Byron Public Library District Board met Sept. 30.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
Committee Members Present: Susan O’Neil, David Conley, and Rich Pleniewicz Also Present: Emily Porter, Director
Absent: none
Mrs. O’Neil called the meeting to order at 12:06 p.m.
Mrs. Porter presented a revised version of the Policy Manual. The changes include these policies: Authority to Spend, Credit Card Usage, Freedom of Information Act, Notary Public, and Service of Patrons with Disabilities. The policies that were reviewed with no changes were the Display Space Policy and Fund Balance Policy. She also recommended that we delete the Tablet and Laptop policy since there are no tablets or laptops to loan out. If we decide to purchase new equipment, we will have to review and update the policy before it can be approved.
After conferring with Adam Simon from Ancel Glink, Mr. Simon recommended a new Special Fund Balance Resolution to replace the previous Special Reserve Fund Utilization Resolution. This new resolution will allow the library to move forward with its fund balance plan now that the bond has been paid off (or will be in December). He also recommended a new Investment policy that includes a section on reporting to the board on the state of its investments. I talked to Steven Scholl (our financial advisor at Byron Bank) about providing these reports and recommendations, and he is happy to do so.
A discussion ensued about the meeting room policy. Mrs. Porter suggested that we increase the price of after-hours meetings to $50 to cover the cost and administration of staff/HVAC/cleaning services. Both Mrs. O’Neil and Mr. Pleniewicz explained that the original intent of the meeting room was to encourage after-hours community use and they were disappointed that that service had not been promoted or much-utilized. Mrs. Porter explained that there were logistical barriers that need to be considered. The committee agreed that this topic would be best discussed with the entire board. Another suggested change on the meeting room policy is the addition of an age limit on the first-floor study room and porch. While the upstairs study room is monitored closely by staff, the other two rooms are not. Now that we have a teen department, Mrs. Porter felt that we should be encouraging teens under 16 to start congregating in their own space.
Mrs. Porter also presented an updated Employee Handbook. The recommended changes include Pay Periods, Other Closings, IMRF, and Vacation and Sick. Most of these changes are needed due to the new bi-weekly pay schedule.
Lastly, the committee discussed the possibility of serving alcohol at the library. While Mrs. Porter presented a sample policy, the law outlining the state requirements, and other internal training, more information is needed. Mrs. Porter will work on finding and talking to other library directors who serve alcohol at their libraries to get more information on outcomes and concerns. The subject was tabled.
http://byron.lib.il.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019-09-30-OperationsComm-minutes.docx.pdf
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