Rock Island Today

City of Rock Island Public Library Board of Trustees met Jan. 18.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

Type of Meeting: Regularly Scheduled Board Meeting

Meeting Facilitator: Eudell Watts III

Call to Order: President Eudell Watts III called the meeting to order at 5:00pm.

Attendance: Karen Phillips, Jo Noon (Via Teleconference at 5:14PM), Pat Mahar, Deborah Freiburg, Elizabeth Russell, Jacki Nelson, Jenni Swanson (Via Teleconference at 5:03PM), Dr. Yolanda Grandberry Pugh; Angela Campbell, Library Director; Lisa Lockheart, Publicity/Outreach Liaison; Malachi Kohlwey, Business Office & Facilities Director; Sam Baugous, RIHS Teen Advisory Member.

Absent: Kathy Lelonek, Foundation Director.

Public Comment: None.

Approval of Minutes: The Board reviewed the meeting minutes of December 21, 2021. Without any additions or corrections, President Watts advised the minutes be approved as written.

Board Education: Director Campbell presented Chapters 1 and 2 of the Serving Our Public IL Public Library Standards. Karen Phillips asked if the Library has a Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policy, Director Campbell advised that the Library is planning on creating an ADA policy, which is included in the Library’s Strategic Plan. However, in the meantime, the Library would follow the City of Rock Island’s ADA policy.

Correspondence:

• Adopt-a-Family Thank You

• Heart of Hope Thank You

• Rocky Resource Room Thank you

o Board Members commented that they were happy to receive the thank you letters.

Committee Reports

Buildings and Grounds – Pat Mahar

No report from this Committee.

Personnel & Policy – Debbie Freiburg

Debbie Freiburg advised that the board will go into closed session and review the Library Director’s performance review later in the meeting.

Planning & Community Relations – Karen Phillips

No report from this Committee; however, there was discussion on setting a future meeting to discuss presenting the Strategic Plan to City Council.

Art – Pat Mahar

No report from this committee.

Finance – Jenni Swanson

Jenni Swanson made a motion to approve monthly bills for December in the amount of $ 43,798.45. Karen Phillips seconded. President Watts took a recorded vote: 7 ayes – Swanson, Freiburg, Phillips, Mahar, Russell, Grandberry Pugh, and Nelson; 0 nays, motion carried. Jenni Swanson announced that the City Council approved the $100,000.00 Library budget transfer. The board praised everyone’s effort in working to balance the Library budget.

Foundation – Kathy Lelonek

Director Campbell, provided an update on the Capital Campaign. The campaign is at 97% of its fundraising goal! Additionally, the campaign now has 399 individual donors! The next meeting of the Foundation Board will be February 10, 2022 at 4pm at the Downtown Library.

Administrator Reports

Director’s Reports & Statistics – Director Campbell advised that the Library is working on how to include the $100,000.00 budget adjustment in the overall budget. Additionally, Director Campbell asked if the board had any questions with the report or statistics. Karen Phillips commented that the Library stats are doing better than last year, great news!

Milan Blackhawk Area Public Library District

Director Campbell advised that the next Milan Blackhawk Board meeting is on January 27, 2022 at 4pm at the Southwest Library.

Unfinished Business

1. COVID Mitigation Efforts – Discussion/updates – Director Campbell advised that the Library has multiple staff members out with COVID or COVID like symptoms. Additionally, Director Campbell cautioned that if more staff members are out, the Library will have to shift services by either temporarily closing the Downtown children’s room or only allowing curb-side services. The Library will monitor it day-by-day. Elizabeth Russell asked how the Library would alert patrons of any service changes and Publicity/Outreach Liaison Lockheart advised that the Library will post any changes on the website, through email, and with a press release.

2. South Entrance Parking Lot – Business Office & Facilities Director Kohlwey advised that the Library is currently waiting to hear back from the property owner about the current offer to procure the lot.

3. High School Advisory Board Members – RIHS Teen Advisory Member Baugous advised that he reached out to multiple students in hopes of filling the second open position and was not able to find any interested students.

4. Library Budget – Director Campbell discussed that the Library budget is covered in the board packet located in the Directors Report. Jenni Swanson recommended that the Library continues asking the City Council for what it needs.

New Business

1. Elizabeth Russell made a motion to approve Bibliotheca as the vendor for the electromagnetic gates, self-service lockers, self-check, and payment kiosk. Jacki Nelson seconded. President Watts took a recorded vote: 8 ayes – Swanson, Freiburg, Phillips, Mahar, Noon, Russell, Grandberry Pugh, and Nelson; 0 nays, motion carried.

2. Elizabeth Russell made a motion to approve Conference Technology Inc. as the vendor for the audiovisual engineering, equipment, and installation. Karen Phillips seconded. President Watts took a recorded vote: 8 ayes – Swanson, Freiburg, Phillips, Mahar, Noon, Russell, Grandberry Pugh, and Nelson; 0 nays, motion carried.

3. The motion to accept a donation of a baby grand piano was deleted from the Agenda. 4. Following a closed session (see below), Debbie Freiburg made a motion to approve the 2021 evaluation of the library director’s performance. Elizabeth Russell seconded. President Watts took a recorded vote: 8 ayes – Swanson, Freiburg, Phillips, Mahar, Noon, Russell, Grandberry Pugh, and Nelson; 0 nays, motion carried.

Information Sharing

• Master Agenda Updates for 2022

o Director Campbell advised that the updates on the master agenda include changes in the Board Bylaws. Debbie Freiburg proposed changing the master agenda to allow for the Library Board to complete the Director’s performance evaluation in December instead of January due to software complications. Director Campbell advised that the master agenda will be changed to reflect the new timeline.

• Annual Certification Receipt

o Director Campbell explained that the Annual Certification required by the Illinois State Library is complete for Rock Island and Milan-Blackhawk.

• Unique Management Report

Closed Session

• Debbie Freiburg made a motion to enter into a closed session at 5:23PM for Matters of Personnel – 5ILCS 120/2c Exception 1, “Appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of a specific employee of the public body.” Karen Phillips seconded.

President Watts took a recorded vote: 8 ayes – Swanson, Freiburg, Phillips, Mahar, Noon, Russell, Grandberry Pugh, and Nelson; 0 nays, motion carried.

• At 5:48PM, Karen Phillips made a motion to go into open session. Dr. Yolanda Granberry Pugh seconded. President Watts took a recorded vote: 8 ayes – Swanson, Freiburg, Phillips, Mahar, Noon, Russell, Grandberry Pugh, and Nelson; 0 nays, motion carried.

• No action was taken during closed session. Action taken following closed session can be found in the minutes under “New Business,” point number 4.

Announcements: None.

Adjournment – President Watts adjourned the meeting at 5:55pm.

https://www.rigov.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_01182022-886