Monday, October 26, 2009

Call to order: Vice-President Terry Wehrkamp called the October meeting of the Board of Trustees to order at 6:05. The meeting was held at the main library in Paulding.

Roll Call: The following board members were in attendance - Terry Wehrkamp, Corey Walker, Susie Thrasher, Geoff Hyman and Michelle Stahl. Board President Sue Derck was excused due to illness. Also present was Director, Susan Pieper; Assistant Director, Diana Coy; and Fiscal Officer, Wilma Mullins.

Also in attendance were Shelly Roughton and Jennifer Manz representing the Oakwood Library Association; and Vicky Hull, Heather Hunt and Anissa Williamson, PCCL staff members.

Action Plan Recorder: Mr. Wehrkamp agreed to record the evening's action plan.

Additions/Corrections to the October Agenda: Susie Thrasher moved to approve the October Agenda as presented.

Citizen Participation: Mr. Wehrkamp welcomed the guests and asked if they had anything they would like to share. The visitors declined comment.

Minutes: Corey Walker moved to approve the September 2009 minutes as presented. Geoff Hyman seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Battle of the Books 2010: Susie Thrasher moved approval for the library to sponsor Battle of the Books through 2010 and revisit the status of the program in late 2010 or early 2011. Michelle Stahl seconded the motion. Motion passed.

OLC Presentation on status of Ohio Revenue (9 minutes) The Board and visitors viewed a 9 minute presentation by Lynda Murray of the Ohio Library Council regarding the status of the revenue and projected Public Library Fund impact as of October 20th.

2009 Public Library Fund (PLF) Disbursements for PCCL were provided to the Board:

January 2009 $ 58,393.49

February 2009 $ 69,600.72

March 2009 $ 39,155.66

April 2009 $ 45,164.36

May 2009 $ 71,602.89 (Down 20% from May 2008)

June 2009 $ 54,621.01 (Down 9% from June 2008)

July 2009 $ 55,540.75 (Down 23% from July 2008)

August 2009 $ 39,791.14 (Down 23% from August 2008)

September 2009 $ 40,889.83 (Down 22% from September 2008)

October 2009 $48,164.04 (Down 23% from October 2008)

Total to date for 2009 $522,923.89

Projected PLF for CY2009 $689,730.00

Bills: Michelle Stahl moved to approve payment of bills Pay-X numbers 12638-12691 for August and 12694-12743 for September; and Finance numbers 14661-14697 for August and 14698-14737 for September. Corey Walker seconded the motion. The Board approved payment after a discussion including:

· She is now able to view the VISA bill online. This will allow her to plan in advance for the amount of the bill.

· The Board discussed the petty cash fund and the appropriate paper trail kept for small cash payments for reimbursements.

· The Unique Management Collection service is still in the pilot year. Heather Hunt was able to share the ongoing benefits of this service. The Board will continue to review the efficiency of this program.

Director’s Report: Mrs. Pieper shared activities from the prior month including meeting with reporters regarding the funding of the library and traveling to Romania for the U.S. Department of State to share rural librarianship.

OLD BUSINESS

Action Plan Update:

· Mrs. Pieper will remove the Board members from the print subscription database for the Rural Newsletter

· Mrs. Mullins was unable to ascertain facts regarding Speednet contract specifics as the Michelle Sidle, the technology staff, is on maternity leave

· Mrs. Mullins supplied an estimate of savings on cutbacks of books, etc. from this year. The Board requested a more detailed list that is itemized including what we have saved by not purchasing books, staff reductions, etc.

· Mrs. Pieper forwarded information regarding vacation and benefits packages she received from other libraries. The Board requested Mrs. Pieper compile the information in print format itemized by vacation, sick time, retirement, etc.

· Mrs. Mullins is still working on a policy for fines and fee deposits for the branches.

· Mrs. Pieper will meet with Becky Swisher of The Ohio Plan for an initial discussion for insurance quotes, after the levy.

· Mrs. Mullins and Mrs. Pieper shared an example of what it would cost to run a branch. The Board requested this information be reformulated to display the specific amounts the PCCL spends to run each branch, i.e.: cost of automation, maintenance, computer maintenance, supplies, books, processing, administrative and support staff hours, delivery, etc.

Branch Hours: The Board reviewed the number of hours the branches and main library were now open each week due to reductions made on July 13th: Main Headquarter Carnegie Library in Paulding -- 44 hours; Antwerp Branch Library -- 29 hours; Cooper Community Library in Oakwood -- 31 hours; Payne Branch Hours -- 31 hours.

Handbook Revisions: Further discussions regarding the revisions of the employee handbook will be tabled until the January 2010 meeting. Mrs. Pieper will take the changes that have been suggested and work them into a Word Program showing the changes as well as the original language (strike and add).

Update on PAC: Mrs. Pieper gave an update on the activities of the levy committee. There are about 500 signs distributed throughout the county. There have been letters to the editors, articles and ads that will appear on local papers. A general discussion regarding the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) removing all signs (library and other) from both the right-of-way and other spots along state and federal highways was discussed. Most of the signs have been returned thanks to Anissa Williamson who took the initiative to pick the signs up from ODOT.

NEW BUSINESS

Executive Session: At 7:50 p.m., Corey Walker moved to adjourn into Executive Session pursuant to ORC 121.22G1 to discuss employment and personnel matters. Michelle Stahl seconded the motion. A roll-call vote resulted in a unanimous vote to adjourn. The visitors were asked to leave the meeting. The Board moved to return to regular session at 9:20 p.m.

Contingency 2010 Budget if Levy Fails: The Board announced that they will wait until the outcome of the levy is determined by the voters before any decisions about the possible reorganization of the library system would be made.

Snow Removal: Solid Ground Landscaping has submitted a proposal for snow removal for the 2009/2010 snow season. Mrs. Mullins and Mrs. Pieper will request additional proposals from other local services before making a recommendation to the Board.

November Meeting: The November Meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at the Main Carnegie Library in Paulding.

Adjourn: Susie Thrasher moved to adjourn the meeting at approximately 9:30 p.m. Michelle Stahl seconded the motion. Motion passed.