has learned much from watching the experiences of retail and grocery stores.

The library has discontinued all room rentals, but has consented for civic reasons to Canton Township Clerk Michael Siegrist’s request, pending Township Board discussion, to allow his people to use the Community Room to process same-day voter registrations in August. Canton Township Treasurer Dian Slavens also contacted Davis for input on how the library plans to address fears and concerns of older library patrons, as the township regularly services older residents that prefer to do business in-person, rather than online. Davis continues to be in constant contact with the township Emergency Coordinator, Will Hayes.

Department heads are meeting to construct staff schedules for the limited reopening and succeeding phases. In response to Trustee Nancy Eggenberger’s expressed concern re: dealing with patrons refusing to comply with face mask regulations or policies, Davis stated that no patrons will be entering the building during the first phases of wide staff return; when they do, it will only be by appointment and all requirements will be shared with patrons at that time. Davis will also be receiving guidance from the library’s attorney and Will Hayes on dealing with patrons claiming a medical exception to wearing a face mask.

Vice Chair Jasmine Lee asked if building security will be increased; Davis is looking at that possibility.

• NEW BUSINESS
  • Revisions to Furlough Policy — The library is not proposing any furloughs at this time and in fact it has never been implemented since the board passed the furlough policy 11 years ago. Administration feels it is prudent to review and update it at this time to be sure it conforms with current laws and regulations.

D. Turner moved and J. Lee supported a motion to accept the revised Furlough Policy 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 20/5‑21-1 (6-0-0)

• 2021 Budget Discussion — Expenditures
  • Capital Expenditures — Due to the library’s extended shutdown, it is not known exactly which anticipated technology or facilities projects will actually be done. They will be re-evaluated as the year progresses, based on need and/or patron interest.

Vice Chair Lee inquired about the need for the new accounting platform in the proposed Capital Replacement Schedule. Davis explained that Accountant Debbie McHugh has been consulting with the auditors and other libraries to select a replacement for Quickbooks, which cannot support the new Uniform Chart of Accounts that will be mandatory in January.

• Salaries — Davis stated that the mandated minimum wage increase in January 2021 consequently means that the pay differential between the lowest tier and the middle tier of the Circulation Services employees will essentially be wiped out. Based on Merces Consulting’s review of job evaluations and labor market studies, and the duties and responsibilities within individual job categories, she proposed a 1.7% increase to the Salaries line, with priority to be given to those frontline employees in the lower pay grades, and a 5% cut to the director’s salary. Any increases to eligible employees would be based on job performance, with some employees possibly receiving more than 1.7%, some less and some receiving no increase at all.  While the Merces recommendation was an average 3.0% increase, Davis recommends her alternate recommendation. The board asked for a revised proposal at the June meeting with a slight increase to the lower pay grades due to the state minimum wage increase; pay freezes for all other positions; and no pay cuts.
• 2021 Budget Discussion — Expenditures
  • Millage Rate — Davis recommended an assessment of 1.4717 mills for 2021.
  • Property tax collection rate — Davis recommended a 96% collection rate assumption, down from the 99% rate in 2020. With the moratorium on foreclosures and evictions, she felt it is prudent to plan for more property tax delinquencies.

Even with the lesser millage and lowered collection rate assumption, the 2021 budget projects a $100,000 revenue increase, due to new construction in the township. The board members indicated their assent to using these figures in the 2021 budget proposal.

• Revision to 2020 Schedule of Board Meetings and Library Closures — The 2020 Liberty Fest has been cancelled, and Davis requested that the board rescind the library closure dates that were to accommodate it. Since the library would then be open the evening of June 18, the board would be able to hold their 3rd Thursday meeting on that date, if desired.

D. Turner moved and N. Eggenberger supported a motion to rescind the early library closure of June 18 and the full-day closures of June 19 and June 20, and to move the scheduled June meeting of the Canton Public Library Board of Trustees to Thursday, June 18.

ROLL CALL VOTE

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

No:  None

Abstain: None

The motion passed 20/5‑21-2 (6-0-0)

• Pandemic Reopening Policy (1st reading) —The library’s attorney at Foster, Swift recommended that the board approve this pandemic policy, which delegates certain authority to the director with regard to issues that might arise regarding reopening plans, staffing, patrons and hygiene.

They will vote on the policy at the June meeting.

• CALL TO AUDIENCE – Davis showed to the board the final proof of the 62 Days of Summer activities map that will be part of the packet that will be mailed to every Canton household in June.
• ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 9:46PM.  

•      Call the Meeting to Order
•      Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)
•      Approval of Agenda
•      Approval of General Meeting Minutes
•      Communications
•      Report of the Library Director
•      Trustee Comments
•      Unfinished Business & General Orders

        •       Library Closure Due to COVID-19 — re-opening

•      New Business

        •       Revisions to Furlough Policy (1st reading)

        •       2021 Budget Discussion — expenditures

                o   Capital expenditures — Discuss Capital Replacement schedule for 1st Draft budget

                o   Salaries — review library recommendation, determine initial assumption for 1st 
                     draft budget

       •       2021 Budget Discussion — revenues

               o   Millage rate — review County Equalization Report, determine millage rate for 1st
                    draft budget

               o   Property tax collection rate — review library recommendation, discuss initial
                    assumption for 1st draft budget

       •       2020 Schedule of Board Meetings and Library Closures

       •       Board Financial Statements in Graph Form

•       Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)
•      Adjourn

Please note that the May meeting of the Canton Public Library Board will be held remotely, in accordance with the Governor's Executive Order 2020-75. Members of the public who wish to participate in this meeting may join the Zoom meeting at 7:30 PM on Thursday, May 21. Attendees will be muted automatically except for the Call To Audience portions of the agenda, where members of the public may use the "raise hand" function within the Zoom meeting application, at which point they will be unmuted for up to 5 minutes of public comment per person.

The meeting packet is available below. The meeting will be recorded and posted following the meeting. Members of the public needing accommodation due to a disability should contact the library director, Eva Davis, at davise@cantonpl.org.

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

•       Call the Meeting to Order (7:30 P.M.)

•       Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)

•       Approval of Agenda

•       Approval of General Meeting Minutes

•       Communications

•       Report of the Library Director

•       Trustee Comments

•       2019 Audit Presentation (Plante Moran)

•       Accept 2019 Audit as Presented

•       Approve 1st Quarter Budget Amendment

•       2021 Budget Discussion — expenditures

         •  Healthcare plan coverage discussion

•       Approve Resolution to Change Newspaper of Record

•       Library Closure Due to COVID-19

•       Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)

•       Adjourn

Please note that the April meeting of the Canton Public Library Board will be held remotely, in accordance with the Governor's Executive Order 2020-48. Members of the public who wish to participate in this meeting may join the Zoom meeting at 7:30 PM on Thursday, April 16. Attendees will be muted automatically except for the Call To Audience portions of the agenda, where members of the public may use the "raise hand" function within the Zoom meeting application, at which point they will be unmuted for up to 5 minutes of public comment per person.

The meeting packet is available below. The meeting will be recorded and posted following the meeting. Members of the public needing accommodation due to a disability should contact the library director, Eva Davis, at davise@cantonpl.org.

Please note that the March meeting of the Canton Public Library Board of Trustees has been cancelled and will not take place on the third Thursday of the month (March 19).

The April Board Meeting will tentatively take place on Thursday, April16 at 7:30 PM.

• Call the Meeting to Order
• Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)
• Approval of Agenda
• Approval of General Meeting Minutes
• Communications
• Report of the Library Director
• Trustee Comments
• 2021 Budget Discussion — expenditures
• Healthcare plan coverage discussion — discuss expanding coverage to fully comply with PPACA
• Approve Resolution to Change Newspaper of Record
• Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)
• Adjourn

The Chairperson, Amy Watts, called the meeting to order at 7:30 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   (L. Golden, D. McHugh, M. Nicholson, R. Noble, J. Parij, C. Spas, N. Szczepanski) – None        
• APPROVAL OF AGENDA

The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.

• APPROVAL OF GENERAL MEETING MINUTES

The minutes were approved by unanimous consent.

• COMMUNICATIONS — Director Eva Davis shared a “thank you” note from the Canton Goodfellows in appreciation of the library serving as a distribution point for the Goodfellows’ “No Child Without a Christmas” program application forms.
• DIRECTOR’S REPORT
  • The financial reports showed the library 8% through the fiscal year. Income is trending high on Property Taxes, which were due on February 14; other income sources are at zero (State Aid, Penal Fines) as they are not traditionally received until later in the year.
  • On the expense side, Fringe Benefits are trending higher because payment for the full year has been made to MERS. Library Materials are higher because librarians are again ordering newly published items for their collections. Capital Outlay and Professional & Contractual are up because of a progress payment made to ENGIE Services for the Building Control System project, and advance payments made (airline flight bookings, hotel reservations) concerning the upcoming Public Library Association (PLA) conference in Nashville account for higher spending in Travel.
  • The annual State of the Township luncheon is on March 4; board trustees should let E. Davis know if they wish to attend.
• TRUSTEE COMMENTS — Trustee Jasmine Lee asked if the board would consider requesting that additional information be included in the monthly board packet. She indicated that a graphic analysis of the Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual monthly report, along with a similar report overlaid with the previous year’s data would be helpful to her, and possibly to any new board members in future, in interpreting possible trends in library spending. Accountant Debbie McHugh stated that she would investigate possible options within Quickbooks.
• COMMITTEE REPORTS — None
• UNFINISHED BUSINESS & GENERAL ORDERS
  • ​Review 2020 Board Agenda Planning Document — While several board trustees will be absent at upcoming meetings when 2021 budget components will be discussed, Trustee Don Turner urged that the board plans not be revised to accommodate individual circumstances. It was agreed to abide by the agenda planning document as originally presented in January.
• NEW BUSINESS
  • 2021 Budget Discussion
    • MERS Pension —While MERS consistently alters their actuarially required contribution assumptions, Davis recommended that the library contribute $125,000 to the employee pension fund in 2021. This will keep the library on a continued path to 120% funding, which will hopefully be accomplished over a four-year period.
    • ​Library Materials — Davis recommended an increase in the materials budget to 15%. The majority of this increase would be dedicated to services and subscriptions (eBooks and download services like Kanopy and CloudLibrary), rather than to physical materials. She mentioned that, with an increase to 15%, the library would meet one of the primary standards that previously had precluded the library from achieving Excellent certification status in the State Library of Michigan’s Quality Services Audit Checklist (QSAC). (However, other requirements in the newly-revised standards may yet prevent the library from achieving the top certification status in 2020.)

    • Trustee J. Lee asked about the processes for selection and ordering of international language materials and also for the scheduling of international language programming. She expressed her belief that more recent physical and digital materials would be appreciated by Canton’s diverse demographic population, and requested that the selectors re-double their efforts to locate vendors that can supply them.

  • 2019 Endowment Fund Campaign Review — Davis reviewed a chart depicting fund activity from 2015 through 2019. There was a mass bulk mailing postcard campaign in 2019; the fund showed an increase of $108,000 over 2018. D. Turner stated that he had previously indicated a preference for a report that split out principal, earnings and contributions to the Endowment Fund. Davis said that she would make notes to include such information in next year’s report.
  • Community Survey Result — Trustee Nancy Eggenberger said that the presentation by Cobalt Community Research was much more engaging than the one from the previous community survey. Community Relations Department Head Laurie Golden offered background on the origin of the survey question concerning culinary skill-building programs. Davis said that the percentage of non-users had increased since the last community survey; more outreach to new residents might be necessary. Library hours is another area that will be looked into, as well.
• CALL TO AUDIENCE – Friends of the Library Claire Spas said that there had been a change in officers on the Friends board, and that the Secondhand Prose Used Bookstore is doing well.
• ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 9:04 PM.  

•      Call the Meeting to Order
•      Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)
•       Approval of Agenda
•       Approval of General Meeting Minutes
•       Communications
•       Report of the Library Director
•       Trustee Comments
•       Unfinished Business & General Orders — Review Board Agenda Planning document
•       New Business
  •       2021 Budget Discussion
    •   MERS Pension – review library recommendation, determine employer contribution for 1st draft budget
    •    Library Materials – review library recommendation, determine budget as a % of total revenues for 1st draft budget
  •       2019 Endowment Fund Campaign Review
  •       Community Survey Results
•       Call to Audience (5 min. maximum)
•       Adjourn